Learning From A Dark History In "Cry Old Kingdom" by Ilana Jael
Imagine living in a world where simply speaking your truth would be enough to put you in grave danger. A world where ruthless gun-toting “bogeymen” roam the streets and murder with impunity, there to enforce the will of an equally ruthless dictator who has placed them there to protect his power at all costs. Or a world where, come election day, the name of said dictator is the only one you find on the ballot.
Such a world was the reality for millions of Haitian citizens during the reign of Francois “Papa Doc” Duvalier, an amoral politician who used radical ideas about race and his reputation as a “simple country doctor” to gain control of the country in 1957. Once he acquired that control, Duvalier began to systematically eliminate all those who opposed him, effectively suppressing free speech through the terror wrought by his militia while he allowed his people to languish in poverty.
Meet the cast of New City Players’ production of Cry Old Kingdom! From left to right: Denzel McCausland, Odlenika Joseph, TJ Pursley.
It’s within this desolate landscape that the characters of Cry Old Kingdom, the next play up this season for New City Players, are faced with impossible dilemmas as they find themselves caught between their dreams of revolution and the harsh reality of their circumstances.
Written by Jeff Augustin, a Haitian playwright with Miami roots, the play takes place in 1964 Haiti, in the midst of this repressive regime. These conditions have forced once-successful artist Edwin into hiding, believed dead by all who once knew him and effectively a walking ghost.
When Edwin finds a young man building a boat to escape to America and persuades him to pose for a painting, he finally feels alive again. But with cries for revolution resounding through the nation and the regime’s death squads on the prowl, no one’s life is safe.
In telling this story, the play also explores powerful ideas about history, art, war-time trauma, the power of the press, repressed homosexuality, marriage, justice, and what hope for a better future can look like. And as for why we as a company are choosing to tell this story now? For one thing, it’s because we have learned through conversations with our community that not only these events are something that many of those without a personal connection to Haiti remain largely unaware of, but that the Duvalier regime and its lingering impacts are seldom discussed even within Haitian communities.
In recognizing that many existing portrayals of Haiti and its people show them in an unnecessarily negative light, we also plan to use this production to explore not only this dark period in Haitian history but Haitian culture as a whole. Though the nation has been described by one expert as “one of the most hated and persecuted countries in history,” a closer look reveals beautiful traditions, incredible achievements, and a strong, accomplished people who have every right to a brighter future.
Haitian refugees on a wooden boat bound for America.
In the service of this exploration, New City Players has developed exciting partnerships with several local organizations and community members, including the Ayiti Community Trust, a Miami-based collective of Haitians and Haitian immigrants which has the goal of building a sustainable Ayiti, Dr. Chantalle Verna, Associate Professor of History & International Relations at FIU, elected city clerk of Miami Vanessa Joseph, and several local Haitian artists whose work we plan on using our platforms to highlight.
Finally, the ideas the play explores about when revolution is warranted and what roles artists can play when freedom is threatened also seem like particularly timely ones. While I by no means am attempting to cheapen the horrors of Papa Doc’s regime by suggesting a comparison, it might be worth noting that it wasn’t so long ago that the events of January 6th briefly seemed to threaten the structures that keep our country’s power from unjustly congregating in the hands of one—potentially quite destructive—man.
As Americans, it can be easy for us to take our many freedoms for granted; but to take an in-depth look into the story of Papa Doc Duvalier is to remind ourselves that those freedoms are in fact an immense privilege—and thus an immense responsibility. If too many of us neglect that responsibility by failing to protect those freedoms, we may unwittingly open the door to a world where we see them eliminated—a world as bleak as the one we now seek to create onstage.
Cry Old Kingdom director, Marlo Rodriguez
The cast that will bring this world to life in Cry Old Kingdom is set to include NCP ensemble member Denzel McCausland as well as local actors Odlenika Joseph and TJ Pursley. The show will be directed by ensemble member Marlo Rodriguez, who is of Haitian descent herself, and assistant directed by our Associate Artistic Director Elizabeth Price, who will also serve as production manager and set designer for the project. Additionally, Brittany Blouin will serve as Stage Manager, Harold Petion as assistant stage manager, Desirae Merritt as Lighting Designer, Meg DeGraaf as House Manager, Edverson Raymonvil as Costume Designer, Caroline Dopson as Makeup Designer, and Ernesto Gonzalez as Sound Designer.
The unique requirements of this production will also give us a chance to feature a few additional team members in more unique roles. Celebrated Haitian author Évelyne Trouillot will be serving as our cultural consultant for this production and the boat needed for the play is being designed by Colombian sculptor Enrique Pineros.
Last but not least, I (Ilana Jael), will continue to use this blog to add further context to our productions, which in this case will include introducing you to some of our partners and to the work of some local Haitian artists.
But first, next up on my agenda: providing a more in-depth look at the complex historical circumstances that paved the way for Duvalier’s regime, all the horrors it entailed, and how that period proceeded to shape everything that came afterward in Haiti and beyond. Feel free to keep an eye on our social media if you’d like to stay in the know about everything Cry Old Kingdom, and, in the meantime, be sure to mark your calendars and grab your tickets!
Cry Old Kingdom
by Jeff Augustin
Directed by Marlo Rodriguez
Haiti, 1964. Francois “Papa Doc” Duvalier’s repressive regime has forced once-successful artist Edwin into hiding, turning him into a walking ghost. When Edwin finds a young man building a boat to escape to America, and persuades him to pose for a painting, he finally feels alive again. But with cries for revolution resounding through the nation and the regime’s death squads on the prowl, no one’s life is safe. Sometimes trying to dream and survive forces impossible choices.
WHEN
April 13-30, 2023
WHERE
Island City Stage
TICKET PRICE
$20-35