Description
Book SynopsisThe Kwagh-hir Theater: A Weapon for Social Action represents a significant milestone in the documentation and theorization of non-Western theater. The book describes how the Tiv people of Nigeria used their indigenous theater to fight against British colonialism and oppression by dominant groups in Nigeria. It celebrates the power of the theater to give voice to the voiceless and to become a catalyst for positive change.
Trade Review“Professor Hagher reveals and analyses these theatrical performances with keen insight and deep knowledge. A wonderful addition to the literature on African masquerade and theater.” -- Herbert Skip Cole, author of Ideals and power in the Art of Africa
“This book is an occasion for anyone who cares about theater, scholarship, and cultural survival.” -- Don Rubin, York University, Toronto, editor of the six-volume World Encyclopedia of Contemporary Theater
“Hagher’s trenchant defence of the Kwagh-hir’s collective capacity for community well-being and social change makes this study important and highly significant for practitioners of applied theater in the globalized twenty-first century.” -- Michael Etherton, author of The Development of African Drama and author with James Reed of Chikwakwa Remembered: Theater and Politics in Zambia 1968-1972
“The authenticity of this book is the result of a combination of lived experience and rigorous research that has spanned over three decades. It is a unique book that will continue to be an asset to scholars and students of culture, and especially for those who want to understand the interface between culture, voice and change.” -- Oga Steve Abah, professor of theater and culture for development, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria
Table of ContentsA Foreword and a Celebration Preface Introduction: The Theater as a Weapon Chapter One: Tiv Worldview; the Context of the Kwagh-hir Chapter Two: Searching for the Rubrics Chapter Three: Organization and Form Chapter Four: Kwagh-hir Aesthetics Chapter Five: Kwagh-hir as Model Theater for Social Action Appendix A: Tiv Kwagh-Hir Carvers and Their Works Appendix B: Glossary of Tiv Words Bibliography Index
