“Next thing you know, I'm being tried for war crimes. Makes me laugh. If war is a crime why do we keep having them?”
—The Monument, by Colleen Wagner
A profound excavation into the nature of forgiveness.
In this electrifying drama, a young soldier has been convicted of war crimes committed during a genocide. Just as he is about to be executed, a mysterious woman who is both his saviour and tormentor offers him freedom − at a price.
The Monument, by Canadian playwright Colleen Wagner, has been translated into several languages and has won the Governor General's Award for Drama. The play is a torpedo aimed directly at the nature of evil as it dissects the roles of victim and perpetrator in unflinching detail. Intimately staged with song and African drumming, this highly physical and imagistic production puts its finger on the pulse of humanity as it paints a contemporary portrait of a country whose resilient voice continues to be a beacon of hope and reconciliation. Performed in Kinyarwanda with surtitles.
The Monument has been seen on tour and in Kigali by hundreds of audience members in Rwanda. Every performance is followed by a talk back with the public.
2008 July 4th, African Première at the NUR Grand Auditorium, Butare.
In Kigali: National Unity and Reconciliation Committee, Kigali Week of Culture, Ishyo Arts, Serena Hotel, Club Rafiki, Lycée de Kigali, Heaven Restaurant, Torero Café.
On tour to: Gysenyi, Gitarama, Ruhengeri, Cyangugu, Kibuye, Butare.
2009 In Kigali: Green Hills Academy, Pasadena, Torero Café, Ishyo Arts, Heaven Restaurant, Centre x Centre Festival of International Theatre. In Butare: Arts Azimut Festival.
2011 The World Stage Festival, Harbourfront, Toronto Canada.