Read for the first time in draft form on Sunday night in the Hopkins Center's Bentley Theater, "Remember Lumumba" was part of "Eti! East Africa Speaks!," a program run by the Hopkins Center that brings the works and insights of 11 East African artists to Dartmouth. During their residency, these artists take part in daily workshops with theater students and share their theatrical creations with the public through readings and more formal performances. Sunday's "Remember Lumumba," in fact, was the second half of a double-feature play reading, the first half consisting of a reading and discussion of "Cooking Oil" by Deborah Asiimwe, who also read a part for "Remember Lumumba."
"Remember Lumumba" tells the story of the death and fictional after-death experience of Patrice Lumumba, the first prime minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Although Lumumba was murdered under suspicious circumstances, as were many other independence fighters, his death was unusual in how thoroughly it was carried out. Not only was Lumumba murdered, but he was also buried in a secret location -- and then disinterred, dismembered and put in acid, leaving only a few teeth and fragments of his skull.
It was the gruesomeness of the crime that inspired playwright Charles Mulekwa to do some investigating and explore Lumumba, the man, in his most recent work.
In his play, Mulekwa combines facts with what he describes as "history as I see it." For example, the real General Joseph Mobuto interacts with a character of Mulekwa's own creation, the Belgian soldier Fix. In one magical scene, an actual letter written by Lumumba to his family is read aloud, its spoken words accompanied by the lilting of an African stringed instrument and the interruption of a flute. A large section of the play is devoted to fantastically exploring the realm beyond earthly life that is inhabited by a blood-sipping Being as well as the separated body parts Right and Left Legs, Right and Left Hands, and Torso.
Through this introspective journey, the audience must do just what playwright Mulekwa wants it to do: put back together the parts of Patrice Lumumba, recreating a whole man -- thus, in two senses, "re-membering" him. The theme of remembrance -- the very nature of remembering -- is, in fact, discussed at length by characters throughout the play, from the many definitions of the word determinedly repeated by Lumumba during his interrogation, to the stilted "remembering" of names that Fix desires, to the final metaphysical re-membering of Lumumba's body in the space beyond earth.
Still, one of the most interesting points of the play (aside from the interaction between the body parts) was the refusal of Lumumba's reunited body to return to Africa. When the option is presented to him by the Being, Lumumba opts to continue his mission for Congolese independence apart from the physical world. Noting that Mulekwa's body's decision not to return to Africa could conflict with the patriotic message of his play, Mulekwa explained his reasoning: since the landscape of geopolitics had drastically changed since Lumumba's death -- no more Cold War tension and newly emerging African states -- Mulekwa wanted to show that even leaders have limits. In contrast to the current situation in Africa in which many people in power refuse to relinquish control, Mulekwa's point, he contended, was that an outdated leader no longer deserves power or promotion.
During the discussion following the reading, Mulekwa also laid out some of his goals for the work and explained that there are many possible avenues for revision. The purpose of the play, Mulekwa said, is to tell the story of modern African heroes whose voices have only been heard from points of view that do not understand them. Mulekwa, however, also cited his desire to demonstrate Lumumba's humanity, showing the leader's "virtues and follies, though the follies shouldn't take away from his virtues."
Although the steeliness of Lumumba's courage throughout the play makes Mulekwa worry his depiction is too much one of infallibility, idolization and sentimentalism were somewhat toned down by Mulekwa's careful insertion of humor into the piece " an element most evident in the bickering that occurred between body parts. These appendage arguments contained gems like, "I'll head-butt you into extinction!" -- a line delivered with gusto by reader George Seremba.
Noting ways he felt the play could be improved, Mulekwa said that there was something crucial still missing from his work, something like a look into present-day Congo and a reflection on its differences from Lumumba's version of the country. In all, though, it's apparent that Mulekwa has achieved his goal -- the remembrance of heroes as humans -- quite well with the play in its current form. Received warmly by its readers and the audience, the play sparked provocative questions from audience members.
According to Chiara Klein '10, watching "Remember Lumumba" along with "Cooking Oil," the play that was read before Mulekwa's, was exciting in that it was "culturally relevant in the context of what we know in theater and in the world."
Reader Nick Andrews '10 was enthusiastic about his role in the play's production and working with Mulekwa. As a performer, Andrews was impressed with the dynamics of the play's evolution, noting the sense of community among the resident artists and the productive interactions that occurred between them and Dartmouth students.
"The residency is a powerful method of cultural exchange and a wonderful way to foster mutual understanding and creative energy," Andrews said.
Though "Remember Lumumba" will not be read again, it's not too late to take advantage of the cultual insights offered by other events in the "Eti! East Africa Speaks!" program. In the week remaining in the guest artists' residency, several more performances of original theater and dance will be shown, many incorporating dance, folklore and music.
