Public Theatre and the Enslaved People of Colonial Saint-Domingue

Description

The French colony of Saint-Domingue (now Haiti) was home to one of the richest public theatre traditions of the colonial-era Caribbean.  This book examines the relationship between public theatre and the enslaved people of Saint-Domingue―something that is generally given short shrift owing to a perceived lack of documentation.  Here, a range of materials and methodologies are used to explore pressing questions including the ‘mitigated spectatorship’ of the enslaved, portrayals of enslaved people in French and Creole repertoire, the contributions of enslaved people to theatre-making, and shifting attitudes during the revolutionary era.  The book demonstrates that slavery was no mere backdrop to this portion of theatre history but an integral part of its story.  It also helps recover the hidden experiences of some of the enslaved individuals who became entangled in that story. Acknowledgements Prefatory Note on Language and Translations Contents Abbreviations List of Figures 1: Introduction Chapter Summaries 2: Mitigated Spectators: Enslaved People in the Playhouse The Theatre Audience in Saint-Domingue The Enslaved Audience Conclusion 3: Unsustainable Tensions: ‘Slave Ownership’ Among Theatre-Makers Theatre Directors Actors Instrumentalists Deserter Works Conclusion 4: Mitigated Portrayals: Enslaved Figures in Creole Repertoire Les Veuves créoles (Anonymous, 1768) Figaro au Cap-Français (Clément, 1785) and Le Mariage par lettres de change (?Clément, 1785) Arlequin mulâtresse protégée par Macanda (Unknown, 1786) Jeannot et Thérèse (Clément, ?1758) Les Amours de Mirebalais (Clément, 1786) Les Nègres de place ou le commerce de nuit (Unknown, 1786) Julien et Suset (Clément, 1788) Conclusion 5: Concealed Contributors: Enslaved Participation in Theatre-Making Orchestral Musicians The ‘nègre créole’ Black Supernumeraries Non-performing Contributors Builders Conclusion 6: New Citizens: Shifting Roles in Revolutionary-Era Theatre ‘Revolutionary’ Theatre from France La Répétition interrompue (Mozard, 1789) Le Triomphe du tiers état ou les ridicules de la noblesse (?Pastoret de Calian, 1789) The Haitian Revolution Begins La Liberté générale ou les colons à Paris (Bottu, 1796) Le Héros africain (Unknown, 1797) Conclusion 7: Conclusion Exodus Bibliography Archives Nationales d’Outre-Mer (ANOM) Service Historique de la Défense Newspapers Print and Online Sources Index