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"Thoughts that think in straight lines cannot see round corners ... ": transgressing the realist narrative form
[.˜BUT copy accompanied by videocassette with title: Trauma Centre.˜] The present study is a theoretical explication of the production Trauma Centre written and staged by the author in December 2001. This production set out to critique traditional ways of thinking, writing and perceiving reality in...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English English |
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Department of Drama
2025
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| _version_ | 1867613176944656384 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Ravengai, Samuel |
| author2 | Fleishman, Mark |
| author_browse | Fleishman, Mark Ravengai, Samuel |
| author_facet | Fleishman, Mark Ravengai, Samuel |
| author_sort | Ravengai, Samuel |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | [.˜BUT copy accompanied by videocassette with title: Trauma Centre.˜] The present study is a theoretical explication of the production Trauma Centre written and staged by the author in December 2001. This production set out to critique traditional ways of thinking, writing and perceiving reality in Zimbabwe. These 'traditional ways' manifest themselves as nineteenth century British realism, nationalist realism and socialist realism, which are denounced, in Marechera's apt phrase, as 'thoughts that think in straight lines .. .'. These creative methods were inculcated into the Zimbabwean psyche through the dual processes of persuasion and coercion, in fl order to serve political and cultural goals of the political dispensations which promoted them. The argument is advanced that all of these forms of realism have a specific and privileged way of depicting reality which they exclusively promote. They all disqualify alternative versions and on that basis they are despotic. The production of Trauma Centre attempts to circumvent the stated problem by discarding the rationality, linearity, and monoculturalism of the realist text. In chapter one, the argument against realism is presented and explored and a theoretical proposal outlined. Chapter two explores Dambudzo Marechera's theory of discontinuity and fragmentation as well as Wale Soyinka's version of theatre of the absurd as performance historical context for the present study. Chapter three examines the creative method applied in writing and directing Trauma Centre. This creative method is largely influenced by the chaotic political events in Zimbabwe dating back as far as the seventies. An attempt is made to explicate the representation of the architecture of chaos, absurdity and bondage in the text and performance. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/42048 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | English eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:31:58.458Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Department of Drama |
| publisherStr | Department of Drama |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/42048 "Thoughts that think in straight lines cannot see round corners ... ": transgressing the realist narrative form Ravengai, Samuel Fleishman, Mark Weare, Chris Theatre and Performance [.˜BUT copy accompanied by videocassette with title: Trauma Centre.˜] The present study is a theoretical explication of the production Trauma Centre written and staged by the author in December 2001. This production set out to critique traditional ways of thinking, writing and perceiving reality in Zimbabwe. These 'traditional ways' manifest themselves as nineteenth century British realism, nationalist realism and socialist realism, which are denounced, in Marechera's apt phrase, as 'thoughts that think in straight lines .. .'. These creative methods were inculcated into the Zimbabwean psyche through the dual processes of persuasion and coercion, in fl order to serve political and cultural goals of the political dispensations which promoted them. The argument is advanced that all of these forms of realism have a specific and privileged way of depicting reality which they exclusively promote. They all disqualify alternative versions and on that basis they are despotic. The production of Trauma Centre attempts to circumvent the stated problem by discarding the rationality, linearity, and monoculturalism of the realist text. In chapter one, the argument against realism is presented and explored and a theoretical proposal outlined. Chapter two explores Dambudzo Marechera's theory of discontinuity and fragmentation as well as Wale Soyinka's version of theatre of the absurd as performance historical context for the present study. Chapter three examines the creative method applied in writing and directing Trauma Centre. This creative method is largely influenced by the chaotic political events in Zimbabwe dating back as far as the seventies. An attempt is made to explicate the representation of the architecture of chaos, absurdity and bondage in the text and performance. 2025-10-28T07:49:53Z 2025-10-28T07:49:53Z 2001 2025-10-28T07:45:14Z Thesis / Dissertation Masters Masters http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42048 en eng application/pdf Department of Drama Faculty of Humanities University of Cape Town |
| spellingShingle | Theatre and Performance Ravengai, Samuel "Thoughts that think in straight lines cannot see round corners ... ": transgressing the realist narrative form |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | "Thoughts that think in straight lines cannot see round corners ... ": transgressing the realist narrative form |
| title_full | "Thoughts that think in straight lines cannot see round corners ... ": transgressing the realist narrative form |
| title_fullStr | "Thoughts that think in straight lines cannot see round corners ... ": transgressing the realist narrative form |
| title_full_unstemmed | "Thoughts that think in straight lines cannot see round corners ... ": transgressing the realist narrative form |
| title_short | "Thoughts that think in straight lines cannot see round corners ... ": transgressing the realist narrative form |
| title_sort | thoughts that think in straight lines cannot see round corners transgressing the realist narrative form |
| topic | Theatre and Performance |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42048 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ravengaisamuel thoughtsthatthinkinstraightlinescannotseeroundcornerstransgressingtherealistnarrativeform |