A theatre show was staged by a foreign community school not long before the COVID-19 pandemic was to disrupt nearly every part of our daily lives. The performing actors were the school’s teachers. It was not only a manifestation of the staged show’s ability to bring the school community closer but also evidence of the hard work that sometimes goes into small productions that nonetheless have a great deal of meaning for those involved. However, it left me with regrets about what some of us have missed in schools.

I never had a chance to take part in any form of performance art while I was in school. Yet an Ethiopian National Theatre employee moved next door and became a good neighbour to my parents. He worked on the design and preparation of stage props. He had exciting stories to tell us about the work that brings the stage to life and the famous actors of the time that took part in plays.

He also brought tickets to shows every time a new one was staged. It was a rare moment of family entertainment at a time, during the Dergueera, when places of leisure were limited. Adding to the excitement was the fact that many of the performances are translated versions of classic plays. Most were period pieces, with scenic items, props or costumes – with hard work and preparation, where a different period and place far from Ethiopia would be brought to life.

It is an art form that is dying as witness to the tiny size of audiences the National Theatre now attracts. It is having a hard time competing with places of leisure such as cinemas, bars, exhibitions and even public parks. It has gotten worse after the outbreak of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. There are sometimes only a dozen people in the entire audience.

Part of the challenge may lie in how it is rarely a practice of schools to organise stage dramas. It is wrong to underestimate the impact it has on children in their later life, as evidenced by a school teacher's story on a programme on state broadcaster EBC.

It was years back. She was a school teacher from Yekatit 12, a secondary school. She was on public transportation when her purse was stolen. She lamented the loss of her purse and work documents and old photographs of her family. But her sadness did not last. Weeks later, she received her belongings. In the purse were some money and a letter.