\n In a hilltop village in Rwanda, residents watch intently as a small troupe of actors perform a play adapted from a best-selling French novel -- written far away but echoing a story that is painfully close to home.\n<\/p>\n
\n \"Small Country\" tells the story of Gaby, whose carefree childhood is torn apart by civil war in Burundi and then the Rwandan genocide of 1994.\n<\/p>\n
\n Some of the Burundian and Rwandan actors performing in the village of Nyamata were themselves survivors of the genocide.\n<\/p>\n
\n \"It was truly perfect, but after a few minutes, I started crying,\" said Claudine, 40, watching the play.\n<\/p>\n
\n \"It brought back so many memories of the past,\" she added, before halting the interview, overwhelmed by emotions.\n<\/p>\n
\n In 1994, at least 800,000 people, primarily from the Tutsi minority, were killed in less than three months in Rwanda.\n<\/p>\n
\n Neighbouring Burundi suffered a civil war during the same period that lasted 12 years and left some 300,000 dead.\n<\/p>\n
\n Rwandan actress Natacha Muziramakenga, who plays multiple roles including Gaby's mother, said the play has helped the team face their own traumas.\n<\/p>\n
\n \"I am also a product of exile, just like Gaby. His story is my story,\" she said.\n<\/p>\n
\n Also like Gaby, novelist Gael Faye grew up in Burundi before the region's turmoil forced him into exile in France.\n<\/p>\n
\n - Deep emotions -\n<\/p>\n
\n On this late afternoon, around 100 curious locals gathered on wooden benches set up in a small forest to watch the performance, for many their first taste of theatre.\n<\/p>\n
\n Blending dialogue, music, singing, and dance, it was designed for outdoor performance.\n<\/p>\n
\n The actors stage it on the red soil typical of Rwanda and their voices are accompanied by guitar and inanga, a traditional wooden string instrument.\n<\/p>\n
\n Rwandan rapper Kenny Mirasano and singer Kaya Byinshii join the troupe along with guitarist Samuel Kamanzi, who has worked extensively with Faye.\n<\/p>\n
\n The play aims to present the deeply emotional story in a fun and engaging way, and there was plenty of laughter from the audience.\n<\/p>\n
\n \"Then when we get to the moment in the play where the genocide occurs... suddenly things become tense,\" said Frederic Fisbach, who adapted the novel and co-directed the play alongside Rwandan Dida Nibagwire.\n<\/p>\n
\n \"It keeps the questions alive,\" said Fisbach.\n<\/p>\n
\n The play will be presented in July at the renowned Avignon Festival in France, where it will again be performed in Rwanda's Kinyarwanda language with a translation on screen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In a hilltop village in Rwanda, residents watch intently as a small troupe of actors perform a play adapted from a best-selling French novel -- written far away but echoing a story that is painfully close to home. \"Small Country\" tells the story of Gaby, whose carefree childhood is torn apart by civil war in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":60,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[553],"tags":[],"ji_location":[],"class_list":["post-147089","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-live-feed"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n