Theatre of ancestral manifestation: Staging the embodied archive in Haiti

What is it about?

This article discusses a staging in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, of Chemin de fer, a play written by the Congolese Julian Mabiala Bissila, and performed by Haitian director and actor Miracson Saint-Val within the framework of the annual Festival Quatre Chemins (2017 edition). This performance works like a palimpsest: it conveys the Congo-Brazzaville Civil War in its physical immediacy and specificity, while also evoking the daily tragedies that mark the Haitian reality and allowing spectators to consider and reflect on them. The article discusses the use of vodou ritual in the performance and develops a theoretical framework for understanding some of the key anthropological, aesthetic and political stakes within African and Afro-diasporic dramaturgies.

Featured Image

Why is it important?

There isn't a lot of research done on contemporary theatre in Haiti, despite its importance. This article is written in plain language and unpacks the aesthetics of the work, while giving a good sense of the specific issues being addressed in Haitian theatre.