Performance of Hilatna
On April 8, 2017, Likikiri Collective partnered with members of Ibdaa Drama Group to stage a production of Elfatih Atem’s new play Hilatna (Our Neighborhood), an adaptation of the South Sudanese folktale Kenyi and the Extraordinary Snake.
The folktale is a well-known one among Bari speakers in South Sudan, and details the story of a young man named Kenyi, who becomes a hero after killing a monstrous snake who had been terrorizing and eating villagers as they neared the river to gather water. In previous eras, the tale goes, the snake had been controlled by a custom which dictated that a just chief sacrifice his daughter to the snake in order to maintain public safety at the riverbank. A change occurs when a chief refuses this duty, and the snake’s appetites are let loose on the villagers. The story covers many years, and includes appearances by Kenyi’s family members, the woman he loves, and a mysterious wise man with one eye who counsels Kenyi at a key moment. A contemporary version of the story was recorded by students in Dr. Rebecca Lorins’ 2016 African Literature class, and the English translation as well as the original audio in Bari are available on our South Sudanese Folktales website.
The play Hilatna takes this tale as its inspiration, but adapts the action to the contemporary setting of urban South Sudan. A gang leader holds court at the local sitt as-shai (tea lady) and terrorizes the neighbors and the boys who work for him. A vagrant hangs around the neighborhood making strange pronouncements and predictions. The play explores local power struggles and the ways people band together to enact justice.
The performance of Hilatna was hosted by South Sudan Theatre Organization (SSTO) at their compound in Souq Militia and was co-hosted by Korbandy’s Salon, a literary and cultural group in Juba. The performance began with a recitation of the folktale Kenyi and the Extraordinary Snake, followed by Likikiri’s and Ibdaa’s theatrical adaptation, and ending with questions from the audience. The entire event was recorded and broadcast on SSBC.
