Spectators at the play ‘Le chêne endormi’ by Andrise Pierre with the actors on stage at the Yanvalou theater, in Port-au-Prince on Dec.12, 2022. Photo courtesy of Festival En Lisant.
Spectators at the play ‘Le chêne endormi’ by Andrise Pierre with the actors on stage at the Yanvalou theater, in Port-au-Prince on Dec.12, 2022. Photo courtesy of Festival En Lisant.

PORT-AU-PRINCE — At about 3 p.m. on a recent Monday, inside a playhouse in the Pacot neighborhood, audience members began to take their seats for the show  "Le chêne endormi" – "The Sleeping Oak'' in English – by Andrise Pierre. The buzz of laughter, chatter and joy of reconnecting seeped throughout the theater as a public, thirsty for entertainment after months of self-imposed quarantine because of gang violence around the capital, finally came together.

"We are trying to live life, despite the problems the country is experiencing, by being present at these events" said Judith Prospère, an audience member

Overview:

Cultural events that went dormant in Haiti's capital are timidly coming back, with organizers doing their best to create festive moments as the year winds down.

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I am Juhakenson Blaise, a journalist based in the city of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. I cover the news that develops in this city and deals with other subjects related to the experience of Haitians for the Haitian Times newspaper. I am also a lover of poetry.