Dramaturgical Practices in the Ethiopian Public Theatre: Re-examining the Contributions of Three Hager Fikir Theatre Practitioners

Abstract

Dramaturgy has become an indispensable component of contemporary theatre practice, encompassing research, script development, performance interpretation, and artistic collaboration throughout the theatrical production process. (Turner & Behrndt, 2008; Trencsényi, 2015). Although dramaturgical scholarship has expanded considerably within European and North American theatre traditions, its conceptualization and practice in African theatre, particularly in Ethiopia, remain underexplored (Jeyifo, 2004; Plastow, 1996). Consequently, the significant dramaturgical contributions of Ethiopian theatre practitioners have rarely been recognized within academic discourse. This study examines dramaturgical practices in the Ethiopian public theatre through a qualitative case study of three distinguished practitioners-Matthewos Bekele, Eyuel Yohannes, and Melaku Ashagrie—whose careers were closely associated with Hager Fikir Theatre, Ethiopia's oldest public theatre institution. Guided by a qualitative case study design, data were collected through documentary analysis, archival materials, interviews, and relevant scholarly literature and analyzed using thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006; Yin, 2018). The findings indicate that, although the formal position of dramaturg has historically been absent in Ethiopian theatre, numerous dramaturgical functions have been undertaken by theatre practitioners who simultaneously served as playwrights, directors, actors, translators, educators, and cultural mediators. Their multidisciplinary practices substantially influenced script interpretation, rehearsal processes, audience engagement, artistic innovation, and the institutional development of Ethiopian public theatre. The study argues that Ethiopian public theatre possesses an indigenous dramaturgical tradition that deserves formal scholarly recognition. By broadening the conceptual understanding of dramaturgy beyond Eurocentric perspectives, this research contributes to Ethiopian theatre scholarship and provides a foundation for integrating indigenous dramaturgical knowledge into theatre education, research, and professional practice.