Post-Production Concepts in Cameroonian Theatre Practice: Problems and Prospects

The fundamental and standard stages of theatre production are well
known. However, the applicability of these stages in practice is
wholesomely complex and ultimately dependent on other related
components. Among these are the objective and established goal of the
performing troupe vis-a-vis the target community which is the
destination of the performance. Therefore, while post-performance or
post-mortem, constitutes a crucial component in theatre practice, the
potential that is locked up in the exercise, reserves appreciable openings
both for the community to appropriate the performance, as well as the
promise of inclusiveness on the part of the troupe that owes it as a duty
to the community. In essence, every theatre performance targets an
audience, yet, whether or not the audience effectively takes ownership of
the performance can only be measured from the quality and quantity of
data obtained for post-mortem exercise. This is to say post-mortem is a
veritable gauge and measuring yardstick for the certification of the depth
of critical relation between the target and the performers. At this
juncture, the place and role of post-performance go beyond applause,
commentaries and any standing ovation or not, that sanctions the
reception of a spectacle by its target audience. Otherwise, the postperformance exercise opens a leeway for an evaluation of the practical
implication of the target audience in the performance. It is through this
implication that the performers gain greater insights as to how the show
effectively comes across or even how the performers access the needed
feedback from the spectators who, by the same measure indicate to both
the technical and artistic crews what aspects of the show require urgent
amelioration This paper therefore undertakes an evaluation of both the
problems as well as the prospects of post-production in theatre practice
in Cameroon. The analysis enables comprehension of what is either
missed or gained in the event of whether or not, post-production is
reasonably upheld by a theatre company. After all, it concretely assumes
that every post-performance also invariably constitutes a
preperformance, albeit intrinsically or even indirectly.

Keywords: Theatre practice, post-production, prospects and problems