MST-Department of Theatre Arts and Film Technology

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The Ab'atachoni theatre: its aesthetics and social significance
(2012-05-17) Karani, Solomon Kakai M
The aim of this study is to investigate the nature and character of the Ab'atachoni indigenous theatre forms as they are seen and observed today. At the core of this study is the search for viable definitions of the concepts of drama, theatre and performance. This study is further prompted by critical assumptions, which confine the concepts of drama and theatre to things like "script" and "a raised stage". The exploration of the Ab'atachoni theatre forms is an attempt to widen and deepen an awareness of the concepts of drama, theatre and performance beyond their "Tachonic" context. In other words, it is one of the key premises of this study that a good theory of art should have the potential of transcending its local or ethno-centric derivation. The central thesis of this study defines drama as a universal (abstract) human ability having a culture-specific elaboration. This central thesis, informed by a theatrical-linguistic model, also incorporates semiotic principles to study its object. This study is a product of observation and participation in actual performing situations. The study is structured as follows: Chapter One outlines the purpose and scope of the study. Chapter Two describes the social and aesthetic background of the Ab'atachoni community. Chapter Three examines the ritual-drama of okhusena omuse (herein referred to as omuse). This ritual-drama is analyzed as one of the genres of the Ab'atachoni theatre. in this performance, a ceremonial performer is invited to perform at the funeral ceremony of a Mutachoni elder on the second day after burial. Chapter Four describes and examines the dance-theatre of okhuuya. This dance-theatre is performed in honour of a Mutachoni elder on the first day after burial. Chapter Five describes and examines the narrative performance (olukano). A specific performance observed by this researcher is given to demonstrate how a performer selects from the narrative-matrix and gives the selected narrative theatrical uniqueness and liveliness. Chapter Six brings together the major arguments in this study. A link is established between the central thesis and the method of investigation. Three Appendices are provided. The First Appendix gives three narratives used as a part of the performances presented in Chapter Three (Omuse). The Second Appendix has two parts, the first part gives a sample of songs from the okhuuya ceremony referred to in Chapter Four and the second part has a selection of photographs taken at the okhuuya dance-theatre, performed in honour of Khisa King'asisa of Tongaren Division, Bungoma district. These reinforce specific points made in reference to this occasion in Chapter Four. The Third Appendix presents the narrative used as the basis for Chapter Five.
The Appropriation of the Alienation Effect by Selected Theatre for Development Troupes in Kenya
(2013-07-23) Were, Daniel K.
This study examined the use of Brecht‟s concept of the alienation effect by selected theatre for development troupes in Kenya. It emerged that theatre for development is mainly used by nongovernmental organizations for grassroots development. Nonetheless, several deficiencies at the level of practice and technique hinder theatre for development from realizing its ultimate potential. These deficiencies were mainly attributable to the inability of theatre for development practices to espouse the alienation effect. This would have otherwise enhanced the ability of theatre for development to attain conscientisation and ultimately development. This study therefore examined the use of the alienation effect by selected theatre for development troupes in Kenya. In this context, I identified and evaluated the appropriation of the Brecht‟s alienation effect by Amateur, Sanaa and House of Courage theatre troupes. I also assessed the challenges that hindered these troupes from effectively appropriating Brecht‟s alienation effect. The methodology adopted was through participant observation where I attended three performances by each troupe and observed the use of these techniques in the performances. I also carried out interviews with the performers, the audience, and theatre resource persons for a critical appraisal. The findings revealed that the three troupes appropriate some elements of the alienation effect, although some of the performances fell short of realizing the alienation effect. From my analysis of the performances and the challenges arising thereof, I make recommendations on improving the theatre for development practice in Kenya.
Gender Microaggression Motif in Films Featuring Steven Kanumba
(2014-07-24) Mututa, Addamms Songe; Mugubi, J.; Diang'a, R.
This study will examine gender archetypes prevalent in purposively selected films featuring Steven Kanumba as the protagonist or antagonist. It shall explore the spaces occupied by women characters, articulating the contexts of their social existence and the outcomes of the roles assigned to them within cinema narratives in comparison to those of men. The study shall further interrogate whether these social mappings engender bias, any form of hegemony or subjugation, and consequently adumbrate aggressive trends between male and female characters in their diegetic world. The research will be qualitative, and data analysis will focus on the concentric positioning of male and female characters within the narrative's social framework. It will be an evaluation of whether these films edify ascendancy by characters of either gender and how such quasi-conflicts reinforce or confront domination in the social continuum. From this engagement, the study will specifically examine through collocation analysis if such social interactions constitute microaggressive tendencies. Theoretically, this study will adduce to Masculinity theory whose gender stance is hinged on re-thinking, interalia, male-ascendancy and systems that perpetuate it. It shall also allude to Derald Wing Sue's behavioural psychology from which the concept of microaggression is derived. Finally, it will invoke the contemplations of postcolonial scholars like Edward Said; and feminist scholars like Simone de Beauvoir, Laura Mulvey, Kate Millett and Judith Butler's feminist strand, whose aesthetic stance evince social suppression of the less powerful members of the society.
Kenyan Drama Films: An Investigation of the Aesthetics of Selected Films.
(Kenyatta University, 2015-01-07) M'erimba, Mutunga Simon
This study investigated the aesthetics of selected Kenyan drama films. The movies selected are those produced, directed, and acted by Kenyan people in Kenya. Three Kenyan movies were analysed; Zeinabu Rudi Nyumbani (2008) by Billy Mbilikimo, Chasing Moses (2009) by Alexander Konstantaras and The Village Cassanova (20 10) by Simon Nduti. In order to establish the parameters under which Kenyan drama films could be critiqued, the study sought to analyse dramatic aspects of the selected drama films, establish the peculiarities of its aesthetics and investigate the socio-cultural aspects embedded in the selected drama films. Two theories were used in this study. The formalist film theory popularly advocated by the Russian formalists like Tynyanov emphasises on the aesthetic value of film and argues that the meaning of a film can be deciphered from the aesthetic elements employed by the film maker. The postmodernism theory emphasises the reworking of existing ideas and styles as typified by the techniques of pastiche and intertextuality. In this respect, the styles in the films may not necessarily be complete innovations of the directors but rather a reworking of existing film styles to suit their own artistic expression depending on the intent ofthe films they produce. The methodology that was used for research is the descriptive case study design where selected films were analysed after watching them. The films provided the primary data to be used in the analysis while secondary data was attained from the internet, journals and books. This study involved an analysis of the specific films' aesthetic elements after which a conclusion of the findings was done to ascertain the fact that Kenyan drama films have their own aesthetics which characterise them. It was clear that the various filmmaking techniques employed by the filmmakers created dramatic effect and worked together to make the films communicate and appeal to the audience in a particular way. The various social cultural aspects embedded in the films reflect the society's beliefs and values in relation to religion, family, wealth, morality and alcohol.
Analysis of Narrative Form in Three Kenyan Fiction Video Films
(Kenyatta University, 2015-10) Maina, William Mureithi
Research has identified poor quality and unprofessionalism as factors that limit the appeal of Kenyan video films (Kenya Film Commission, Audience Consumer Trends Survey, 2010). This study investigates the problems that Kenyan films face in trying to “break down the wall preventing Kenyan films from being shown and celebrated beyond Kenyan borders” (Justine Edwards, 2008, p. 2). It does this through an analysis of three video fiction films by three local filmmakers: Wandahuhu‟s ‘Njohera’ („Forgive Me‟), Simon Nduti‟s ‘Kikulacho’ („What Bites You‟) and Simiyu Barasa‟s ‘Toto Millionaire,‟all which have been made under the banner of a Kenyan film industry that is informally known as Riverwood. The objectives of the study is to examine the narrative character or these homegrown video films by analyzing them against the classical film form conventions as a benchmark so as to determine how the Kenyan filmmakers‟ narrative choices affect communication of meaning. The study is basically guided by the constructivist theory of film criticism which is founded on the tenet that it is the reader (viewer) of the film text that constructs the story and meanings in the story using the clues that the filmmaker puts before him on the screen. Given the broadness of field that is the Kenyan video film practice, and that not much is known concerning its fiction film‟s narrative form, this study opts for explanatory case study as its research design. This design lends itself conveniently to the study‟s chosen methodology of detailed interpretive textual and contextual analysis of the said films and their relationships. Although this limits (without eliminating) the study‟s capacity to generalize its findings, the least that can be hoped for from these few examples of fiction film videos selected is a light, however bright, shone at the anarchic world that is the Kenyan – and by extension African – video film industry. The filmmakers and the specific works that form this research‟s case studies have been selected using expert and purposive sampling, respectively, to arrive at a sample that the researcher considers as representative of the typical Riverwood feature film, made by Kenyans and expressing a Kenyan consciousness. What stands out in the findings of this research is the illustrational character and functionality of the Kenyan video film, which cuts across the narrative and its constitutive elements. This is to say that as opposed to the classical film model that forms this study‟s benchmark, the Kenyan video film does not consider a freely-unfolding story as the core unifying factor in filmic story-telling. What matters is what point the narrative makes, whether at isolated points of its narration, or with specific narrative elements it uses, or with its overall message. These findings, the researcher hopes, will prove useful in the development of theory and practice of Kenyan film as it aspires to contribute its unique voice to the global cinema, and appeal to an audience whose filmic sensibilities have largely been shaped by previous exposure to the classical mode of filmic storytelling.
Cinematographic Techniques of Hilary Ngweno’s The Making of a Nation
(Kenyatta University, 2016) Irungu, Francis Mwangi
Just in the same way the African history was reconstructed through such elements as archaeological sources, oral traditions among others, Hilary Ngweno‘s The Making of a Nation documentary film series used the same principle to reconstruct Kenya‘s political history through cinematographic elements such as archival materials (still photographs and a few video clips). The former has already become an academic discipline while the later is attracting an academic attention beginning with this study. This study sought to critically explore the various cinematographic techniques deployed in Hilary Ngweno‘s The Making of a Nation documentary series. The specific focus of the study is the establishment of cinematographic styles and characteristics in Hilary Ngweno‘s films. The study also examines the role of cinematographic techniques in these films. Finally, it analyses thematic and narrative development in the episodic films. The study uses formalist film theory as its apparatus in analysing the films. The film theory is concerned with design and form of shots composition. Formalist films persuade viewers to see things the way the artist sees them. The sample size is the fourteen (14) episodes of Hilary Ngweno‘s documentary series. The specific focus is the examination of how the narratives have engaged formalistic tendencies and thus their efficacy and reliability on archival resources for reconstruction of Kenya‘s political history. This study is qualitative research deploying the case research design. Qualitative research explores attitudes, behavior and experiences. It attempts to get an in-depth opinion from participant(s). Reading and interpretation of pictures (films) is subjective and therefore based on attitudes, behavior and experiences. The researcher watched the films and recorded down their various aspects in relation to the study objectives. This helped to identify the various cinematographic elements which is the main focus of the study. Data analysis capitalized on textual analysis to yield information relevant for film studies and policy formulation in respect to archival film techniques. The filmmaker uses especially still photograph shots to create other various shots which include extreme close ups, close ups, medium shots, zooms-in, zooms-out, among others. The close up shots dominate in all the episodes in the documentary film series and have been used to show reactions among various political players and create emotional attachment to the viewers. They help to bring viewers closer to the subject (s) covered. The camera angles have been used to show political supremacy where political machinations and counter machinations involving political figures is also a subject of this study. The study made two recommendations; (1) recommendation for more documentary film series and (2) recommendation for further research.
A Study of the Subject of National Healing and Reconciliation in Selected Plays at the Kenya National Drama Festival 2008-2010.
(Kenyatta University, 2016-04) Odipo, Moses O.
Utilizing Kenya Schools and Colleges’ Drama Festival theatre space, this study investigates the use of theatre as a strategy for healing and reconciliation in the aftermath of conflict. On the assumption that plays performed at the festival are mimetic of real life, this study purposively sampled four plays performed between 2008 and 2010 in relation to calls for healing and reconciliation following Kenya’s 2007/2008 post-election violence. The performance-texts are Messiah (2008) by Joseph Murungu, The Broken Pot (2010) by Wenceslaus Masinde, Forty Minutes (2008) by Nelson Ashitiva and Barabbas (2009) by Ondiech Malala. The use of qualitative research design enabled an in-depth understanding of the performance-texts which were segmented and analyzed in terms of: the narrative content, actors/actresses performance and productions techniques. This study is founded on two theories: one, aspects of theatre performance theory as propounded, largely, by Richard Schechner and, secondly, J.L Austin’s speech act theory. Common to these two theories is the concept of performativity. While the former provided a schema for segmenting the performance-texts for purposes of analysis, the latter’s notion that utterances perform actions was instrumental in evaluating stage dialogue about healing and reconciliation. Performance analysis applied to texts selected in this study returned a result that the performers stirred critical consciousness among the spectators through their manipulation of voice, body and environmental factors. Through the narrative content, these performance-texts engage the spectators in the process of healing and reconciliation by identifying the ills and their sources, and by offering prescriptions which restore healthy relations. In the whole range of renewal of the individual and the collective are issues such as: memory, truth, acknowledgement, reparation, transitional justice, expiation, forgiveness, healing and reconciliation. This study foregrounds a persuasion that Kenya Schools and Colleges’ Drama Festival provides a platform through which, among other social issues, endeavours of national healing and reconciliation were augmented after Kenya’s 2007/2008 post-election violence. This study recommends a theatre for reconciliation that combines the mimetic and transformational functions. For practitioners, scholars and in service for mankind, this study adds to the knowledge base at the confluence between theatre and conflict management.
Narrative dispositions of non-verbal elements of sound design in selected Kenyan drama films
(Kenyatta University, 2016-08) Kimani, Gabriel Thuku
Aesthetic creativity in the manipulation of technical elements of image and sound in a film lies at the heart of storytelling in cinema. As such, it is the aim of this study to interrogate critically how the film story is exposed, advanced, and narrated by non-verbal elements of sound design, namely film score, sound effects, ambience and silence, and how that can therefore be translated into intrinsic narrative characteristics of non-verbal sounds in film. Anchored on structuralism and semiotics film theories, this study endeavoured to investigate the denotative, connotative, and functional qualities of the aural elements in the sampled films, and how the traits exhibited, contribute to telling the story. Four purposively sampled Kenyan fiction films, Killer Necklace by Judy Kibinge (2008), Formula X by Steve Ominde (2009), From A Whisper by Wanuri Kahiu (2009) and Nairobi Half Life by Tosh Gitonga (2012), were analysed on their deployment of the sounds in their narratives. The study further interrogated the salient ways in which the non-verbal sound elements advance meaning and radiate the various story points and rudiments. This study applied observation, focus group discussions, and interviews, as methods of data collection. Content analysis was then deployed to synthesize the data. The findings from the study reveal deliberate deployment of a range of forms of non-speech sounds in Kenyan films. Further the study finds that the non-verbal elements of sound under investigation play various metaphorical and assigned functions in the films that exude significations and expressions that are in congruence and consequently mirror elements of narrative like plot, character, thematic rendition, mood, and setting. This study concludes that indeed, the expressions, and symbolic representations spelled out by non-speech elements in their singularity and as part of the intricate inter-webs of the film structure, can be coded as narrative dispositions of the said elements.
Nexus between literary texts and corresponding film adaptations: a reading on intertextuality
(2017-11) Wesonga, Robert O.
This research makes a comparative study of antecedent literary texts and their corresponding adapted films. The study is occasioned by the aim of putting to scrutiny the reflections and divergences between the two media. This is necessitated by the argument as to whether the adapted film increased or reduced the value of the antecedent literary text (Cartmell et al. (2008). The study interrogates Things Fall Apart (1958) by Chinua Achebe (adapted into a TV mini-series Things Fall Apart directed by David Orere [1987]); The Man-Eaters of Tsavo (1907) by John Patterson (adapted into The Ghost and the Darkness in 1996 by Stephen Hopkins) and Out of Africa (1937) by Karen Blixen (adapted into a film, Out of Africa in 1985 by Sydney Pollack. By nature, this is an exploratory research grounded in the concept of intertextuality, guided by the understanding that different texts (in this case, the literary text and the film as a text) can contribute to the understanding and interpretation of each other. Besides, one of the points of interest in this study is an investigation of the elements that characterize the transformation from literary text to film. Hence, the study discusses the cinematic techniques used by film producers to compensate for what is not exactly transferable (or transformable) from the source literary text to the adapted film. In terms of methodology, this is a qualitative study rooted in textual analysis of the selected literary texts and films. The researcher read the source/antecedent literary texts and viewed the corresponding adapted films with the aim of collecting data from both to meet the objectives set at the beginning of the study. Further, other relevant reference materials were sourced and read from both the library and online sources. Theoretically, this research was guided by Adaptation Theories namely the Transformation and Pluralist film adaptation critical paradigms. The researcher argues that this study makes a contribution to scholarship first, in affirmation of the reality that studies of intertextuality within the realm of film adaptation need more scholarly attention than hitherto, and secondly, due to the fact that the selected texts (though important contributions to literature and film in Africa) had – at the time of this research – not been subjected to an intertextual study to see the interconnection between the literary text and the adapted film. The objectives set at the beginning of this study were met, hence the conclusion that the literary antecedent and corresponding adapted film complement each other in the creation of meaning for the benefit of either. Furthermore, the study finds that in the endeavour to re-vision the world of the literary antecedent, the filmmaker exploits creative license to result in divergences between text and film. Finally, this study acknowledges that literary text and adapted film are different media, and therefore either form has techniques within its province that are used to tell the same story similarly or differently.
The art of stage directing: a case of three Kenyan directors
(Kenyatta University, 2018-05) Kahuro, Kevin Kimani
Abstract This study interrogates the directing techniques/styles used by three Kenyan stage directors: Joseph Murungu a guruin the Schools and Colleges and Universities Drama Festival director, Sammy Mwangi of Heartstrings Entertainment and Andy Ruri of Sparks Theatre Company. The study examines how these directors use their directing techniques to convey thematic concerns, and the factors influencing the techniques/styles used. The study has been informed by the Auteur Theory – a theory that is appropriated in theatre studies – which refers to the director as the author of a film/theatre production. The theory argues that the point of view – and the implementation of the point of view of a dramatic production – comes almost entirely from the director rather than from a writer, the audience or the text. The study used observation of rehearsals and the performance, recording of the production and interviews as the primary means of data collection for analysis and interpretation. Textual analysis was applied to the recorded texts. Secondary data was obtained by sourcing materials from the libraries, online, published and unpublished works that are related to the study. This study foregrounds that directors with academic background and vast research in theatre have a wide and rich range of directing techniques, and thatKonstantin Stanislavski system acting is the most common acting style used in Kenya. This study also establishes that theatre directors try to influence the society by addressing the vices that affect the people and society at large.
The convergence of creativity and marketing: a case of two selected drama programs on Citizen TV, Kenya
(Kenyatta University, 2018-07) Muhoro, Catherine Wamuyu
Film is both an art and a business. This study was interested in both sides of the art form. The study had three objectives; to identify the creative strategies employed in the selected dramas, to investigate audience responsiveness and perception of the creative strategies and to interrogate possible ways of intersection between creativity and marketing of TV Dramas. The study was based on the prism of Social Marketing Theory as well as Formalist Film Theory. The two drama programs selected were Machachari and Inspekta Mwala. Interview guides, Focus Group Discussion and Close reading were used to collect data. Descriptive statistics of frequencies and percentages were used to analyse the data. Close reading was applied to read two episodes from each program. The study looked at only three creative strategies namely; setting, acting and character portrayal, clothing and costumes. It was established that characterization, scripting, casting, cinematography, settings and costumes were the key reasons that made most of the audience watch the two drama programs. There were challenges facing creative and marketing teams at Citizen TV. The two teams rarely met. Therefore, the marketing team was sometimes unaware of the content of the programs they were required to sell while the creative teams were unaware of the reaction of the viewer and client to their content. It is the conviction of the researcher that this study is a contribution to scholarship considering that this field is yet to be fully explored.
Rebranding Packages of Kenyan Beverages Targeting the Urban Youth using Visuals from the Local Fashion culture
(Kenyatta University, 2018-08) Muneza, Derrick
This study aimed at using visuals derived from local fashion culture in rebranding packages of Kenyan beverages that target the urban youth. These beverages are sold on markets which comprise relatively homogeneous segments of consumers who have distinct lifestyles. Studies on consumer lifestyles indicate that in order to enhance consumer attraction and have a competitive edge, producers need to brand their product packages with aspects of the country of origin. The culture of a society is an example of one such aspect. A pilot study done to establish the use of cultural visuals on existing packages of Kenyan beverages that target the urban youth showed that out of selected sixteen (16) brands of beverages, only 6.25% had designs with cultural visuals on them. This low rate of return indicated the need of applying cultural visuals in packages of brands of beverages that target the urban youth. The local fashion culture of the urban youth was selected as the type of culture for study. New design compositions were created using visuals derived from the selected fashion culture. In addition, new fonts and methods of using texture in design were developed. The new design compositions, new fonts and texture were applied in new compositions that rebranded packages of beverages targeting the urban youth. It is expected that the rebranded packages will have distinctive features of the local fashion culture that will stand them apart from the competitors in the market. This will enhance consumer attraction to the brands and give them a competitive edge.
An Investigation of the Applicability of Susan Napier’s Japanese Animation (Anime) ‘Genre Classification Model’ in Kenyan Animation
(Kenyatta University, 2019-05) Masibo, Faithsandra Nekhonga
This research project explored the unconventional genre practices illustrated in the Kenyan Animation industry. Some practitioners in this industry are experimenting with unconventional genre and thus lack a way to classify their films within traditional genre classification. The project investigated the applicability of Susan Napier’s Japanese Animation (Anime) Genre classification model in the Kenyan Animation industry. The films targeted for this research had to illustrate unconventional genre practices. Three films were selected purposively to illustrate their unique generic position. These were: Luanda Magere and the Witchdoctor (2015) by Mark Njoroge, Yellow Fever (2012) by Ng’endo Mukii, and Wageuzi (2012) by Andrew Kaggia. Additionally, the research went ahead and highlighted other films that illustrated unique genre practiced within the Kenyan Animation Film Industry and could be classified within Napier’s genre template. Primary data was collected through film content relational analysis using an observational guide, interviews, and Focus Groups. Focus Groups matrices were used to understand the viewers’ position on the genres of the films studied and Interview matrices to understand the Filmmaker’s perspective on the genre they practiced. Secondary data was collected through close reading in libraries, the Internet, e-books, and online discussions. Data collection was done through Audio and Audio-Visual recording devices, note taking and the use of snapshots. The research project employed Susan Napier’s Theory on Contemporary Genre Classification in the Anime Industry. Napier generalized Japanese Animation into an overall grouping of three main categories: The Apocalyptic; the Festival; and the Elegiac. The research used this model to classify unconventional genre films in the Kenyan Animation Film Industry. The research also employed the Formalism theory and engaged the theories of Theo Van Leeuwen on Semiotics and Iconography and Daniel Chandler on Genre in the study. The study illustrated that some practitioners in Kenyan Animation Industry experiment with unconventional genre. Additionally, the research illustrated how Napier’s Genre model can be employed in the Kenyan Film Industry. The study promotes further research into contemporary genre studies.
Catholic Centredness in Selected Plays Presented at Kenya National Catholic Drama and Music Festivals, 2015
(Kenyatta University, 2019-05) Kinyua, Charles M.
The Kenya National Catholic Youth Drama and Music festival is an annual festival whose idea was mooted in the year 2000 by the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops. It is an event whose theme is derived from the Pope's message to the youth and then customized to fit the Kenyan situation. The main purpose of this event is to motivate the young people into the work of evangelization using their creativity. Cognizant of the fact that young people are the majority in every congregation, the Catholic Church has put in place a number of media to evangelize them. Evangelization by the young people by use of theatre reaches out to where the young people are, both physically and in their life situation, and offers a genuine response to their yearnings. Evangelization provides opportunities and conversations that deepen young people’s relationship with God, encouraging them to live as disciples and discover Christ’s invitation to full sacramental relationship with Him. Young People are to be encouraged and assisted to use many and varied creative means, drama and music inclusive, always seeking to build a bridge between the ancient faith and the contemporary world, between the tabernacle and the street, between cathedrals and theatre halls. This is the objective of the Catholic Church in establishing the Kenya Catholic Drama and Music Festivals. However, the question that needs to be answered is this; how does the Festival achieve this purpose? Are the items in the festival Catholic-centred? This is a qualitative research that used content analysis of the data that was gathered through observation, viewership and close reading of the performances and the performance texts of three (3) plays that were presented during the 2015 edition of the Kenya National Catholic Drama and Music festivals held in Embu diocese in December 2015. This study was based on theatre performance theory as propounded by Richard Schechner and supported by Eli Rozik as well as religious theatre theory as propounded by Kevin Wetmore. From a Performance Theory standpoint, this study examined; how the performance-texts made meaning in respect to the issue of Catholic centredness within the parameters of the Catholic Church. And using the religious theatre theory, it sought to interrogate how the plays were faithful to the Catholic way of evangelization. The study hopes to contribute useful and valuable knowledge in the area of theatre and the church in Kenya and elsewhere. Such knowledge will be valuable because little in-depth study has been carried out in this area either in Kenya or elsewhere.
Construction of the Theme of Drugs and Substance Abuse in the Play Genre at the Kenya Schools and Colleges Drama Festival, 2013-2015.
(Kenyatta University, 2019-05) Minishi, Oliver
The Kenya National Drama Festival Committee usually enters into a sponsorship agreement with other institutions to help in disseminating certain messages through drama. One of these bodies is NACADA (National Agency for the Campaign against Drug and Substance and Alcohol Abuse). NACADA has sponsored a number of editions of the Festival in the hope that participants will be sensitized through the performances on the need for demand reduction and supply suppression of alcohol and drugs. It mostly targets the youth in Kenya who are said to be at the highest risk of becoming victims of drug and substance abuse. The youth are mostly in schools and most of the participants at the Festival are school going children. This study takes the Kenya National Drama Festival as its launch pad to interrogate the theme of the campaign against drug and substance abuse among the plays presented at the Festival as sponsored by NACADA between 2013 and 2015. The interrogation of this theme is intended to offer a platform of finding the best theatrical style of telling a story against drug and substance abuse among the youth since virtually all the performers are within the youth bracket of age. Using the Semiotics theory, the study responds to the questions of how the structural makeup of the performances, their characterisations as well as their language use and production design work in synchrony as agents of the campaign against drug and substance abuse by disseminating messages that hinge on demand reduction of drugs and alcohol as well as their suppression of supply. This is a qualitative study that relied on content analysis of pre-recorded performances. Data was collected through the use of observation and interview guides. Generally, the study found out that structures of the play were not strong as directors focussed more on the rewards rather than story-telling, plots tended to be prescriptive, characters were not fully developed and lastly production techniques were deployed to enhance the construction of the theme of fight against drug and substance abuse. This study is a key plank in the generation of knowledge on the analysis of pre-recorded performances as well as on the twin issue of drama and the campaign against drug and substance abuse. It is useful to educationists, antidrug abuse campaigners, theatre researchers as well as the general reader.
Set Components as a Modern Narrative: A Study of Selected Feature Fiction Films on the Genocide against the Tutsi.
(Kenyatta University, 2019-07) Dusabe, Roger Philbert
This study aims at making meaning of set components in historical fiction films on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. The argument is that when it comes to historical feature films, emphasis tends to be put on the general theme that the films tackles, highlighting the major turning points of the depicted historical events at the expense of the world the event is set in. The research also adopts the idea that a society relates fully and retains knowledge of an event that happened long time ago, through understanding the conditions surrounding the event in question. This study strives to establish the validity of element of fiction films as historical sources by establishing the relationship between set components and the narrative structure in the selected films; describing the signs of historicity in the selected films using set components; and examining the sociopolitical and economic function of set components from selected films in the filmic depiction of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. The study sampled films on the Genocide against the Tutsi that are feature and fiction due to the type of desired data. Making meaning of how style and technique are used to express the artist’s idea in film is the ultimate purpose of this study, a formalist approach guides the textual analysis and interpretation of the films selected which are Terry George’s Hotel Rwanda (2004), Michael Caton-Jones’ Shooting Dogs (2005), Raoul Peck’s Sometimes in April (2005), and Philippe Van Leeuw’s The Day God Walked Away (2009). The study finds that set components fulfill three (3) functions. The first is the role set components play towards highlighting other elements of the same artwork. The second function which is much larger is the specific role set components fulfill towards the artwork’s general themes and as a whole. The third function steps outside the artwork and involves the viewers as set components find meaning assigned to them in relation to the viewing audience in a certain context. The study argues the importance attached to accuracy in film and contextualizes the impact of anachronisms vis-a-vis the intended meaning.
Key Components of Film Script Construction
(Kenyatta University, 2019-11) Musau, Mattmeachamjr Muhammad
This study contended that love scenes, fight scenes, chase scenes and crowd scenes were essential components in film script writing. This study employed the Hollywood classical theory of film making. Hollywood classicis m theoretical foundation is based, in many respects, on Freudian theory which rests on the principle of cause and effect where human action and interaction derive from psychological catalysts. The basic concern of this thesis was to determine if the compon ents under study play a significant part in audience appreciation for Kenyan films. Three Kenyan films were selected for this study. The researcher randomly selected three Kenyan films from YOUTUBE based on the number of YOUTUBE subscribers who watched t he films. According to YOUTUBE the following Kenyan films were viewed over a hundred thousand times by YOUTUBE subscribers: 1). The Roadside, directed by William Owusu and produced in 2015; 2). Jongo Love , produced and directed by Paul Ekuru and produce d in 2015; and 3) Anasa produced in 2014, a Kenyan Riverwood Movie. These randomly selected films were used to observe the inclusion of the components and the frequencies of these components under study. The research employed both qualitative and quantit ative methods. And the findings suggest that the components under study are essential variables which enhance the character of a film script. Of course, there are several components and techniques used by commercial film makers which complement and supple ment the components in this study, but observational exercises utilized by the researcher indicated that the components under study were ever present in All the Hollywood blockbusters. One, two, three or all the components under study were present and per sistent in every successful Hollywood film production observed.
Scenography And Character in Tinga Tinga Tales: A Kenyan Animation Film
(Kenyatta University, 2020) Kihima, Clinton; John Mugubi; Zippora Okoth
The Kenyan animation industry has generally realized an improved growth as depicted by the number of local animation productions that hit the market. This can however be improved through among other factors, producing more quality animation films. These productions will highly depend on the elements put together, one being good character design and scenography. Scenography is not only a set of visual ideas but also an experience of the senses in which audiences read, feel and interpret the space of an animation stage. The meaning in animation films is easily adduced with vivid scenic designs and well-developed characters. This study sought to understand the relationship between scenography and character design as components that improve the quality of an animation production. In this study, it is argued that in the hands of skilled animators, scenography and character development are key in the meaning making process of animation films. By viewing scenography as a symbol, Tinga Tinga Tales, a Kenyan animation film produced jointly in Kenya was studied with the objectives to: 1. To establish the nature of scenography evident. 2. To evaluate the nature of characters 3. To analyse the effects that scenography has on characters. The study employed semiotics as the theory of guiding the study. Semiotics is based with the study of signs and was employed in trying to understand the meaning portrayed by scene designs as well as character designs. Methodical data gathering involved observation method which entailed watching six selected episodes of the animation film to identify how the scenographies are created, with a key focus on elements of design, how the characters have been developed using different techniques of shape and colour and how the scenography is employed to affect how these characters have been developed. In addition, interviews of 24 different Kenyan animators based in Nairobi was conducted to beef up the research findings. Data obtained was examined and analyzed in line with the objectives of the study. The study found out that scenography has a great impact on how characters are designed in animation film and are not merely backdrops for action. Their symbolisms and connotations weave together to give meaning to animation films. The study also established useful findings for producers and animators as well as guides for further studies.
Poetry Beyond the Page: An Analysis of Performance Techniques in Mufasa’s Spoken Word Poetry
(Kenyatta University, 2021) Masese, Sarah Akinyi; John Mugubi
Spoken word performance is an expression of oral art. This classification of poetry has not benefited much from documented academic criticism. The little criticism documented, focuses more on the literariness of the poetry and not its performance aspect. This study therefore is a documented analysis of aspects of performance techniques in spoken word. The selected poet for this study was Mufasa. The study analyzed performance techniques employed by the poet, factors that influence his performances and how the poet uses these techniques to enhance the interpretation of his content, aesthetic value and the quality of performance. The poems analyzed were performed between 2014 and 2019. These selected samples had to illustrate an array of performance techniques implemented by Mufasa. This study was qualitative in nature. Focus Groups matrices were used to study and analyze poetic performances. Interview matrices were used to understand the poet’s perspective of his performance techniques. Secondary data was gathered by reading closely in libraries, using the Internet, e-books, and participating in one on one discussions with the audience. Audio and Audio-Visual recordings were used to collect data. Additionally, note-taking and recording devices were also used. This study was anchored on the performance theory to interrogate his performances. This study illustrated Mufasa’s choice of performance techniques and his implementation (methodology).This study finds that performance is an integral aspect of spoken word poetry as it is what distinguishes oral poetry from the written form. It also not only enhances the aesthetic appeal and quality of performance but also aids in the interpretation of the poetry content. This study concludes that Mufasa incorporates various performance techniques, gestures, repetition, tonal variation, pauses, and pitch among others to ensure that his intended message is rightfully understood and interpreted by his target audience.
Analysis of Elements of Drama in Selected Performances Staged during Kenyatta University’s Culture Week Festival, 2013
(Kenyatta University, 2021) Muriuki, David O. G.; Shikuku Emmanuel Tsikhungu; Wangari Mwai
Culture Week at Kenyatta University is an annual festival that has been on the university’s official calendar since 1992. It is a festival that is open to all genres: recognized, newly created and pseudo. The number of entries it attracts is both vast and varied. The aim of this study was to identify, analyse and describe the elements of drama in sampled cultural activities and examine the impact of socio-cultural context and technological advances on the selected performance items. The study applied Ethno poetics theory in textual analysis to appraise both form and content of performance to the fullest extent possible. Qualitative research design has been adopted, using single case study method. This facilitated a holistic view of performance and isolated the embedded units for analysis. Kenyatta University’s Culture Week attracts large and varied numbers of entries. The study isolated and categorized performance items, namely drama, dance and poetry. Categorization in drama was based on genre. For dance it was based on the dichotomy of contemporary and traditional, and in poetry it was based on language. The purposive sampling method was then used to sample from the three categories to isolate specific items including drama, poetry and dance. Participatory observation during performances provided primary data, with the festival records providing secondary data. Pictures, videos, audio records and checklists were used as tools to capture data for the study. The study found that the elements of drama such as plot, action, dialogue, symbolism, theme and genre were used in the selected staged performances in KUCW Festival. It was also found that both the literary and technical elements of drama came into play. The literary elements of drama displayed in different performances during the KUCW include plot, style, and exposition and costume while the technical elements of drama included: scenery, costumes, props, sound and makeup. The materials used in the performance portrayed different cultures. Costumes and composition of the actors were all informed by different traditions. The study finally found that technological elements such as stage craft, stage machinery, sound and new fabrics influence stage performances during the KUCW. It recommends that in as much as technology is being adopted in the rendition of the stage performances, caution needs to be taken to ensure that the original messages are still passed. It further recommends that another study be done in other settings such as the Bomas of Kenya to assess the current dynamics in stage performances.

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