ロベール・ルパージュ演出『カナタ』の上演をめぐる論争の意義

抄録

In 2018, the stage productions of Kanata and Slāv, directed by the prominent Canadian theatre director Robert Lepage (1957-), were forced to cancel due to controversy over casting. The former story depicts the relation between white settlers and First Nations people, and the latter features African-American slaves and their songs. Criticism arose because the Kanata and Slāv casts predominantly consisted of nonindigenous and nonblack actors playing the roles of Indigenous and African Americans. Lepage was accused of cultural appropriation and whitewashing.

The controversy sparked a rebuttal from the accused, who stated that the protest and cancellations threatened artistic freedom and the basic principle of theatre to represent the “others,” that is, “stepping into the shoes of another person to try to understand them” (Lepage 2018). It is taken for granted that the freedom of expression must be protected, but the issues of First Nations in Canada, in particular, are historically sensitive. Thus, this paper focuses on the controversy over Kanata, examining the historical background and the current situation of indigenous people as well as the significance of the controversy over Kanata.