A DIRECTOR'S AESTHETIC TOOLBOX IN THE PRODUCTION OF VICKYBON UZUAZOR'S DIARY OF A PASTOR'S WIFE

Abstract

As the world advances in technological inventions, there is continuous need for theatre practitioners, especially the theatre director, to creatively integrate the use of emerging technologies in their art-making processes and products offered to audiences. The use of multimedia as a theatre director's tool for achieving aesthetics in productions has become imperative, as theatre practice in the digital age is in dire need not just to survive, but to thrive. Noticeably, the Nigerian Theatre cosmos continues to struggle to maintain patronage as theatre halls become deserted due to dwindling audiences and a seeming abandoning of live theatre for more contemporary sources of entertainment via emerging on-the-go screen technologies. Aesthetics can be achieved through the integration of texts, graphics, audio & sound effects, still images, animations and motion videos to create appealing performances. As exemplified in VickBon Uzuazor's Diary of a Pastor's Wife directed by Aniebiet Mbede and staged on Wednesday, 17th May, 2023 at the Pinnacle Theatre, Akwa Ibom State University, Obio Akpa Campus. The director draws from the multimedia aesthetic toolbox to foist creative images and sounds on the live theatre performance, fostering a sublime synergy between arts and technology. This merger provides a stimulating performance environment observed to attract and sustain audiences' interest. From the foregoing, the application of multimedia to theatre productions offer aesthetic possibilities that are critical for audience engineering, hence this study recommends the creative and consistent application of multimedia; not just as a streak of trend, but as a directorial tool required to achieve aesthetic deliverables in the creation of appealing theatrical productions.