By Prisca Sam-Duru

Geez Media, producers of “Early Stage”, an annual educative programme that engages students and school leavers in stage plays and dance, has announced the kick off from 7th October to 18th November of a similar project titled Stage Alive.

Stage Alive is a reality television show that is structured for theatre and performing arts students in higher institutions across Nigeria. It will be used as a platform for debate, demonstrate, interpret and integrate the three major arms of theatre; Drama, Dance and Music through several stage plays.

Eight finalists will emerge from three geo- political zone across the Federation through audition ie, western, eastern and northern zones.

The proagramme is intended to provide participants with the skills to develop their method and interest in performing arts so as to progress into a career after university as a confident professional theatre practitioner.

Stage alive though not a training school, emphasises the balance between academic skill and practical studies and offers the opportunity to develop a combination of knowledge and skill which would equip the student with the capacity for independence to enable them survive in competitive environment.

Captains and professionals of the theater arts industry will be guest at the house to educate and mentor the groups. The programme will also test their intelligence through debate and discussions about challenges on stage play in Nigeria and the way foreword.

First prize winner is expected to go home with a branded bus, literary books and the sum of # 1,200,000, 2nd prize carts away a branded bus, literary books and the sum of six hundred thousand naira while the third prizewinner gets literary books and three hundred thousand naira.