James Johnson is one of the best-known American playwrights whose works pay closer attention to socio-political problems of the society. His play Audition, was staged in Lagos penultimate weekend to highlight the contradictions in the early times of most celebrities and movie stars in the society. The play was created to give insight into what most artistes suffer or go through before they finally make it either in Hollywood or Broad Street or in Oscars.
A two-man act, the play opened with the established female artiste already bored with waiting and trying to see who would come around for the audition. Sprawling carelessly in her office settee with a stick of cigarette dangling in-between her fingers, she was in no mood to tolerate lazy artistes who felt they could just stroll into her office to become stars. “Stars are made after series of trials and tests,” she told the only artiste that bothered to turn up. This was after she had ignored her presence and all the entreaties she made to draw her attention to her. But then, when she began to put her through series of rehearsals and trials and training, it was tough; the young artiste didn’t seem to be the right person.
“You are nervous,” she told her. “And when you are nervous, it is difficult to prove a point.” “I am not nervous; you are the one trying to make me look nervous,” she returned. To her utter surprise, her new boss was a Lesbian, which to her was absurd. Then when she tried to kiss her she insisted on knowing why she had grown into such a monster. But then, with time, she again introduced her to drugs. So on and on, the play began to unmask the type of life these people live and how a correct audition is made in the movie industry. The two artistes, Lorraine and Stella of the University of Ibadan were able to dazzle the audience for more than one hour, going through different auditioning stages and what they mean to artistes.
On stage, they added elements of satire and absurdity in order to register the central message of the play. The director of the play Abiodun Akinsekun explained the reason why he chose the play this way: “Johnson is an American playwright who has so many other works. However, I stumbled on this one when I was doing research for my masters degree programme in Theatre. And when I read about some issues about the play, I discovered how topical and thematic it is. This was how I became interested and decided to produce it for the stage.”
The issues and the themes raised in the play could as well happen here in Nigeria. “You see, the life of an artiste, the sort of things they see and encounter all over the world, can often mean the same. It is an industry where only the practitioners can easily see, feel and explain what they encounter. But this particular incident as it is, I think it happened somewhere in the world,” Akinsekun said.
However, most of the incidents did not quite happen in one audition. It is not possible but what the playwright is saying is that these things happen and that the artistes live with it.” In it all, it shows determination, the zeal to succeed not only on the part of the younger artiste, but the older one who has assumed larger than life image. It talks about creativity, dexterity and some of these things thrive all over the world. And therefore the Audition play is for this season in the world when many people are being pushed into the world. And while you are being pushed and being traumatized, how do you react, what do you say to it all?”
The play also addresses the problem of joblessness and how young minds daily face the rigours of Nollywood and the profession itself. “Often, they feel frustrated. But it is good because it helps you to discover what you can do to prove your mettle. So, if you discover those positive things, they help you to build on your talents. So, it is a mirror with which you look into the struggling characteristics of a typical star who has risen to the pinnacle of his profession.”
“Mostly in the theatre world, you have to compromise certain principles to be where you want to be. I do not think many of them still see those things as absurd or strange any more. Some of the things they do, have come to form part of who they are and what they do to make their profession what it is today.”
Even though some directors and producers are making it right, that does not still remove the fact that these issues happen. “But with the emergence of the film industry, if you do not play along or comply, then you do not have a role. You do dupe, you can be made to be a Lesbian and all sorts of rubbish to be able to belong. Some would tell you if you do not want to be a Lesbian, you can’t have it. People don’t talk about it like Stella said on stage.
In trying to make you conform, teach you to do the job well, there are processes of compromise and this was what Stella tried to instill on stage. You could see all sorts of problems, like child abuse, sexual harassment and smoking and doing drugs as parts of the issues that trouble the sector. But the two artistes demonstrated outstanding performances that also kept some members of the audience wondering if this sort of audition truly happens. And if it does, can it happen in Nigeria or has it been happening in the theatre and movie sectors in Nigeria? These are issues begging for answer and agitating the minds of theatre enthusiasts and buffs at the moment.
