Inside Student Theater Productions at the University of Ibadan

By: Oyewande Precious

Ever wondered what goes into a student theater productions besides memorising lines and hoping the set doesn’t collapse? Spoiler: It’s a lot. Between exams, tiny budgets, and last-minute cruises, putting on a show is half drama, half miracle. To shed light on this, AFAS PRESS sat down with the people who make it happen and here’s the inside scoop.

Can you introduce yourself?

WISDOM: My name is Wisdom Onumaegbulam. A 400 level student of the Department of Theatre Arts, University of Ibadan. Erstwhile ATAS President

How do you balance rehearsals, classes, and personal life?

WISDOM: It’s not easy to balance rehearsals, classes and personal life. Sometimes most of the Theatre Arts students prioritise rehearsal and classes over our personal life because that’s our primary assignment in the University as a student. So juggling all the aspects mentioned is not easy. I get tired of attending classes after a hectic rehearsal or even if I attend the class, I find it difficult to comprehend and assimilate what is being taught in class. Personally, I don’t give up because it’s also important for me as a human. Man must survive.

What inspired your group to choose this particular play/production?

WISDOM: Concerning this, I would say being a Theatre Arts student, it’s a must that we practice what we’re being taught. That makes us theatre practitioners. We get inspired to tell our mythology and legendary stories to educate and for entertainment purposes. Another thing that inspired us is that it is a tradition for us, for example, the biggest production coming up in the Department of Theatre Arts, University of Ibadan is the 48th initiation ceremony coming up by June, though the date has not been confirmed yet. This initiation is a tradition in the Department of Theatre Arts across all universities offering the course. It is to induct the newly admitted students (100 level) into the world of Theatre Arts practitioners. As you can see, rehearsal is ongoing.

What is the biggest challenge in putting together a student-run show?

WISDOM: Hmmmm..Sigh! The biggest challenge in putting together a student-run show is finance. Infact it’s the major in putting up productions generally. Getting sponsorship/support is difficult because in this present time no one wants to invest into stage performances again. Most times, not getting profit is the biggest challenge too. So this discourages sponsors and theatre practitioners who suffer a lot.

What’s the most unexpected thing that happened during rehearsals?

WISDOM: Considering my 4 years in school, I would say there’s nothing like an unexpected thing. Anything can happen and it’s normal. Nothing goes smoothly. There must be ups and downs. So as theatre practitioners, we’re trained to prepare for the worst scenarios and when it happens, it’s CHOBI (show must continue)

Do you feel student theater is under-resourced compared to other campus activities? How do you compensate?

WISDOM: Yes. Student theatre is under-resourced. Students love to be in laudy, unconventional social gatherings which theatre is not. Just imagine a theatre performance happening at Wole Soyinka Theater and a campus activity like SU week happening the same day and time, students will choose the campus activities over theatre performance.

What’s it like preparing for a student production? Can you describe a typical rehearsal?

WISDOM: Preparing a student production is not easy at all. Using two of my classmates’ productions recently: the nonchalant behavior of the cast and crew almost ruined the production because they felt like it’s just a classmate’s production, since no lecturer is involved and no mark is involved.

Do you think student theater gets enough recognition compared to sports or other arts on campus?

WISDOM: Theater and sports have its own audience/fans… You choose the one you want either theatre or sports

How do you handle technical difficulties or unexpected issues during a performance?

WISDOM: Most times, the major problem of theatre performances is technical issues such as light, sound, props, set and the rest. It’s inevitable. The most stressful job/art or the theatre is stage management because they are the technical brain behind all performance/production while the directing is the artistic brain behind performance/production. So stage management does a lot of work to make a production happen. It’s not easy.

How do you motivate other students who feel down or discouraged during production?

WISDOM: Yes, I motivate them. It’s an hectic process so people get tired but we do encourage ourselves till the end of the production

Do you advise other students from other departments to participate in student theatre productions?

WISDOM: Yes! Other students are advised and allowed to join the production. Theatre Arts is a collaborative art which accommodates anybody and unites people together.

Do you have any initiative you wish to implement during production?

WISDOM: Yes, I do. I would love to implement maximum care and welfare for all cast and crew members. This helps them to put more energy into the production.

What other improvements do you look forward to seeing in productions?

WISDOM: Theatre productions should be taken more seriously by government. Government should fund the production always in order to make it more popular and widely accepted

If you could give one piece of advice to upcoming stage managers, what would it be?

WISDOM: My advice to them is to develop more in their work and take things easy with their cast and crew members when they get frustrated.

AFAS PRESS:

Student theater is far more than just a performance. It is a testament to passion, resilience, and collaboration. Through the voice of the stage manager, this report has revealed the meticulous effort behind every curtain rise, from overcoming budget constraints to the last-minute chaos of technical issues. Yet, despite the challenges, what stands out most is the unwavering dedication of students who balance academics, work, and creative expression to bring stories to life. Most importantly, student theater thrives on the shared belief that art matters, even when the audience sees only the final product and not the sweat, stress, and camaraderie that made it possible.