"What do you think an artist is? An imbecile who only has eyes if he’s a painter, ears if he’s a musician, or a lyre in every chamber of his heart if he’s a poet – or even, if he’s a boxer, only some muscles? Quite the contrary, he is at the same time a political being constantly alert to the horrifying, passionate or pleasing events in the world, shaping himself completely in their image,” – Pablo Picasso
In a classic case of a clash between art and politics, Butere Girls High School, for the second time in 12 years finds itself in the news for producing a play that has rubbed powers-that-be the wrong way for depicting a generational war in a fictitious country that has similarities to the politics and happenings in Kenya.
‘We want our director’: Butere girls boycott performing ‘Echoes of War’ play, demand for Malala
Artistic freedom under fire
Echoes of War unwittingly echoes the era of President Daniel Arap Moi when censorship was at its peak. Renowned writer Prof Ngugi wa Thiong’o was arrested and some of his plays as well as other works banned for perception that they were too critical of the government. It also echoes the other play that Malala wrote and faced controversy.
In 2013, the government banned the staging of a play, Shackles of Doom, during the Kenya National Schools and Colleges Drama and Film Festival before the High Court ruled against the ban and allowed the play to be staged.
Police guard the bus that took the Butere Girls to the Melvin Jones Academy minutes before they were due to perform their play Echos of War in an auditorium with no audience.
Photo credit: Boniface Mwangi | Nation
This year, Butere Girls High School was again banned from staging their play, Echoes of War, despite topping in the Western Region festivals. It took a former student who was also in the cast for Shackles of Doom to go to court to obtain orders against the prohibition.
Malala: I write what I want
Cleophas Malala has been the constant in both cases. The other constant is Prof Christopher Odhiambo who adjudicated Shackles of Doom at the regional level and suggested some changes to the playscript. He currently the chair of the Kenya National Schools and Colleges Drama and Film Festival.
The playwright-cum politician was on Wednesday evening sensationally barred from accessing Kirobon Girls High School in Nakuru County where the students were rehearsing the play ahead of their performance on Thursday morning. They later arrested him.
“I write what I want, I will think the I want to think. Nobody can censor me,” a defiant Malala during the confrontation with the police officers as he waved the court order allowing the play to be staged. The police teargassed and physically assaulted journalists outside the school.
Shackles of Doom was set in a fictional country called Kanas and its citizens referring to themselves as True Kanas. It revolved around unequitable sharing of resources, many who have not watched Echoes of War are still in the dark why the government is keen on censoring it and does not the public to watch the play.
On Thursday morning, riot police cleared the hall at Lions Junior School where the play was to be performed, save for the adjudicators. The play was not staged after education officials initially prevented the students from performing in their costumes, using props and other effects.
When they were later allowed, the students only sang the national anthem and then left after the police lobbed teargas cannisters at them and the public that had turned to watch the play.
EduTV channel that is ran by the KICD has been livestreaming the performances from Nakuru but did not go live during the impasse.
Echoes of War is set in a fictitious kingdom called the Royal Velvet Emirates in the Middle East where the conflict is between the older generation and the young who are agitated by the inflexible strictness of the old. The country is ruled by the tyrannical Sultan who is irked by activism of the youth.
‘We want our director’: Butere girls boycott performing ‘Echoes of War’ play, demand for Malala
The protagonist is a university student, Mustafa, who describes himself as a generational innovator uses technology for his ‘telemedicine’ innovation that riles the government. His comrade-in-arms and girlfriend, Anifa Imana is instrumental in defending him when he is arrested. She goes on social media to broadcast live the happenings to Mustafa to stoke public rage.
“Do we deny our children experiencing a good playwriter and Director because we fear hearing and seeing our society ills? It is through scripting that the Thiong'os of this country helped shape and reclaim our country from neo-colonialism. I belief there is a better way of doing it,” observed Lugari MP Nabii Nabwera who is also a member of the Education Committee of the National Assembly.
The events surrounding the play also brings to focus the role of playwrights and directors who are not teachers and commonly referred to as mercenaries or mamluki in drama circles.
A play staged by Kianyaga High School on Wednesday April 9 aptly captures the challenges of using such artists. The play is curiously titled, Script by Mamluki.
Former Kenya National Union of Teachers Wilson Sossion said that non-teachers should only be allowed to write but not to direct and handle learners.
