A two-act, five-scene play, contained in the book “Take Me To Mon Repos,” will provoke various reflections in readers.
Simply holding the book in their hands, they will be prompted to freely analyze its contexts and central themes, particularly the theme of colonialism and neocolonialism between 1794 and 1796, with the tensions between the French republican government, the runaway slaves, the British invaders, and the French royalists, which will be evident in the setting that precedes the prologue and continues throughout the act and in every scene. Readers will confront the consequences of the linguistic influence of Creole, French, and English, juxtaposed through the interaction between Bwigan, Bernelle, Garnier, and Catherine, characters who skillfully play with the function of diglossia and Creole, French, and English identity, with dialogues that oscillate between these languages. This linguistic coexistence reflects still prevalent stereotypes, rooted in slavery, colonization, and other conflicting factors that embody the intense emotions present in these scenes set against the backdrop of the famous Brigand Wars in Saint Lucia.
Readers are invited to understand the notion of daily life that emerges and is present in every act and scene, experienced indirectly through its characters. Without ever neglecting the gravity of each historical event narrated, for example, in the evening setting of a dining room in the plantation’s manor house, where some of these linguistic areas merge with the stylistic brilliance that characterizes “Mennen Mwen Mon Repos,” another interpretive title of the book, written by Dr. Travis Weekes, an award-winning actor, poet, playwright, director, and cultural critic from Saint Lucia. He is currently the theatre coordinator and lecturer in the Department of Creative and Festival Arts at UWI, Saint Augustine. Dr. Weekes has published several other works, including: Let There Be Jazz, Bodies, Memories and Spirits, The Fight for Belle Vue, and The Field of Power. The book was first released on July 31, 2022 and is available for purchase on Amazon.
