International Journal of Art and Art History

Between Adaptation and Appropriation: Re- Reading Albert Camus’ Absurdism in Sonny Sampson-Akpan’s Found and Lost
Canice Chukwuma Nwosu, Dickson Uchegbu

Abstract
Adaptation and appropriation are important creative techniques utilized by modern African dramatists in their creative enterprises. Adaptation may simply be defined as the transformation of a work of art into another form, medium or translocation to another space. Appropriation in the other hand is making personal or the replication of what exists in another environment to a new location. The two techniques have served modern African dramatists in different capacities during and through the evolutionary process of modern African drama. Similarly, the two literary techniques raise questions of originality and imitation on the authenticity of modern African drama; because of the tug of war-like relationship between the world of the original and the world of the derivation. This paper focuses on evaluation of Sonny Samson -Akpan’s Found and Lost, to ascertain if Akpan’s play is an adaptation of Albert Camus’ Cross Purpose or an appropriation of his absurdist philosophy. The aim is to assess Akpan’s ingenuity in creative adaptation and what it can contribute to the revival of the declining absurd theatre in Africa. Case study, content and comparative analyses approaches of the qualitative research method are adopted by the researchers to achieve research objectives.

Full Text: PDF       DOI: 10.15640/ijaah.v3n2a3