For the Love of Freedom
Revisited
For years Levy Lee Simon and I have talked about adapting Levy’s trilogy about the Haitian Revolution of 1793. The telling of the story of how enslaved Africans freed themselves from French colonial slavery is the stuff of myth based in fact and makes for epic theatre that is ultimately truth. The rise of the Haitian Triumphrate Toussaint L’Overture, Jean Jacques Dessalines, and Henri Christophe and there subsequent taking of the island, liberating the enslaved Africans, establishing a constitution, and ultimately defeating the French is a captivating story.
Robey’s production of the Trilogy over a 4 year period is a high point and we felt that the intial draft could be adapted to less than the original 11 hours running time. To that end Levy has been working on the adaptation and on July 24th a company of 36 actors many who had been in the original productions along with Musical Director Leon Mobley and percussionist Malik with the original Production Stage Manager John Freeland Jr. read Lee’s adaptation for an audience of 150 plus. There was a break where Haitian food was served to the actors and audience and with almost 3 decades of history to cover our audience rotated and new members came and joined in to hear the powerful tale of how Africans now Haitian took their country back.
Next reading New York City.
Ben Guillory
Producing Artistic Director
RTC
