EMERGING TRENDS IN SCENOGRAPHIC DESIGN IN NIGERIA: AN APPRAISAL OF SOME SELECTED WEDDING CEREMONIES AND PLACES OF WORSHIP

Abstract

In the pursuit of an aesthetically pleasing performance, scenography, being a visual component of a production, is almost impossible to deemphasise. As a matter of fact, its prominence is not only for fulfilling technical and artistic qualities in the theatre and film productions but also for its intervention for achieving an excellent production. This study, therefore, examines the emerging trends in scenographic conceptions with particular attention to scenery, lighting, and make-up, among other performance spectacles, in some selected wedding ceremonies and religious programmes in Nigeria. The paper employs the descriptive and participant-observation methods, while the interview instrument complements the two methods. These methods enable us to study the emerging trends and techniques of scenographic presentation engage in some technical interpretations of the selected productions. Relevant journal articles, textbooks and online materials are employed as secondary sources of data. More so, postmodernism is adopted as our theoretical framework. Our findings reveal that scenographic input does not only assist in the classification and delineation of both technical and dramatic qualities of a production, but indeed, contributes significantly to ensuring a pleasing performance. The study concludes that scenic artistry is the hub of any theatrical production and recommends that technical designers should promote the emerging design trends beyond the theatre and filmmaking.