The Department of Theatre Arts and Film Studies has launched the 2017/2018 Theatre Season to showcase some of the major productions to be staged within the academic year. Dubbed “A Season of Six Plays, a Dance Production and Three Classical African Films”, The production also forms part of the academic work of students. The six plays include: Woes of a Hospital patient; the Pretty Trees of Gakwana; the Slaves; How do you want it; Classical African Films; Once Upon Four Robbers and the Bed Room. All the plays will be held at the Main Auditorium at 7pm prompt. The Department, in collaboration with the Department of Music and Dance, will also entertain patrons with various dance productions both African and Foreign. Speaking at the launch, the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Hon. Dr. Ziblim Barri Iddi, commended the Department for the initiative and advised the students to take the performances seriously. He said the Ministry was committed to the promotion of Theatre Arts in order to transform the economy. To this end, Dr. Iddi announced that the Ministry had contracted a Chinese firm to renovate the National Theatre, to make it a modern hub for performances. He also disclosed that the government would put up a modern theatre edifice for the Department so that students will not compete with other departments to use the Main Auditorium. The Vice-Chancellor, Prof Joseph Ghartey Ampiah, lauded the efforts of the department and students for the launch. He promised that the University would incorporate some of the burning needs of the Department in the 2018 budget. “I Promise that next year’s budget, we will incorporate some of the facilities that you will Need’’, he said. The Vice-Chancellor recollected his recent visit to South Korea to participate in Mind Education Forum at the invitation of the International Youth Fellowship, where theatre performance was used to capture the attention of youth. Consequently, he promised that during next year’s IYF Forum in South Korea, the University would sponsor two students and a lecturer from the Department to witness the Mind Education Forum.“Next year (2018), we are going to have another mind education forum in South Korea, I would want the University to sponsor two students and one lecturer”, he stated. The Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Prof. J.B.A Afful, called on members of the University community to patronize the theatre season. He commended the Department for its relentless efforts and perseverance in the face of challenges. BELOW IS THE TIME TABLE FOR THE PLAYS: Three Classical African Films (5th-7th Oct.) Woes of A Hospital Patient/ The Deal (12th-14th Oct.) The Pretty Trees of Gakwana (19th-21 Oct.) The Slaves (26th-28th Oct.) How Do You Want It (2th-4th Nov.) Once Upon Four Robbers (9th-11th Nov.) Aszesaw (A Dance Production) (16th-18th Nov.) The Bed Room (23th-25th Nov.)
