The Tragedy of King Christophe House Theatre of Chicago

4/22-5/29. Thu-Sat 730p (except 5/28); Sat/Sun 3p 

 

"..Shelley has pulled off something notable, in service of the resilience of the country of her birth and of what remains possible in Chicago theater if an audience is willing to take a risk".- Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune

"In music and visuals and potential, the House has all it needs to delve into a fascinating chapter in history" - Catey Sullivan, Chicago Sun Times

"This is theater at its finest and I highly recommend that you see it;...will ignite your curiosity about a chapter in Haitian history that is not often told" - Kathy D Hey, ThirdCoastReview.com

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$20-$50.  More info and tix, 773.769.3832

 

For House Theatre's vax and mask policy, click here 


04/21/22 - 05/29/22


The Tragedy of King Christophe' by House Theatre is bold and ambitious play set after the Haitian Revolution - "Most presidents of most democratic republics come to entertain a pernicious and thus secret thought: this would all be so much easier if only I were king, or queen, instead.

But King Christophe, the fascinating one and only monarch of the self-styled Kingdom of Haiti, actually put that notion into practice. After first ruling as president of the State of Haiti, the formerly enslaved Christophe declared himself king of that Caribbean nation in 1811, and then set about building a kind of shadow version of a European monarchy, replete with castles, palaces and a bunch of court hangers-on including dukes, counts, princes and chevaliers. He then tried to protect all of that from the French colonialists, against whom the people of Haiti had rebelled in a battle lasting from 1791-1804 that ultimately resulted in Haitian independence.

Things did not end well, alas, for Christophe, the subject of the play "The Tragedy of King Christophe" now at House Theatre, as adapted and directed by that company's artistic director, Lanise Antoine Shelley.

The actual script here is not a new work, but a 1963 piece by the French Martinique writer Aimé Fernand David Césaire, an important literary figure and an early and highly influential denouncer of racist colonialist thinking.

I remember reading the play in a post-colonialist drama class in college, although I've never before seen it staged. Césaire admired William Shakespeare (he also wrote a Black adaptation of "The Tempest," which I have seen performed), and he embraced the Bard's rich characterizations and epic sensibility.

"King Christophe" is a heady and complicated work, to say the least, and yet for anyone interested in the fervent history of Haiti, a fascinating piece. The play is structured somewhere between a history play and a tragedy. As played here by William Anthony Sebastian Rose II, the title character variously puts you in mind of Shakespeare's Henry V, Sophocles' Oedipus and Eugene O'Neill's Emperor Jones, trying to reconcile populist obligations with a desire for personal power. What makes Césaire so unlike those other writers, though, is his explicit exploration of how colonialist practices made Christophe's original aims impossible, thus condemning him and his people to the very journey the play explores.

So. This is one ambitious production, wholly unlike anything House ever has produced before and more what you expect to see at a classically oriented theater, if they were up for broadening their repertoire. The production certainly makes the case that the American theater should look again at Césaire, a guy who achieved so much in the literary and political fields that his drama often gets overlooked.

I found the staging at times to be anticipating its own ending and, more specifically, the production needs to pay more attention to the sharp dividing lines in the main character's trajectory: the point when the revolutionary gives up at least part of his idealism; the moment when the monarchal rot ruins all he has achieved; the impact on the ordinary people whose fate is intertwined with their leader. All of those turning points are crucial places for the audience to enter, and turn with, the story

That said, I was greatly intrigued throughout: the show features live drumming from Eric Thomas, rich choreography from Sadira Muhammad and an expansive set from Michelle Lilly that combines both the exuberance of the title character with the skewed nature of the circumstances into which he is thrust. A large cast, which includes Leslie Ann Sheppard, Keith Illidge, Matthew Lolar, Mondisa Monde, Jyreika Guest, Chris Khoshaba and Christian Bufford, throws itself into a genuinely immersive project with authenticity and passion. And the hugely difficult central performance is impressive: Rose rises to fit Césaire's linguistic and theatrical demands.

This really is the kind of project you'd normally see on college campuses with greater resources. In Wicker Park, Shelley has pulled off something notable, in service of the resilience of the country of her birth and of what remains possible in Chicago theater if an audience is willing to take a risk" - Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune 5/4/22

 


The Tragedy of King Christophe' struggles along the road to pivotal chapter of Haitian history As it moves between 1811 and 1820 and Haiti's earliest days as an independent republic, Aime Cesaire's play is often more confounding than clear. - "There's a fascinating play to be written about Henri Christophe, who became Haiti's first president in 1807 after helping lead a slave rebellion that overthrew the island's French colonizers. Chicago has an ensemble more than capable of telling his remarkable story: they're on stage in the House Theatre of Chicago's production of Aime Cesaire's 1963 drama, "The Tragedy of King Christophe."

The problem is that Cesaire's 1963 play (translated from the French by Paul Breslin and Rachel Ney and adapted for the House by artistic director Lanise Antoine Shelley) seems intended to be studied more than performed. It doesn't tell a story so much as offers a montage of disparate but pivotal events that won't fully resonate unless you're already fairly well-versed in this particular chapter of Haitian history.

In rapid, scattershot scenes, Cesaire's play attempts to show Henri Christophe's evolution from people's champion to autocratic ruler to unstable monarch.

The material has solid dramatic potential. Henri Christophe became a Haitian president after more than a century of French colonial rule, which used Haitian forced labor to supply Europe with sugar and coffee and fatten French coffers. Haiti remains, to this day, the only country in the world to mount a successful slave rebellion in 1791.

But in addition to being heroic in battle and politics, Henri Christophe declared himself king, and dispensed with the need for consensus, much less voting. Clearly, the ironies abound in the life of a former slave who led a revolt for freedom and then became a despot because he believed that only under autocratic rule could Haiti survive as a democracy.


As it moves between 1811 and 1820 and Haiti's earliest days as an independent republic, Cesaire's play is often more confounding than clear. The numerous scenes are short as battles are won, allegiances are lost, feasts are had, swords are brandished and moral centers shift. The tone shifts from ardent to expository to camp, the latter far too often. Shelley's ensemble does consistent work as it moves between waging war and courtly mannerisms, but it's not strong enough to create a coherent story where there is none.

Christophe is embodied by William Anthony Sebastian Rose II as a mercurial, regal figure, a man who knows how he wants to do things and sees no reason to act with perpetual executive privilege. Rose has the fire and the presence, but it's difficult to get a handle on who King Christophe was in Cesaire's messy collage of a drama.

As Madame Christophe, Leslie Ann Sheppard is a strong presence in her own right, but she's playing a woman that's barely an outline. At times, the mood descends into mugging camp, especially when Hugonin (Matthew Lolar), a crude, clownish court jester, takes the stage.
Henri Christophe's attempt to create a Haitian court modeled on the likes of France's Louis VI is also played for broad laughs, the newly named nobles stumbling and bewildered by the sudden, inexplicable and often nonsensical demands of life as a member of the gentry.

In a smart move, Shelley has filled her adaptation with music, much of it from hypnotically percussive drummer Eric Thomas. From the start, Thomas creates an immersive sonic atmosphere, getting more tones and sounds from a single drum than seems possible. Music director Ricky Harrish has the cast using rich, a cappella vocals to weave the scenes together. As the Commentator, Mondisa Monde opens the show with a goose-bump-raising clarion call to rival any siren.

The design work is strong throughout. Izumi Indaba's costumes are intricate, colorful and period-accurate representations of Haitian military garb of the early 18th century, the women's flowy gowns and voluminous work skirts helping make Sadira Muhammad's vibrant choreography pulse and flow. The music and the movement - including some terrific fisticuffs and sword play from fight choreographer Jon Beal - are some of the most dynamic scenes.
In music and visuals and potential, the House has all it needs to delve into a fascinating chapter in history. But Henri Christophe needs to live and breathe as a person, not a type. And his impact needs to be plumbed with more intent than Cesaire's "King Christophe" delivers."
- Catey Sullivan, Chicago Sun Times 05/10/22

 


 House Theatre Unearths the History of Haiti with The Tragedy of King Christophe - "If we depended on the news media to learn the history of the island nation of Haiti, we would not know a lot of substance. Various dictators, earthquakes, and humanitarian crises have occurred, usually seen as happening far from American shores. The Tragedy of King Christophe by House Theatre takes us back to the beginning of the first Black republic, which may have set the standard for political instability that is still in effect today. Africans were enslaved and brought to Haiti to work the cane fields and supply wealth to its colonizer-France. Toussaint Louverture led a rebellion that wrested Haiti from France. Louverture died imprisoned in France. Henri Christophe and his compatriot Alexandre Pétion assassinated Jean Jacques Dessalines, Louverture's second in command. That story, The Tragedy of King Christophe, was written by Aimé Césaire and directed by Lanise Antoine Shelley.

That is where the story begins with two men at odds over how to run Haiti. The play opens with beautiful drumming from Eric Thomas and a gorgeous chant/song from the Commentator-a griot played by Mondisa Monde. The drumming and music are distinctly African and contain the roots of gospel music. This is soul music that reaches down deep. Some of the audience spontaneously said "amen" and clapped in rhythmic approval. The scene is set for a cockfight that is a metaphor for Christophe and Pétion fighting over who will rule Haiti and how it will be run. William Anthony Sebastian Rose II commands the stage as Christophe with a regal bearing and exquisite diction in a Haitian Creole patois. This is an explosive and tragic telling of one man's fight to have an African nation ruled by Africa while using the methods of the former colonizers.

The cast is excellent in this production. With the exception of Rose as Christophe, they play multiple roles and do each of them on point. Christian Bufford as Alexandre Pétion is a study in subtlety and stoicism. Pétion wanted a democratic republic that was elected and ruled by a president and legislative branch. Christophe saw this as rife with mulattoes and not truly of Africa. The late playwright Aimé Césaire was a Martinican poet, writer, and politician who promoted the theory of negritude-meaning the promotion of pride in all things of Africa. The dialog in this play is from a translation by Paul Breslin and Rachel Ney, which has a Shakespearean meter enhanced by beautiful Creole Haitian patois. Serious kudos to the dialect coach and dramaturg Maya Vinice Prentiss. The kingdom that Christophe has built has some comic moments from Matthew Lolar as Hugonin, the court jester. Hugonin has Chaplinesque moves and timing. His interactions with Christophe are hilarious and serve as a jester's cutting the tension of Christophe's increasing madness. Keith Illedge is in fine form as Christophe's trusted fixer and assassin Magny. Illedge gives the role a sinister edge as a man who enjoys killing and then seamlessly plays a gentle fisherman warning of storms ahead-both metaphorical and literal.

Chris Khoshaba has several roles as the Bishop and his ghost reading last rites in Latin. Khoshaba also plays a harried coronation consultant tasked with a proper ceremony for Christophe. His attempts at turning selected villagers into a noble class based on European standards are quite funny. Jyreika Guest plays the presenter of the scepter with comic flair and then a stunning turnabout as a rebel against Christophe who is defiant in heading toward death. She and Christophe lock eyes in anger that is palpable. She has a lovely gamine quality that serves all of her roles quite well. Leslie Ann Sheppard brings a regal air to Madame Christophe. She portrays a wife desperate to get Christophe to back down and take care of his health but also is a victim of his ire. The scene between Madame Christophe and Christophe is thick with tension and signals a final descent into madness and defiance. They are all excellent supporting performances but the stage belongs to Christophe as Rose. This is a role that could have easily gone into Grand Guignol histrionics in the hands of a lesser actor. Rose has a fierce and regal bearing that suits a monarch and he projects the empathy needed to show what kind of nation Christophe wanted to build. Christophe is an example of striving for pure negritude that goes off the rails into dictatorship and nationalism.

Lanise Antoine Shelley is both the director of this fine production and the new artistic director of the House Theatre. She is of Haitian descent and brings a deep and loving authenticity to The Tragedy of King Christophe. Her direction is seamless and gives each of the actors an integral part in each scene as they play several parts. That would be a tall order with a cast of 20 and she does it handily with a cast of eight.

• Sadira Muhammed's choreography is infused with dazzling movement and rhythm. Jon Beal serves as the fight choreographer and does a stellar job of the mano-a-mano between Christophe and Pétion. The swordplay is intense and made more than a few audience members jump in their seats. This is theater at its finest and I highly recommend that you see it. The Tragedy of King Christophe will ignite your curiosity about a chapter in Haitian history that is not often told. This attempt at monarchy set a course for generational discord and division in Haitian politics. The intention was to glorify the descendants of Africa but it resulted in over two centuries of colonialism, American protectionism, and a blight on the industries that made other countries wealthy. Go see it- this is Chicago theater at its rebellious and fearless best" - Kathy D Hey, ThirdCoastReview.com







FROM HOUSE THEATRE - Written in 1963 by West Indian poet and activist Aimé Césaire, The Tragedy of King Christophe is set in the period of upheaval after the Haitian Revolution in 1804. It follows the true historical figure of Henri Christophe, a general in Jean-Jacques Dessalines army who was elected president but chose to be named King. Christophe declared himself king and ruled the northern part of Haiti until 1820. Shelley's staging of this story explores the tragedy of Christophe's transformation from a charismatic leader fighting against the oppression of his people to his unfortunate unraveling. The Tragedy of King Christophe will be an unabashed homage to the changing of guards, as well as an elegant display of epic storytelling vibrant with dance and music.

Author
Aimee Fernarnd David Cesaire

Director
Lanise Antoine Shelley

Performers
William Anthony Sebastian Rose II; Leslie Ann Sheppard; Keith Illidge; Matthew Lolar; Gabrielle Lott-Rogers; Jyreika Guest; Chris Khoshaba and Christian Bufford*

Production
Translated from French - Paul Breslin and Rachel Ney; Movement Choreography - Sadira Muhammad; Musical Director - Ricky Harris; Scenic Designer - Michelle Lilly; Costume Designer - Izumi Indaba; Lighting Designer - Jessica Neill; Sound Designer - Josh Schmidt; Dramaturg & Dialect Coach - Maya Vinice Prentiss; Fight Choreography - Jon Beal; Production Manager - Gabrielle Strong; Stage Manager - Marisa Paulsen; Casting Director - Ben F Locke; Assistant Director - Mariama Pouye; Assoc. Lighting Designer - Liz Gomez; Assoc. Sound Designer - Christopher Cook; Consultant - A. James Arnold; Linguistic Coach - Dr. Reginald Dewight Patterson; and Haitian Consultant - Gaspard Louis

Tags: Theater, American, 2022