Among them are Babekan and Toni who occupy the main house and are committed to the revolutionary cause. A white soldier, Gustav, who has been separated from his regiment, arrives at their door, fearing for his life and seeking refuge.
Who will survive and who will die? At stake here is not only the victory or defeat of the uprising, but also personal trust, betrayal, loss and recovery.
The purpose of this website is not only to introduce the play itself, but also to dive into the host of issues that the play raises, including the relevance of the Haitian Revolution to our lives today:
- Slavery and the formation of the American criminal justice system
- The fight for human freedom in the French, American, and Haitian revolutions
- The challenges facing refugees back then (two centuries ago) and now.
Writer and director Michael French has written a personal message about “Betrayal in Haiti.” that explains the educational mission of this theatre project.
A longer version (5 minutes) of the video introduction to this play is available here.
The script for this play–which is available upon request–has been put through two table readings and is ready for its first stage production.
A grant is available to a theatre company or a school that mounts a performance in 2025. More information is available at this link:
The pages of this website are independent learning modules. Some of the information on one page may re-appear in a different context on another.
Thanks to Margret Schaefer for suggesting this theatrical adaptation and contributing to its development.