RESEARCH REPORTS

8 1.

THE  GHANAIAN  AUDIENCE  RESPONSE AND  BEHAVIOUR
TO A  THEATRICAL  EXPERIENCE  OF  POETRY AND  MUSIC

by  J.  Scott  Kennedy*

The object  of  this  prefect  is to  investigate  the nature of  the

Ghanaian  response and behaviour  in  respect to a  theatrical  experience
of  poetry and music.

The subjects of the  investigation  include  male and  female

students from fifty  training colleges and secondary schools throughout
Ghana,  including  the  North  and the  South, as well  as the  East and the
West.  The subjects make a  total  of twenty  thousand  (20,000).

The method embraces a  one hour performance  of a  theatrical
experience  of poetry and music with  movement and dance,  followed
by a  question and-answer  period  which  usually  runs another  hour.  The
performance  Is later  analyzed and  interpreted  in  respect  to the question
and answer period.  The music and dance utilize  an African  experience
in  language  in respect  to the music  (drumming and flute  music), and
dance.  The  poetry  utilizes an American experience  in  language  in
respect  to American  poetry,  the  poetry  of  Robert  Frost,  Langston Hughes,
and Carl  Sandburg. 
In short,  the  investigation  is a dramatic  excursion
Tn the  Ghanaian  audience's response to the  known expei'ience  (African
music and dance),  as well  as the unknown experience  (American  poetry).

Under  focus in  this study  is the  listening behaviour  of the

subject  in  respect  to the  following:

(1)  hearing the  'new'  American  English sounds and words,

(2) 

listening  to the rhythms,  ideas,  and  'new1 frame of

reference,  and

*  Dr.  Scott  Kennedy  Is a  Senior  Research  Fellow  In  Music and Drama.

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RESEARCH  REPORTS

82.

(3)  understanding the  idea, as well as the experience

beneath the  idea.

The analysis uses as a  point of departure the discipline  of the  Professional
Actor,  Writer,  and Director  for the dramatic  script and performance, and
the discipline  of the Specialist  in Communication  in the  language area
and areas of response and behaviour  in respect to the  'performance response'
as well  as the  'subject  response*  in respect to the question and answer
period.

A basic  rationale  is included  in the design and study, 

it  is stated
as follows:  The audience behaviour should include  the behaviour of the
listener arid the questioner.  The audience must first hear;  it may then
listen. 
understanding. 
be  prompted to ask questions.  The questions will  then  lead to an open
dialogue and discovery  in respect to this particular kind of dramatic
experience.

If the audience  is interested and tries to listen,  it may listen with
If the audience understands some of the experience  it may

The approach and check  includes a specific design and analysis

based on the  'Tune-In' and 'Unlocking'  Process from the point of view of
the use of  language, audience behaviour and participation, and a dramatic
experience.

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4.