New KNT director sets stage for change

A happy ending to the sad story of the Kenya National Theatre is not an impossible act, new Director Aghan-Odero Agan tells GEORGE ORIDO

The Kenya National Theatre (KNT), which has in the last few years been in the news for all the wrong reasons, has a new director. Mr Aghan-Odero Agan, a reputable homegrown artiste of high standing, is the man who hopes to restore the image of the institution, which is under the Kenya Cultural Centre.

Agan brings years of storytelling and culture management experience to KNT. His appointment through a gazette notice by the Minister for Culture and Heritage, William ole Ntimama, is an indication that the ministry may finally have realised the seriousness upon which management of what is supposed to be a beacon of culture reference in Kenya ought to be taken.

KNT is so run down that many directors prefer other cultural centres that offer more competitive services such as the Alliance FranÁaise, The GoDown Arts Centre, Braeburn Theatre, Goethe Institut, Nairobi Cinema, Ufungamano Hall and lately Liberty Centre in Ngara.

While many artistes in Kenya today and in the past would attribute their creative success to the 60-year-old institution, many will also tell of how their budding careers were ruined here.

Apart from security concerns at the venue, in the recent past there have also been rumours of drug peddling at the KNT.

A young female musician, who prefers anonymity for fear of stigma, recalls how her life went into the drain when she came first here after high school.

"I met a director who instead of honing my skills in acting introduced me to smoking bhang that was plenty in supply," says the actress who is trying to put her life together, ten years later.

Successive past managements of this prime cultural centre have also been accused of failing to properly use funds contributed by well-wishers to redeem its failing stature.

One such instance was in the year 2000 when two multinationals reportedly donated Sh6 million to rehabilitate the centre. While it took long to put that work together, the technicians ended up replacing the roofing with iron sheets that locked soundproofing.

lacking facilities

The so-called facelift came a cropper as cosmetic painting of the exterior concealed the badly rotting seating, backstage, lights and sound equipment.

"You can’t have a show when it rains as the toilets stink," complains Nelson Mbugua of Unicorn Arts production.

The theatre has no website and no known timetable for performances, making it hard for clients to publicise their events.

Eric Baraza, the Marketing Director of Jicho Four Productions that specialises in school set book performances, says they do not get the worth for the Sh20,000 a day hire charges saying one has to spend more to publicise, hire stage lights and sounds and pay hidden levies such as daily taxi fare for theatre staff.

His counterpart, Mbuthia Ngware, of Nairobi Theatre Players and currently running Mayai Waziri wa Maradhi, shares the same sentiments.

"My publicity alone requires Sh200,000 and after paying crew and cast, putting up the set and buying costumes I only break even – there is no take home for me," he laments.

Mbugua says he does not mind even a charge of Sh40,000 a day for the hall, as long as KNT provided quality that can attract theatregoers.

"This way we can be able to recoup and make a little profit," he says. Yet for Baraza and Mbuthia, it is a catch-22 situation as their core clients who cannot pay gate charges beyond Sh150. The theatre today has a capacity of 418 seats with some broken and many in dire need for repair. Fresh school leavers such as Samuel Obiero of the newly formed Film Masters Arts Group would like to use the open spaces for rehearsals without paying levies of Sh500 per hour that the centre demands from them today.

Challenges

These and many more challenges await Agan who says his first act will be to make the centre source of enriching Kenyan lives.

"We are going for more efficient operations to improve the perception of

drama and theatre in the minds of Kenyans," says the Witwaterstrand. University graduate of Arts and Culture Management.

He defends the hiring charges terming them the lowest in town and cites the parking levy project as one of the highest income generating activities at the centre.

Many patrons are on record complaining of parking fees while in other theatre centres in the city parking is normally free taking into consideration that many productions run at night.

Agan envisages a paradigm shift in the human resource allocation and structure at his new posting where he is apparently the only staff with qualifications at the moment.

"I need at least four departmental heads including Administration, Finance, Technical Services and Communications managers to help me deliver," he says.

His other challenge will be to detach himself from the several art and culture interests he has to avoid conflict of interest that has bedeviled previous mangers.

Today he is a board member of the Institute of performing Arts Limited, Director at Zamaleo Act and the Nairobi Arts Trust. He also serves in the Kenya Film Corporation board.