Anunciando la Ausencia: Trauma as a Creative and Collective Motivator in Meta, Colombia

Abstract

This research analyzes how the women from Tente theater group transformed their traumatic experience concerning disappearance into the theater play Anunciando la Ausencia or Announcing the Absence, which engages the audience in the systematic disappearance in Colombia during the armed conflict. I did archival research on historical documents regarding the armed conflict in Colombia. I carry out participant observation in the houses of the actresses, the rehearsals of the play, and the performance of it. I also interviewed the actresses, their closest relatives, human rights organizations, and the performance audience. The theoretical exploration concerning the archive and repertoire in the play contributes to the analysis of the artistic and political embodiment. My results show that trauma and Anunciando la Ausencia are simultaneously collective and individual, which has allowed the creation of the play and the connection with the audience. Pain is a crucial intersection of trauma and theater because it is an effective way to communicate and receive Tente’s testimonies. This research emphasizes the potential of emotions, particularly pain, anger, and joy, in the visibility of the disappearance in Colombia and the actions to stop it.