Exploring Intersectionality in Modern Yoruba Theatre: A Practical Creation of a Theatrical Performance Addressing Gender, Identity, and Social Change

Project Abstract

This study investigates how intersectionality informs contemporary Yoruba theatre practice, foregrounding gender, identity, and social change through the practical creation of an original theatrical performance. Employing a mixed-methods framework that integrates dramaturgical analysis, participant observation, and collaborative theatre-making, the research examines how multiple systems of oppression and privilege—such as gender, age, ethnicity, class, sexuality, and religion—interact within performative spaces to shape narrative, character development, dramaturgy, and audience reception. The project engages a diverse cohort of Yoruba theatre practitioners, emerging artists, and community members in a series of workshops and rehearsals designed to co-create a performance piece that reflects lived experiences of intersecting identities. Data collection encompasses field notes, video documentation, interviews, and reflective journals, followed by thematic analysis to identify recurring motifs, staging strategies, and didactic potentials that illuminate social realities and potential avenues for cultural transformation. A central aim is to translate theoretical constructs of intersectionality into tangible dramaturgical decisions, including script development, casting practices, movement vocabulary, music and sound design, costume symbolism, and spatial arrangement. The study also investigates audience discourse and reception through post-performance discussions and surveys, seeking to understand how cross-cutting identities influence interpretive frameworks and communal empathy within Yoruba-speaking and diasporic audiences. By situating the production within contemporary Nigerian sociocultural dynamics, including gendered labor, migrant identities, urbanization, and postcolonial discourse, the research demonstrates how theatre can serve as a site of ethical reflection and social engagement, challenging stereotypes while validating diverse experiences. The performance is analyzed for its ability to reframe traditional Yoruba theatre conventions, integrate feminist and LGBTQ+ perspectives, and employ indigenous performative modes such as ritual, folktale, and praise-singing in novel configurations. Theoretically, the project engages scholars of theatre studies, gender studies, and African humanities, contributing an empirical model for integrating intersectional analysis with practical theatre creation. Outcomes include a fully realized performance script, production design blueprints, and a reflective dossier that articulates the relationship between intersectional theory and artistic practice. The study concludes with recommendations for curriculum development, community partnerships, and policy considerations that support inclusive practices in theatre-making and cultural production, while offering a critically informed, aesthetically compelling model for future Yoruba theatre projects seeking to catalyze social change through embodied storytelling.

Project Overview

What This Project Is About

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This project looks at how different identities—like gender, age, culture, and social roles—interact in contemporary Yoruba theater. It explores how performances can reflect real-world experiences of diverse audiences and actors, and how a new play can address social change through storytelling, performance choices, and audience engagement.

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The Problem It Addresses

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Many Yoruba plays focus on traditional themes or single viewpoints, which can overlook the complexity of people’s lives today. The project seeks to broaden representation and show how theater can challenge stereotypes, promote empathy, and inspire community discussions about gender and identity.

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Objectives of the Project

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1. Identify key gender and identity issues relevant to modern Yoruba communities.
2. Develop a practical play concept that presents multiple perspectives.
3. Experiment with storytelling and staging to highlight intersectionality.
4. Involve local communities in feedback and validation of the performance.
5. Document the creation process for future practitioners.

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What You Will Do Step by Step

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1. Review relevant literature on Yoruba theatre and intersectionality.
2. Choose a theme and draft a script outline that includes diverse characters.
3. Create rehearsal plans, with design choices for costumes, music, and movement.
4. Run staged readings with peers to gather input.
5. Refine the script and performance structure based on feedback.
6. choreograph scenes that convey different identities within the story.
7. Record audience responses and reflect on social impact.
8. Prepare a reflective report documenting process and lessons learned.

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Expected Outcome

A ready-to-perform one-act play or short sequence that presents intersecting identities, accompanied by a short study of its reception and a guide for future productions seeking social change through theatre.