STAGE MANAGER AND MANAGEMENT IN ACADEMIC THEATRE: AYO AKINWALE'S THIS KING MUST DIE AS A PARADIGM

TTimileyin Okunlola

Stage Management in academic theatre is a different ball game from stage management in other types of theatres. For instance, an academic theatre is a theatre that does not have a permanent production team because students are admitted, trained, and sent off upon graduation and the cycle continues the next academic session. Also, those who train them are employed for a specific duration while most stay on as full-time staff; some are either on a sabbatical or part-time basis. The training in academic theatre is all-encompassing in that it exposes students to dramatic arts, stage management, technical theatre, acting skills, dance, and directing. However, the management of the stage and cast often constitutes a major challenge in the theatre. This is the focus of this study. The research methods employed for this study are the participant-observation and content analysis methods. The participant observation tool allows the researcher to be actively involved in the production process of Ayo Akinwale's This King Must Die while the content analysis method enables us to subject the script to scrutiny to extract relevant information. Information obtained by using these methods serves as our primary data while secondary data are obtained from textbooks, journals, articles, and internet sources. During the research, it was discovered that the motivations of actors in this type of theatre differ a great deal from those of the professional sectors. Therefore, it recommends that further attention be paid to the study of the cast's behavioural patterns in order to get the most from them during performances, as discovered in the production of Ayo Akinwale's "This King Must Die".

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Uploaded on Jan 28, 2026, 7:29:32 PM

Notes

The study is relevant for students, theatre practitioners, and researchers, offering insights into both the practical and organizational aspects of academic theatre productions. It also serves as a guide for cultivating professional stage management skills in a learning environment.