Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 2011 Regarding Westernization in Central Africa: Hybridity in the Works of Three Chadian Playwrights Enoch Reounodji Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations Part of the Theatre and Performance Studies Commons Recommended Citation Reounodji, Enoch, "Regarding Westernization in Central Africa: Hybridity in the Works of Three Chadian Playwrights" (2011). LSU Doctoral Dissertations. 2893. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/2893 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized graduate school editor of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please [email protected]. REGARDING WESTERNIZATION IN CENTRAL AFRICA: HYBRIDITY IN THE WORKS OF THREE CHADIAN PLAYWRIGHTS A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy In The Department of Theatre By Enoch Reounodji B.A., University of Chad (Chad), 1991 M.A., University of Maiduguri (Nigeria), 1999 August 2011 Dedication For Trophine, Gracie, and Gloria: my warmth, my world, my life. In loving memory of my mother and father: “the dead are not dead.” ii Acknowledgments This dissertation represents a long journey marked by setbacks and successes. It has been a collaborative endeavor. Many people have contributed toward the completion of this work, which is a huge accomplishment for my academic life, my family, and my entire community. The long journey has finally ended, and now is the time for offering acknowledgements. Thus, I begin by giving “tribute to whom tribute is due.” I should like to borrow this Biblical phraseology to say “thank you” to the Omniscient, Omnipotent, and Omnipresent God for His wisdom, sustenance, and provision, not only throughout this program but also throughout my entire stay in the United States. Thank you Lord for doing it again in my life! As “no amount of words can fill the basket,” no amount of words will suffice to express my honest gratitude, truthful indebtedness, candid appreciation, greatest admiration, and profound respect for Dr. Les Wade, Director of Ph.D. Program and my major professor. I cannot thank him enough for his professional expertise and guidance, his academic experience and support, his encouragement, remarks, and suggestions for this project to come to fruition. I remember telling Dr. Wade at the end of one of our meetings the important role he has played in my life: no matter how depressed I was, I always came out of his office feeling encouraged. If any say that Dr. Wade is only an expert in academia, they should wait until they have a baby. I still recall when Dr. Wade and his wife Dr. Roberts organized in their home a baby shower on behalf of my daughter Gracie. Thank you so much. iii It was a great privilege and an honor for me to have Dr. Femi Euba, Dr. Leigh Clemons, Dr. Jane Cassidy (Dean’s Representative), Kristin Sosnowsky, and James Murphy on my dissertation committee. Dr. Euba (my minor Department Representative and an impetus to my work) and Dr. Clemons were also my professors during my coursework in the department. I am grateful to the late Dr. Bill Harbin, whose expertise also benefited my studies and outlook. You will be remembered forever for your teaching and counseling. I am indebted to Dr. Michael Tick, the former Chair, Dr. Jennifer Cavenaugh, and Dr. Nganah Lewis (from the Department of English) for their inspiration and challenge. I am also thankful to Dr. Nkashama Ngandu (also my professor) and Dr. Greg Stone from the Department of French Studies for allowing me to teach French in their program for two years. To Dr. Lois Kuyper-Rushing, the Chair of the Music Library and Dr. Mike Ledee, both of the LSU Middleton Library, I would like to extend my thanks and acknowledge their contribution toward the success of this project. Thank you also Dr. Kuyper-Rushing for our one-hour weekly conversation in French--this meant a lot to me. I am grateful to my colleagues from the Department--Kirsten Ogden, Pete Richardson, Glenn Brent, Elissa Sartwell, Ashleigh Gray, Saejoon Oh, Alexander Tselebrovski, Jeannie Musick, Gino Chelakis; my friend Ikanga Tchomba; Adingar Nadjiressem and his family in Houston, Dr. Abel and Priscille Ndjérareou in Dallas, Néouguen Nodjimbadem and his family in El Paso for their contribution. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the Fulbright Foundation and the International Institute of Education (IIE) for granting me a two-year scholarship and the other benefits without which my coming to Louisiana State University iv would have been a pipe dream. By the same token, I wish to acknowledge the efforts of Felix Mbatalbaye from the United States Embassy in Chad and Marie Ward, the then Regional Coordinator in Houston, for their contribution during the fellowship. I am indeed grateful to the Chapel on Campus and those I met there, especially Dr. Dennis Eenigenburg and his wife, Dr. Kevin and Mary McKee, Dr. Steve Johnson, Brooke Arboneaux, Alene Casemore, Paul Leinweber, Steve and Kim Bagala, Katie and Danny Avant, Shawn and Julie Foreman, Henry and Rose Para, Alicia Hoard, Mel and Beverly Hoard. I thank them for their love, prayer, support, and hospitality during the progression of this project. I could certainly not have completed this study without the love and sacrifice from my lovely wife Trophine, my loving and lovable daughters Gracie and Gloria. Trophine’s hard work to make ends meet, the lonely nights she experienced while I was in the library or in the office, Gloria’s tears and pleas of “Daddy don’t go to school,” Gracie’s “Daddy are you going to the library?”--these expressions, and your love, kindness and devotion, were my source of motivation. I am indeed delighted to see your long forbearance finally compensated. May God grant you many privileges, wonderful opportunities, and everlasting benefits. I am truly indebted to my brother Djéndoroum Mbaininga, his wife Hélène Nékarmbaye and their children, my sister Esther Lopiagoto, her husband Laomaye Mbaindogoum and their children, my nieces and nephews, my parents-in-law Richard and Syntiche Béossem for their prayer, patience, and support. v My indebtedness goes to the selected playwrights for their sacrifice and their right and just cause, and for those who have died as a consequence of dictatorship. To Maoundoé Naïndouba, may you rest in peace and rest assured that the fight continues. I wish to express thanks to Ouaga-Ballé Danaï for providing me with play texts, to Frank Kodbaye for the interview, and to Eric Naïndouba for the notes he shared on his father’s life. vi Table of Contents Dedication….……………………...……………………………………….…………………………….………….ii Acknowledgements ……………………………………………..…………………………………………......iii List of Abbreviations……...………………………...……………….…………………………….…………viii Abstract….……………………………………………..…………………………………………………………..xi Chapter One: Introduction: Chadian Playwrights and Hybridity……………..………..…….1 Two: Chadian Historical and Theatrical Contexts……….……..…………………….65 Three: Tradition and Modernity in Ouaga-Ballé Danaï’s La malédiction................................................................................................…………108 Four: Social and Political Oppression in Maoundoé Naïndouba’s L’Etudiant de Soweto………...…………………………………...……………………….142 Five: Generational Conflict and the Future in Frank Kodbaye’s Un vent d’Est……………….………………………………………………………………186 Six: Conclusion: Looking Back, Looking Ahead………….….………....………….225 Works Cited and Consulted……….………………………..…………………………………………….232 Vita...……………………………………..………………………..……………………………………………….251 vii List of Abbreviations ACFT: Adventure Camp for Teens AEF : Afrique Equatoriale Française ANC: African National Congress BEPC: Brevet d’Etudes du Premier Cycle CAPEL: Certificat d’Aptitude Professionnel pour l’Enseignement du Lycée CBLT: Commission du Bassin du Lac Tchad CCIIT: Chadian Center for International Institute of Theatre CEFOD: Centre d’Etudes et de Formation pour le Développement CEG: Collège d’Enseignement Général (a four-year middle school) CEMAC : Communauté Économique et Monétaire des États de l'Afrique Centrale CEPE: Certificat d’Etudes Primaires Elémentaires CNS: Conférence Nationale Souveraine CSTD: Centre for Studies and Training for Development CTIIT: Centre Tchadien de l'Institut International de Théâtre CYSC: Catholic Youth Summer Camp D.E.A.: Diplôme d’Etudes Approfondies viii ECCAS: Economic and Monetary Community of Central African States ENSAC: Ecole Normale Supérieure de l’Afrique Centrale EUFOR: European Forces FEA: French Equatorial Africa FIADPUP: Festival international d’art dramatique et plastique pour l'union et la paix. FROLINAT : Front de Libération National GERLIF : Groupe d’Etudes et de Recherches sur les Littératures Francophones IFDPAUP: International Festival of Dramatic and Plastic Art for Unity and Peace. LCBC: Lake Chad Basin Commission LYRC: Louisiana Young Readers’ Choice MINURCAT: United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad NGO: Non-Government Organization NLF: National Liberation Front NYCS: National Youth Service Corps ONG: Organisation Non Gouvernementale OPEC: Organization