Igbo Masquerade Drama and the Origin of Theatre: A Comparative Synthesis

Studies on the origin of theatre have tended to concentrate on western theatre disregarding, sometimes completely, non-western theatrical practices. When studies are carried out on third world theatre, scholars tend to refer to it as ritual which requires more development before it can be perceived as theatre. Researches carried out on non-western theatre by theatre scholars have, unfortunately, not been given the kind of recognition they deserve, while studies on western theatre have been made to assume a somewhat 'universal' recognition.