A STUDY OF TECHNIQUES IN SELECTED PLAYS OF AHMED YERIMA

ABSTRACT The art of writing a play has become a competitive one which each great writer distinguishes him or herself with a substantial trademark. Playwriting is one of the arts of the theatre which has made a remarkable impact in the society, which such distinction requires an inherent or an acquired technique. Techniques can establish a writer and elevate him above others, and through techniques, playwriting may be reclassified as the immediate tool to stimulate intellect and tackle social upheaval in a nation. This study evaluates the Techniques used by Ahmed Yerima in his plays,Kaffir’s Last Game and Attahiru. The study adopts qualitative methods, based on Ex-Post Facto research design. The Theoretical Framework is drawn from Jacques Derrida’s Deconstruction Theory (DT). Findings show that plot, flashback, foreshadowing and symbolism are the techniques applied by Ahmed Yerima in his plays to invoke readership response and to engage his texts for national development. Finding further shows that when a play is made to attract, its content may undergo numerous critical engagements which is a way of communicating its content to reorder the society. The study of technique in playwriting using Ahmed Yerima’s Kaffir’s Last Gameand Attahiruhas disclosed that playwriting is not an all-comers affairs. It concludes that a technique is necessary in scriptwriting to identify the artist among many others, and it recommends that the study of technique should be emphasized in playwriting courses as one of the fundamental for carving a niche to oneself in playwriting career.