TRENDS IN DESIGN TECHNOLOGY IN THE NIGERIAN THEATRE

Abstract

This essay discusses evolutionary aspects of design technology in the arts of the theatre. The areas of coverage include scenic/lighting design and technology in the theatre with practical studies/examples in the stage and the screen media. The discourse in this essay is within the context of informing on new developments in this aspect of the Arts of the Theatre. This is based on the fact that the Nigerian theatre experienced some design and technological advancements in recent times, in keeping with the global trends. The first step, naturally, is to know how this new technology works. This essay evolved largely out of this writer's practical experiences in the professional theatre and the television world. The writer participated as team leader and/or member of the crew in charge of some of the practical projects cited. For some of them, reports have been written and presented to the organizations concerned.

New methods and approaches to design continue to evolve all the time. In theatre design, there is a convergence of art and technology and the dynamic nature of the theatre allows for the utilization of science and technology in a composite form. This is so because in every scientific or technological output, there must have been a prior artistic input in the form of design as an integral part of planning.