THE INTERNATIONAL Theatre Institute of Zimbabwe and Repertory players recently commemorated World Theatre Day at Reps Theatre in Harare.
World Theatre Day is celebrated every year on March 27 and this year it was commemorated under the theme "Theatre and a Culture of Peace."
The day was initiated in 1962 by the International Theatre Institute as a day to pay respect to, and celebrate the beauty, creativity, hard work and artistry that goes into all the aspects of theatre production.
Theatre enthusiasts last week thronged Reps Theatre, the ceremonial home of performance arts in Harare, to celebrate World Theatre Day through stand-up comedy, plays, games and forums.
Zimbabwe arts practitioner Zaza Muchemwa said creatives needed to have continuous conversations to grow their industry.
“We had forums today for actors, play writers, producers, stage managers and directors,” Muchemwa said.
“This was to actually hear from the practitioners what their ideal world is like, what tools they need and what conditions they need in order for them to thrive in their specific disciplines.
“I think it was something really special hearing from people about their needs and other opportunities that may exist to develop and grow the industry and we hope to continue with the conversations and forums; we are also having the same forums in Bulawayo.
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“There were a lot of points raised in the event, like how we can make theatre a consistent employment opportunity for creatives in theatre and also how we can amplify theatre as a communication and tourism tool so that voices can be heard.”
Stand-up comedian and actor Hupenyu Murombo said the event helped them engage and network.
Norwegian Jon Fosse prepared this year’s World Theatre Day speech which described arts as peaceful and a wonderful way of combining cultures.
“Art breaks through the boundaries between languages, geographical regions, and countries,” Fosse said.
“It brings together not just everyone's individual qualities but also in another sense the individual characteristics of every group of people for example, a nation.:
The first theatre performance originated from ancient Greece in 300 BCE, according to Aristotle.
