howlround.com: I began working in theatre in my twentieth year, at the start of the 1990s, at the National University of Rwanda. The country was then in the midst of a civil war, and theatre became, for us as young students, a means of understanding and representing the singular moments the Rwandan society of that time was going through. We were not writing plays; we limited ourselves to performing African classics, most often by authors from West Africa.
1 comment:
I really like this concept, and also this article made me realize how important it is for people to create art both about tragedies, but also for people affected by tragedy. The theater community in Rwanda creating theater to provide comfort, educate about the genocide that took place, and also organize the community around a shared experience. And then, taking that art and showing it to people who weren’t effected or even perpetuated the tragic experience (in Britain, the US, etc) is giving that art another purpose as well. I think its really interesting to consider making theater for a very specific audience and then showing that piece to a new audience that wouldn’t necessarily “get it.” I think we should all watch things that weren’t necessarily made for us, it helps us see perspectives that we wouldn’t have ever thought of and maybe discover new things we love. I also think its important to see things you mildly dislike or even hate, but thats another conversation.
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