The Challenges of an Academic in Private Theatrical Productions in a Nigerian University

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to critically appraise the processes and challenges encountered when a university academic produces theatrical productions privately within a Nigerian university setting. A private theatrical production is defined here as a play produced by a lecturer using personal financial and material resources, without official funding from the host Theatre Arts Department. This study adopts a literary analysis and participant-observation methodology, drawing on the author’s direct involvement in two case productions – Operation Squander and Wedlock of the Gods – staged at the University of Benin in 2023. The paper integrates literature on educational theatre management, cultural entrepreneurship, and arts administration to contextualize these cases. Key challenges identified include inadequate funding, limited rehearsal facilities, student participation issues, and time constraints due to academic workload. Despite these challenges, the findings demonstrate that a determined academic can successfully mount productions by mobilising personal savings, loans, and external sponsorship. The study discusses strategies for overcoming funding shortfalls (such as cultivating a savings culture and aggressively seeking external support) and highlights the importance of careful planning, stakeholder collaboration, and formal agreements in partnership ventures. Recommendations are offered to academics and institutions on improving support for such private initiatives. This research contributes to the discourse on cultural entrepreneurship in academia and suggests policy measures to sustain theatrical productions in educational environments.