The comic and the tragic effects in Stephen Chifunyise’s transformative theatre: The case of “Rituals” and “Heal the Wounds”

The comic and the tragic effects in Stephen Chifunyise’s transformative theatre: The case of “Rituals” and “Heal the Wounds”
By
ISHEUNESU MOYO
DISSERTATION SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT FOR THE DEGREE OF THEATRE ARTS 4TH YEAR SPECIAL HONOURS TO THE UNIVERSITY OF ZIMBABWE’S DEPARTMENT OF THEATRE ARTS
SUPERVISED BY
KELVIN CHIKONZO
May 2012
DECLARATION
I declare that this report is my own unaided work. It is being submitted in partial fulfilment of the 4th Year Honours Degree in Theatre Arts to the University of Zimbabwe. It has not been submitted before for any degree or examination to any other University.
Isheunesu Moyo......................... May 2012 i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Firstly, I would like to thank the Theatre Arts Department for affording me the opportunity to study at the University of Zimbabwe and making my research possible.
I want to thank the Most High God for everything, my parents for all the prayers, my wife Enfa for the tough talk, and all the Ts and Ks in my family, you give meaning my to life.
More thanks and gratitude to 'Uncle Steve” for allowing me to critique his work, my friends and collegues, Tafadzwa Muzondo, Everson Ndlovu, Evans Gorogodo and Paul Munjenge for the support; and my Theatre Arts final year class of 2011, I pray we meet again; and to others not mentioned here whose presence in my life is greatly valued, I thank you.
Thank you to My Supervisor, Kelvin Chikonzo for the patience and useful comments on my draft, Ngonidzashe Muwonwa, Nehemiah Chivandikwa and Kudakwashe Sambo for keeping on reminding me of the need to work on this research wherever we met. ii DEDICATION
For Enock and Earnest who are far from my eyes but never from my heart. I look forward to a family reunion. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS
Declaration i Acknowledgements ii Dedication iii Table of Contents iv Chapter 1
Area of Investigation 1 Justification 2 Aims and Objectives 3 Methodology 4 Literature Review 5 Chapter 2 The Contextual and

Bibliography: Applauso, N (2010) Curses and laughter: The Ethics of Political Invective in the Comic Poetry of High and Late Medieval Italy University of Oregon Aristotle, (350 BCE) Poetics Trans Berger, et al (1966) The Social Construction of Reality: A Treatise in the Sociology of Knowledge New York: Anchor Chikonzo, K (2010) The Pitfalls of Realism in Transformative Theatre: the case of Waiting for Constitution, University of Zimbabwe, Harare Chinweizu, et.al (1980) Towards the Decolonization of African Literature Enugu: Fourth Dimension. Chiyindiko, T (2011) Healing and Reconciliation for Constitution Building in Zimbabwe through Theatre: A case study of ‘Heal the Wounds’ and ‘Waiting for Constitution’ Witwatersrand University, Johannesburg Cohen, Ted Cuddon, J. A (1961) A Dictionary of Literary Terms, Penguin Reference David, K (2004) “African Theatre Southern Africa”, James Currey Ltd, United Kingdom Foucault M (1964), in “Madness and Civilization: A History of Insanity in the Age of Reason” Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group, Great Britain Freire, P (1971) Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Seabury, New York Freud, S (1976) Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious, Translated and edited by James Strachey, Harmondsworth, England Freud, S (1996) Wit and its Relation to the Unconscious, translated by Brill A. New York: Dover Gunn, J (1973) Violence in Human Society David and Charles (Holdings) Ltd, Great Britain Gunner, L et al (1994) Politics and Performance: Theatre, Poetry and Song in Southern Africa Witwatersrand University Press, South Africa Harmon, et al (1999) A Handbook to Literature, Prentice Hall International (UK) Ltd London Helitzer, M (2005) Comedy Writing Secrets, Writers Digest Book, Cincinnati Ohio Kamba, A (1995) Our creative diversity: Report of the World Commission on Culture and Development Paris: UNESCO Publishing Morreall, J, ed. (1987) The Philosophy of Laughter and Humor, State University of New York, NY Mukwara, P (2010) The Politics of Chifunyise’s Political Works: The Case of Waiting For Constitution, University of Zimbabwe, Harare Muzondo T (2010) Experience based paper on working in or with Stephen Chifunyise’s plays Thompson (1990) Ideology and Modern Culture, Cambridge, Polity Press wa Thiongo, N (1981) Writers in Politics, Heinemann Educational Books Ltd, Nairobi wa Thiongo, (1998) Penpoints, Gunpoints, and Dreams, Toward a Critical Theory of Aesthetic. London: Methuen Wilson, C P (1979) Jokes, Form, Content, Use and Function Academic Press Inc Ltd, New York