Forms of Truth: Testimonio and Democracy in the Theatrical Lives of Bojayá

This essay focuses on “forms of truth” (John Beverley, Testimonio [2004]) and their circulation in theatre and performance in Colombia. It examines performances of Kilele, Colombian playwright Felipe Vergara and theatre company Teatro Varasanta’s theatrical representation of the 2002 massacre in Bojayá, Colombia. The essay argues that Kilele functions as a performative testimonio, uniquely situated within an ostensibly democratic state that is not a post-conflict state. As such, the piece protects and disseminates the heterogeneity of the experiences of Bojayá, effectively combating attempts by the state and other actors to co-opt or erase the past massacre and present suffering of the Chocó region.