Gender and Sexuality in West African Theatre : Women Artists of Benin, Burkina Faso, and Togo

This book illustrates how contemporary theatre makers, particularly women, in the West African countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, and Togo are changing public views on gender and sexuality in their theatre.

Examining French-language theatre in Benin, Burkina Faso, and Togo that tackles gender-related themes, this book explores how topics often considered taboo, including domestic violence, child brides, and sexual desire, are publicly addressed through contemporary theatre. It focuses on the growing presence of women artists, including playwrights, actors, and directors. Particularly since 2010, artists like Afi Marie-Josée Gbegbi, Nathalie Hounvo-Yekpè, and Odile Sankara have shifted the aesthetic and thematic substance of the theatre being created. Their presence has also encouraged leading male artists like Aristide Tarnagda and Sedjro Giovanni Houansou to generate new paths, including gay men and bold female characters in their plays.

By considering the field of African women’s studies and the local realities pertaining to girls, women, and gay men, this book addresses how contemporary Beninese, Burkinabè, and Togolese theatres work towards opening discussions to reshape sociocultural conditions through performance. Chapters investigate voice, body, sexuality, and same-sex desire as theoretical strands to study examples of feminist representations and same-sex desire in the plays, and of women who enter the public sphere of the stage to affirm their place as artists and activists.