Un futur qui manque: Sur quelques pièces de théâtre togolaises A missing future: About a few Togolese theatre plays

Abstract

The observations presented in this article are about six, strictly contemporary, Togolese theatre plays. Four drama miniatures are examined: Sous le grand kapokier … (Under the big kapok tree…) by Roger Atikpo, Jumel’âge (Twinning) by Jean Kantchebe, Tobbie, frères et soeurs ont la douleur (Tobbie, brothers and sisters are in pain) by Rodrigue Norman, Tac-tic à la rue des Pinguins (Tac-tic on Penguin street) by Gustave Akakpo, and two texts of regular dimensions: Atterrissage (Landing) by Kangni Alem and Transe-maître(s) (Trans-master(s)) by Elemawusi Agbedjidji. On the aesthetic plan, the analysis aims to describe the attitudes undertaken by characters towards a lack of future perspectives, that characterizes the world in which they grow. These considerations are organized in two sections: in the first one, we focus on the traumatizing events from the past, that make difficult, even impossible, the overcoming of the past/present towards the future. In the second section, we analyse the elements related to the vision of the future (or the lack thereof), that emerges from the texts, as well as the attempts to overcome the apathy and inertia undertaken by characters. From the theoretical standpoint, we support the thesis that the studied plays represent the proof of a certain failure of big, political, and ideological operations (postcolonial system, obsession of development), whose objectives were to improve the situation on the African continent, and which are currently questioned throughout the most recent debates.