BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
The society often confuses the personality of
the character the actor is playing with his or her true character, thereby
evaluating him or she based on what they see on stage or screen. The role of
the actor is quite different from his person in real life. What the actor does
is to pass a message across to the society, as Njamah (2009) rightly observes:
“It has not really changed much. It has only
made me to be artistic, people have this mentality that actresses are
promiscuous, but they forget that they are only trying to pass a message across
the people”.
Eboh, (2012),
said that in the same vein
Eucharia Anuobi in defense of her personality and that of her fellow actors and
actresses says that the role an actor plays in a movie does not reveal who he
or she is in actual life. An angel can play a devil in a film and vice vasa.
The Nigerian society ranks the actor nowhere
near people in other profession, forgetting that each profession has its role
to play in the service of mankind. Because of the contribution of the actor
towards human and national development, there is need to educate the people on
the real nature of actors and acting and by so doing correct the misconceptions
about actors, their personality and professions. It is hoped that this study
which examines the personality of the actors will meet the above need (Konkwo,
2011).
On the Nigerian actors and the society, some
of them are written by scholars. A greater number of them, however, are written
by journalist who has little or no idea of the actors. This
study is therefore, significant because it attempt an in-depth study of the
personality of the Nigerian actors as seen by the society and the actor himself
focusing on Sherekoko and Jenifer.
Nwodu, (2006), has described Acting as ‘the most
glamorous and fascinating art of the theatre. This could own to the fact that
the actor is a theatre workforce and that is readily recognized by the
audience, as well as by members of the society, due to his task. Hence the
Actor is the “image maker” of the theatre and people see his or her personality
as a small god.
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The acting profession has been grossly
misunderstood and the personality of the actor misrepresented. Actors are
looked at as irresponsible people and the acting profession seen as a less liable
and dignified one by some people, while others looks at actors as small god.
These call for a good probe into the personality of the actor and the moral
liability of his profession as many parents don’t want their children to go
into acting as they believe that actors live wayward life, drinking, smoking,
and other kind of immorality. While
other parents cherish these actors and hoped and prayed that their children
will become of them in time to come.
It is on this backdrop that this proposed study
therefore attempts to educate the public on the virtues of the profession and
the true personality of those in it and the main focus is on Sherikoko and
Jenifer’s dairy.
OBJECTIVES OF THE PROPOSED STUDY
The general objective of this proposed study is to investigate the Nigerian
actor and personality. The specific objectives are to:
1) evaluate the true character of the actor.
2) know if what the act is just a mere stage or screen play
3) examine Sherikoko and Jenifer’s diary
JUSTIFICATION OF STUDY
The justification of this proposed study is
to X-ray (look into) the “Nigerian actor and the personality; A case study of
Sherikoko and Jenifer’s diary. This is to the reactions of Nigerian actors and
how the society finds themselves to accept them. It is also to correct the
misconception people have about acting and artist. Rather in there to mirror
the society and show the ills of the society.
The justification of this proposed study also lies in its purpose for
improving the quality of acting on the Nigerian Actor so as to expand patronage
for the industry, and ensure a better impact on the society.
SIGNIFICANCE
OF THE STUDY
The proposed study will therefore enlighten
the society on the true personality of the actor and hopefully contribute to the dispute between
the actor and the society on their personality. It will serves as an
encouragement for young aspiring actors who wish to take up the profession as a
career.
It will also enlighten parents on the
personality status of the actor and serves as consolation to the actors, that
at least somebody somewhere has their interest at heart.
This proposed study will inform and educate
the people. On acting as an art, this research work will also make the people
understand that acting is an art (imitation) and not real. So a role played by
an actor on science or stage in quite different from that persons real life.
Finally, it is hoped that this proposed study
will serves as a reference material for further research in this area.
SCOPE OF THE STUDY
This proposed study examines the personality
of the actor in relation to the roles he/she plays in productions. It explains
the mistaken notions about the actor and his professions and tries to correct
the notions and the focus will be on Sherikoko and Jenifer diary - a
tale that revolves around a young and ill-mannered woman who desires to live
life at its best. This reflects on her discourteous behaviour towards the
husband including denying him his marital rights. She soon abandons her
marriage for school and also Jenifa's
Dairy series
that tell a story of a native village girl who desperately wants to get out of
her ratchet way of life. In her desperation she leaves her village and goes to
the city of Lagos in order to process her visa to travel
to the United
States. Although unsuccessful with her visa application she decides to stay
in Lagos and live a better life. She then finds herself in University of Lagos, with the help of a lady
she met, Toyo baby (Olayade Juliana) and Kiki (Lota Chukwu) who help and
accommodate her.
Jenifa is
unsuccessful with her education but she gets a job at Nikki'o salon on the Island with the help of her friend kiki and
she becomes very successful in her hair styling career.
At Nikki'o
saloon she meets another stylist, Segun (Folarin 'Falz' Falana)
who becomes interested in her but she at first rejects him, but later accepts
his proposal after he goes to America and they both get engaged.
The work also appraises the challenges of the
acting profession and the problems confronting actors and making them behave
the way they do. It also recommends solutions to the problem. The scope of this
research shall also focus on the techniques for role interpretation deployed by
a actors, who are role model to many actors.
LITERATURE REVIEW
“Acting is great only if its
produces a great effect upon a given audience” says (Baran,
2005). However, most members of
the audience perceive acting to be a very easy task, and that explains why many
untrained, but ambitious individuals dabble into the art of acting without
understanding the dynamics, approaches and techniques of acting.
This section of this proposed
study shall review the history and development of acting, the actor and his
personality, the various techniques and the different the media of Acting,
alongside a brief on the emergence of the Nigerian video film industry.
Considering that the origin of western theatre is traceable to ancient
Greek, the development of acting as an art can be traceable to Greek. No one
really knows how it began, but there are many theories about it. The most
widely followed today is based upon the assumption that theatre evolved from
ritual (Defleur & Rokeach, 2010) Thus, the history and development of acting cannot be
separated from the origin of drama itself.
According to Defleur & Rokeach, (2010), “acting in the western world began in Greece in
the sixth century B.C. There had been earlier Acting, certainly for dance,
song, ritual and mimesis had Existed in most early and primitive societies
including the Greek”.
They noted that nevertheless, acting and thus theatre really began when
Thespis the first actor stepped forward to add impersonation to the musical
narration and dance of the dithyramb.
They adduces that in that early times there was still only a chorus, a
chorus leader, and one person, usually the poet wearing mask to impersonate
several characters.
Acting Styles and Techniques: Through the age and era of acting, acting
style and techniques evolve. According to Konkwo, (2011), “technique is truly personal in
the sense that every actor execute his notion or movement in such a way as to
achieve a certain distinctiveness” .
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