Crossroads Of Culture: The African Storyteller And The Western Theatre (Drama) Actor, Director, Producer

Abstract

Abstract : The paper argues that the storyteller discursively functions as an actor, director, producer, and all in Africa. It investigates the point of emergence and departure between the storyteller in Ghana and the Western theatre stage performer, director and producer. The study regards storytelling art as a literary theory in which the intellectual knowledge paradigm is grounded in values derived from the indigenous cultural experiences of the storyteller. By analysing and drawing particular attention to the roles of the storyteller, this article expresses perspectives based upon the values of using all the necessary communication skills as a viable medium to spur people into action for self-actualisation. The paper attempts to show the strong intertextuality and interconnection between Ghanaian (African) and Western theatre experiences. The selected areas in the article suggest direct and indirect identical traits, weigh the strength of thoughts and practices of the storyteller’s various roles, and fix those roles into multiple functions in Western theatre. Implications are drawn based on the critically examined experiences and through analysis of the utilisation of the oral Ghanaian (African) storytelling traditions as a methodological framework. This study, therefore, highlights the essential functions and roles in the Western theatres which the storyteller performs through the development of the dramatic storytelling theatre. Keywords: African storytelling, Western theatre, drama, actor, director, producer, cross-cultural influences, artistic innovation