f MI:A I Ht: RESEARCH IN
SOUTH AFRICA
Temple Hauptfleisch
In this discussion of theatre research being undertaken in the RSA I shall start r"
doing what one really does not like doing with the arts, namely presenting the re,'.
with some categorizations of the elements of theatre and of theatre research*.
I <:
this not because I believe the arts - and theatre in particular - are quantifiable. :
on the contrary, because they are so very undefinable in so many ways.
Neverthele\\.
t.otalr.about theatre and theatre research in South Africa, or elsewhere for that f"o!'
re~uires that a number of things be defined or clarified, and it is to that end th~(
have tried to introduce the simplifications shown in the few figures I have prepar~C

But first, let us look at the full complexity.
three people or groups of people will be involved in any play production.
"uthor, the performers and the audience:

It is normally assumed that at lea~t
They are T,

FIGURE

AUTHOR

TEXT

~

)

PERFORJ~ER --.,

PERFORMANCE

--.,

AUDIENC

The author writes a text, which is performed by actors and viewed by an audience.

But there are more things and more people involved in a play and its enjoyment.
expand on the model in Figure 1:

To

AUTHOR

FIGURE 2

STAGE

--t

TEXT
1
DIRECTOR

~ER,FOR~IER. l-
PERFORMANCE ~

~UDIEI(

*

In the categorization
to follow, as well as.t e ana y
subsumed under Theatre Research.
largely paid to the public manifestat10n of theatre.
fields of the psychodrama, drama-in-education! etc. are.no
passing.
being done. holds equally well for those areas, as

How~ver, 1n the late;

Nonetheless the basic concern of th1S pap~~, ~~~ies will show.

h

I sis in 'Tables 1-3, Drama is
discussion attention is
this reason the excitf.
except If
or t touched on
that too little is

e

11

to a play is more involved than one tends

Clearly, the process of staging and reacting
to be aware of most of the time - unless one has a direct share in it that is.
:-e of the items noted in the graph can itself be seen as a complex matter:
I can i~plY a variety
of the play's content - verbal, nonverbal,
Dr printed.
So too "stage"
physical space to be filled.
another, and often forgotten

can refer to a whole army of technicians.
doesn't end there.

But the complexity
element:

of versions

as well as a
If I might add

Each
"text"

improvised

FIGURE 3

S

IE

AUTHOR -+TEXT

~

DIRECTOR
(PRODUCER)

STAGE

perhaps,

because
it touches

Forgotten,
air we breathe,
the same to the theatre and the play.
~
players.
pl.y.
colours the society which hosts

his text will have.
it affects

Eventually

~aning

it.

like fish, we swim in it.
us all the time influencing.

And like the water, or like the
guiding. affecting
It does

us.

It affects the wayan

author thinks. the shape

It determines
the audience

how a director will use the text and his

and colours the way it will react to the

But, at the same time the play and the creative effort involved in it also

is pretty much an accepted

fact nowadays, but an accepted fact is not

III the foregoing
~t$sarlly
.~
rtlt.rch.
lAC It requires

or changed

an understood

fact.

if need be.

Which

For to know, to understand

Nor is it a fact which can in any way be effectively
is the point at which we may start talking about
and an inquisitive mind.

information

requires

that we know what it is we are looking for and what we are looking at.

Figure

Spectrum of theatre end theatre-related

So, If we consider
tht entire
tht performance,
tudlence, as well as the various
:'-Portlnt, we must study the interrelationships.

the pre-conditions

3 what can a theatre researcher look at?

be
- i.e. the play itself,
which determine the nature of the theatre and the

The answer ~st

activities

functions 'fulfilled by theatre in society.

And equally

lZ

fIGURE

4

fUNCTIONS

PLAY

PRE-CONDITIONS

Now, very much like the conundrum
these elements
of an example.

in order

of importance,

of the chicken

and the egg, it is difficult

to arrangt

but perhaps

I would best illustrate

it b~ means

group,

A Shakespeare
thing that exists
that text.
from a specific

is Shakespeare's

let us say, are to produce Romeo and JuLiet in Pretoria.

The first
text of the play, or rather our received version of
theatre which had arisen.

a specific

But even before
need within

that text there existed
society.

was, among

other things,

a need for entertainment,

and a nee~

there
on which

In Elizabethan
times
for a public
platform
and religious
matters.
The Globe for example
The audiences
film audiences
the expanding
thrust of the Renaissance
from this grew a playwright,
in its turn fulfilled
even effecting
certain
is concerned.

for instance
of today.
might

to discuss

current
Such and other functions

political,
were fulfilled

- for a specific
were mixed
At the same time socio-economic

kind of theatre-going
bag of nobles

and groundsmen,

of England,

the relatively

stable

political

social and philosophical

by a specific

theatre -
public which had developed.
our
like
influences'
the cultural
And

something
and socio-cultural
situation,

for development.

ground

- created

a tremendously

fertile

a text - the Romeo and JuLiet - and a production.
England,

Which
possibly
So we have come full circle as far as the text

a specific set of functions
slight

Elizabethan

changes.

within

But we are talking
of a specific
theatre.
group,

from play to play.

about

a production
accords

here, in Pretoria.
function

a specific

which

So once again we might

- or set of functions

talk
- to the

society

In fact the functions

may vary conSiderably

from theatre

group to theatre

sake that the function
Let us say for argument's
and for educational
is largely
such as a more or less traditional
are certain
milieu
production,
and a socia-cultural
which
Jesus Christ Superstar or survi~L

for entertainment
pre-conditions,
a socia-economic
setting

which makes
finds Romeo and JuLiet acceptable
not so.

of Shakespeare
value.

So too tile concept

it possible

What has developed
Shakespearean

te
for such plays to be staged,
- and. incidentall,.

of a Shakespeare

circle

in South Africa
therefore
approach

groups

13

Itself, with its particular
.iew of the functions
their specific production
c~erJ version, an Afrikaans
t~e producer,
the ideology
occupations
a production

of society,
of Boesman

aims,

is encouraged.

Out of these pre-conditions

- and in

- there has thus emerged a specific

kind of theatre group and

of Romeo and Juliet.

version
of the group,

or a Hillbrow-version,
the preferences

(It may be a traditional

depending

version, a rock
on the aims and on
of the public, the current pre-
may very well have been done for

and so on.)
and Lena,

The same analysis

or 'n Seder val in Waterkloof.

Now:
when a researcher
final moment when Romeo
audience, and through
fields of potential

looks at this entire process of creation which leads to the
with an
and Juliet
it opens up a vast number of

theatre and actually communicates

it with a much larger community,

becomes

research

matters

about which very relevant questions may be asked.

(Pt us return for a moment
cAtegorized

into three-areas:

to the areas of research

outlined above.

They may be broadly

FIGURE

5

A

PRE-CONDITIONS

Theatre
tradition

Socio-economic

milieu

Socio-cultural

milieu

Communicator
(Playwright)

B

Text

THE THEATRE
Interpreter
(Director,
actor)

ITSELF

Interpretation
(Production)

Receiver
(Audience)

Socio-cultural
role + function

Political
role

As psychological
tool

C

FUNCTIONS

As educational
tool

one of these items noted here are potential

areas of research.

Many of them can

and some are obviously

more important than others.

to be asked about each of the categories,

riCh
Of (Qurse be subdivided
"'~rth~less,
'---r?~ In fact to keep us occupied

there are many questions

further,

for a very long time.

14

As is natural
with researchers,
research areas and to provide
provide us with the matrix
of 96 potent iill research

used

ca tegories!

there are a large number
for this I added a vertical

of possible
list of such approaches
In this way we have a "simplified"

approaches

in Tables

1-3.

to such

to
set

for, even

On the basis of this matrix,
done in South Africa.
South Africa
have a long and deeply
are in the process
are so varied

is potentially

and so important

rooted

of developing

we may now take a look at what theatre

research

has been

if we wished

a theatre

theatrical

one.

to be n~dest,
paradise.
but precisely
the sources of the theatre

because

researcher's
tradition,
And because

we would have to admit that

Not because we already

from a socio-cultural,

and socio-political

I believe we
tradition
point of view.

days of our theatre

from England.

export

In the early
cultural

For example:
of a massive
Then, in the first half of the twentieth
part of a peculiarly
Afrikaans
a remarkable
in Black
theatre,
Three distinct
phases somehow
to understand
perhaps

phases
indivisibly
and eventually
priority

in the growth
linked,

theatre,
growth

our greatest

the total theatrical
It was instant - albeit

was part
activity
imposed - culture.
in the
Today we are witnessing

there was a tremendous
nationalism.
of a vibrant Black consciousness.

thrust

century
Afrikaner
a reflection

of a South African
pointing

in some common direction.

society and theatre,

but three
To recognize,

to this total South African

theatre is

even to contribute
as social

scientists.

special

research

still a voluntary

Research
among the most

at the theatre
tool at hand, namely
Council.
important
or post-graduate
matter,

In looking
convenient
Hun~n Sciences
purpose,
university
present
with the request
always comply
since universities
Uevertheless,
is a Convenient
tool with which
taken, and it is the only source
for the years
1-3 provide
provided
for inclusion

1969-1979
the results.

by the title of a project.

and divided

in more

(Please

undertaken
the Bulletin

The Bulletin
being

I made use of the most

in South Africa,
of Registered

compiled
has a number of shortcomings

Research

by the
for our

that it really only contains

registered

work, and that registration

which means

to supply

are the primary
to gauge
available.

of projects

institutions

that not all universities

is at
necessarily
the HSRC with the titles of new projects.
research,
it
being under-
with the HSRC
above.
Tables
were made purely on the information
projects may Qualify

for theatre
the range and topics of research
I took the titles registered
outlined

that, on some occasions,

them into the 96 categories

note that placings

Also
than one category.)

It is immediately
traditionally
of the theatre,
of the 96 categories,
the object
study of the theatre

been concerned

clear from Table

1 that registered
with the most manageable
43,3%
and Text-Analysis.

research
or most concrete
of tne research

the text and the author.
namely
Playwright-Analysis,

namely

in the theatre arts has
of the elen~nts
falls into two
An~ in botn cases
l
WIth a historiu

of study is the written

text.

A further 12,0: is concerned
15

tradition.

Is a Iit<'r,lryapproach to drama which has a great

deal of validity, but which does

2 llnd

z).

and Dmma

In view of the large

Clearly the drama students are much more concerned with the

'hll
flOtnecessarily touch on the essence of the theatre itself.
",...!l('rof Iiterature students (in all languages) and the few speech and drama students
t~.. t register yearly, I have worked out separate Tables for Literatul'c
ltuct('nts(Tllt,lcD
leul practice of the theatre than the literature students:
~.tural and, in the latter case, slightly unfortunate, for it perpetuates that artificia~
\~paration between dra~
Charles Lamb.
Tables. The areas which have not been looked at, particularly the areas which lie
~yond the play itself:
The pre-conditions and the functions of theatre in our society.
a~'djng across, it is also significant that we have to date done little in the field of
\tatlstical, empiric and practical research.
concern,
-. have as yet produced little horne-grown theory in the field of drama.

is the fact that although 11,3% of the research falls into the theory

Yet what is of more concern for the moment is the empty spaces in the

is literature and thelltre which has existed since the time of

More understandable, though no less of

a state of affairs both

bracket,

far enough:

we do not yet have a South African equivalent of Peter Brook's

At present most of the research is undertaken by universities, mainly through their
pOst-graduate students, and most of their research is of an academic nature, concentra-
tl"9 on the text and its production.
A certain amount of what one might call practica!
..../l.;ar"~ is also being done by theatre companies in various parts of the country.
fht.tre works such as Siz~ Banzi is Dead have been developed out of improvisational
-crk, extending the range of actors and our theatre repertoire.
However, we have not
~e
I"tema tiona1 Theatre Resea rch Centre; where exoperimentsmay be undertaken with the very
.1\ence of theatre - spoken words and expressive movement.
Yet we are physically placed
rl.ht where the theatre traditions of Europe, Africa and the East meet.
Did Brook him-
"If not travel to Africa to find the essence of theatre in The Ik?
~t
'~jIts complex origins.
.w.llable to the lone researcher. or the struggling experimental theatre group.
'_IS is a neglect which has to be set right for besides its undoubted cultural importance.
l"Jtre Is an extremely important social factor in South Africa, today especially.
toes not reach as wide a public as the film or television, certainly.
..ry Special part of society.
'~~ty the Human Sciences Research Council and PACT undertook in the Transvaal in 1978,
...: Currently being extended to the other perfoming

has long remained untouched in research is the function of South African theatre,

arts councils (see Table 4).
'~IS Profile was based on the replies to about 2 500 questionnaires distributed to
from these results that
appear
'-ttregoers in Pretoria and Johannesburg.
•
'.~
the average theatre audience
.
of its socio-economic and educatlonal rod e-up ,
(~I~~e
erage film audience with
th
e av
" P~bly
as

1d
It wou
k)
d
..
as well placed to affect the publlC mln

To study these areas requires more facilities than are normally'

If I might refer quickly to some of the results of a

It
But it reaches a

16

its much larger numbers.
"happenings"
theatre itse 1f.

This

is vital

if one considers

the great variety

that take place all over

the country

daily and the changing

of theatric.
nature of thr

It is in recognition
Human Sciences
for South African

theatre

in 1971.

of this importance

Research

Council

instituted

- historical,
a special

cultural
documentation

and social - that the
unit

and research

function

Just as in the case of the Human
for SA Theatre's
Africa.
This means
theatre practitioners
of essential
research
it has identified
anthropological
drama in education.)

that the Centre
with resources,
projects.

as priority

studies

areas

is intended
incentives,

Sciences

Research
to serve as an activating

as a whole,

Council
centre for theatre research
researchers

it is the Centre
in Sout'
and

theatre

to provide

The Centre

also undertakes
(Examples

for research.

data, advice,

and aid in the executio'
in areas tha
are socia

major projects
of such research

of early South African

Theatre,

the sociology

of theatre and

in theatre

Where
and

the functions

organizations
and individuals
and results
research

outside
bodies)
execution

In Figure 6 I illustrate
possible
cultural
planning,
involvement
the unlimited
and esoteric
areas,
and on a broad and ambitious
To ask the questions
no matter
how much
hurried and egocentric

human and other
research

are involved
of such work.
is essential,

of the Centre
(such as universities,

by means of a diagram.
arts councils,
performing
sharing
in the
in such projects,
and sense of shared
This co-operation
for we in South Africa just do not have
the luxury of ivory tower
for its own sake, we must get together and tackle the essential
together
we can.
inevitable
not a

and manpower
to probe where probing has become

for the growth of South African
mobilising

of the theatre researcher,

to allow ourselves

all the expertise

it may hurt _ that is the function

those areas of significance

that have to be asked,

paperchase.

resources

theatre,

scale,

The aim, in the end,
is to provide
and dynamic South African theatre,
each and everyone
our own.

of us in this country,

the groundwork
for a true and lasting, a creative
one which will not only speak to us, but for us,
- in accents and forms which are distinctly

17

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