BY HAFTU GEBREZGABIHER
About Theatre (Sile Theatre), a theatrical awakening movement by concerned artists and Ethiopian art community members has kicked off in various theatre centers including the Ethiopian National Theater. The festivals were co-organized by Ethiopian Theatre Professionals Association and volunteers in connection with the 100th anniversary of modern theater (European form of theatre) in Ethiopia.
To enumerate the venues: Ethiopian National Theater, Ambassador Cinema, Hager Fikir Theater, Oromo Cultural Center, Adot Cinema, Century Mall Cinema, Edna Mall Cinema, Addis Ababa University Cultural Center and the Culture and Theatrical Hall inside the City’s Municipality. All together some 50 theatrical works will be staged while the rest will be presented on the screen.
According to the research outcome entitled Ethiopian Theatre: A brief Introduction by Zerihun Birehanu, prior to the introduction of European form of theatre in Ethiopia, citizens used dance, story-telling, dialogue and role play in various social engagements.
Most of the social engagements entailed many dramatic elements that are used as a basis for writing and directing different Ethiopian theatres. Yearly ceremonies like Ashenda and Shadey in Tigray and Amhara, and Meskel in Guraghe, Kaffa, and Wolaita among Orthodox Christians have, for example, significant dramatic elements in their performances, as the literature he produced.
Such forms prevailed for a long period of time as means of expression among the society. European form of theater in Ethiopia was introduced by Teklehawariat Teklemaryam, who studied in Russia and travelled to Europe around the beginning of the 20th century. After his return to Ethiopia, he decided to write a play to familiarize the art of theater and teach the then monarchy about government administration and criticize the corruption status of the leaders. Aboneh Ashagre wrote the amazing incident that inspired Teklehawariat to write a play entitled Ethiopian National Theater Short Message.
After the introduction of the Ethiopian Amharic Modern Theater in 1913, Fitawrari Teklehawariyat Teklemariam, who led the relay, introduced the theater by sharing his knowledge and experience with artists and contemporary artists.
Today, with a true love of art, those who are passionate about the resurrection of the theater have prepared this 100th anniversary. While opening the week-long event Sertse Firesebhat, the renowned artist and head of the Addis Ababa Tourism, Culture and Theatre Buearu at the National Theatre, expressed his sincere gratitude and respect to all the producers and collaborators of the concerned volunteers and the Ethiopian National Theater for their great revival and theatrical works in the field of theater. The opening press conference was held late last week at the Ethiopian National Theater, which was established in 1948 and which is now celebrating its 65th anniversary this year.
The research work published by The Theatre Times also stated that the first play was a trailblazer in introducing a European form of theater in Ethiopia. After Teklehawariat’s play, many playwrights in the 1930’s continued the journey to craft Ethiopian stories in European form of playwriting.
Among the prominent ones are Yoftahe Negussie and Melaku Begosew whose plays made theater to be a popular art among the newly established schools in the capital. The schools, at the end of their academic year, started to use theater as a means of entertainment and a way of conveying messages to students and their parents.
Beyond the school performances, the Hager Fikir Theater, the first theater in Ethiopia, was established to motivate patriots and the general public for the second Italo-Ethiopian war (1933-1938).
The founder, Mekonen Endalkachew, promoted the use of music and sketch plays to attract the audience for his motivational speeches every Sunday. The plays are improvised based on the main issue of every Sunday’s gatherings. During the Italian occupation, all cultural performances “screeched to a halt. Books were burnt, schools were closed and vernacular cultural production heavily censored as Mussolini sought to set up an apartheid-based colony.” (Plastow, 1996). After the Italians left the country, the halted theater performance started to unfurl into a more comprehensive manner.
In 1956, the Ethiopian National Theater was built and inaugurated in the presence of Emperor Haile Selassie (1930-1974). The Municipality Theater was built under the building of the Addis Ababa Mayor’s office and it started to show performances written and directed by Ethiopian playwrights and directors.
Among the theatres staged for audiences were found; Afajeshign (chosen for its currency pertaining to the current political developments in Ethiopia, Ye-Almaz Kelebet, Tege Taitu, Balcha Abanefso, Abajifar, Linega Sil and Haile Fidas Theatre.
The festival brought together some 16 institutions with about 20 fulltime theatres, 26 short films and 2 screen theatres viewed at the 7 theatres centers, according to the organizers.
The Ethiopian Herald September 2/2021
