Quality Theatre Education: A Recipe for Social ReEngineering of the Nigerian Youths for National Stability

Abstract

The principal characters in the 1914 amalgamation of the Northern and Southern protectorates which eventually led to the birth of Nigeria did not envisage the voluminousity of the social re-engineering which their decision may engender upon the natives. Their main aim of carting away natural and human commodities as well as civilizing the natives must had beclouded their intention and expedition and therefore could not see that their decision was a dagger on the throat of our co-existence. Today, no region in the nation is devoid of turbulence and social crisis; intolerance and struggle for religious supremacy, the south east is known for militancy while the south west sit on kegs of gun-powder each time the region experiences a change in governance. In all these disturbances which are inimical to the peaceful co-existence of the various tribes that constitute the nation, the youth had been turned to veritable tools in the hands of the chief perpetrators.
The focus of this review therefore is the potency in theatre education as a recipe for social re-engineering. This work observes that in an era besmeared with youths’ involvement in political and social disturbances, theatre education has the veritable power to curb social unrest. It concludes that theatre education has the capacity to create social awareness as it brings the people together and helps them to identify with each other.