The role of theatre in community development: a study of dramatic performances on the city of Gweru

Abstract

This article examines the perception of the residents of the city of Gweru with regards the usefulness of theatre in social, economic and political spheres. Findings of the study are based on data gathered from 400 participants. In the study, the questionnaire and the interview techniques were used as the main data gathering instruments to collect information from both the literate and non-literate community members. Processing of collected data was both qualitative and quantitative. Results show that dramatic performances play a very important role in shaping community thinking, hence the researcher recommends theatre to be used as a vehicle of communication in matters pertaining to health, culture, politics and economy.