Theater festival offers solace in Burkina Faso, a nation torn by violence

OUGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso — The last three years have been tough for Fanta Charlotte Dabone, a mother of three from the conflict-battered West African country of Burkina Faso.

She fled her village after it was attacked by extremists, leaving her husband and her farm behind. Since then, she has been moving from place to place, struggling to pay rent and to buy enough food for her children, including a 2-year-old toddler.

But last month, she got to be a queen.

Every day for a week, together with dozens of other Burkinabe men and women who have been displaced by extremist violence, she swirled, danced and chanted for almost two hours in front of captivated audiences at Recreatrales, an international theater festival held in Ouagadougou, the country's capital.

''I was so happy about it," she said. "I don't even know how to explain how it felt.''

Burkina Faso, a landlocked nation of 23 million in Sahel, an arid strip of land south of the Sahara, used to be known for its bustling arts scene, including renowned film and theater festivals, and its sophisticated craftsmanship.

But in recent years, the country has become the symbol of the security crisis in the region. It has been shaken by violence from extremist groups and the government forces fighting them, much of it spilling over the border with Mali, and by two ensuing military coups.

The country's leader, Capt. Ibrahim Traore, installed a system of de-facto censorship, where those critical of the regime disappear or get forcefully drafted into the army, and where even friends are afraid to discuss politics with each other.

But against all odds, last month the Bougsemtenga district in the capital turned into a festival grounds to host Recreatrales for the 13th time.

Bougsemtenga derives its name from ''bougtenga,'' which means ''happiness district'' in Moore, one of the local languages. True to its origins, this year its streets were transformed into a dreamy universe, resembling a crossover between a traditional village festival and ''Alice in Wonderland." More than 150 African and European artists performed and over 4,500 theater lovers were able to escape the country's grim reality, if just for a little while.

Improvised theater stages were constructed inside people's courtyards. The streets were decorated with colorful lights and abstract sculptures made by locals from plastic bottles and scraps of wax-printed fabrics. Residents put up hand decorated stands, selling beer and meat sticks to multinational crowds of theatergoers, ranging from Western diplomats to local mechanics. The ticket booth was a giant frog, its mouth wide open.

Aristide Tarnagda, the festival's artistic director, said he was convinced that regardless of the insecurity engulfing the country, the festival had to take place as planned.

''Humans are capable of love and freedom, but sometimes they forget it,'' he said. ''The role of the theater is to remind them about it.''

Held every two years, the festival is the culmination of the yearlong work that the organizers do with residents of the Bougsemtenga district, which was home to two theaters and a theater association even before the first Recreatrales in 2002.

They run art workshops, including in writing, theater, dance and scenography, for young people from the district and from all of Africa, and organize mentoring sessions and business skills classes for local women. The goal is to get as many people as possible involved, said Odile Sankara, the festival's director.

''It's a working class district," Sankara said. ''We want to encourage people to take an interest in art, to get a taste of it."

She added: ''Art is a powerful weapon to fight for more light, more humanity and more love,'' especially while her country and the whole Sahel region were going through a security and humanitarian crisis.

It was then that Ilboudo discovered a passion for theater and started working for the Recreatrales association. ''Theater saved me,'' he said. ''It made me discover what I could do.''

This year, Ilboudo was part of the team that prepared the opening play with the internally displaced actors from scratch, including the concept, scenario and choreography. It was also the first time he personally interacted with people who had to flee their homes because of extremist violence.

For internally displaced people, theater is not just a tool for therapy, helping them to process trauma, said Sankara, the artistic director. It's a way for a group that has been marginalized and isolated in Burkinabe society to be seen by others.

During the play, Dabone, the displaced mother of three, stood at center stage with her toddler tied to her back and spit out a long, white paper strip. It symbolized all the haunting thoughts leaving her body, she said. But the question remains — for how long.

''Life is very difficult,'' she said. ''But when I am on the stage, I feel joy. It's when I have to go back home that all these thoughts are coming back to my head."

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