Teatro documental y crítica social en el teatro contemporáneo. El caso de ÑUKE, de David Arancibia

Abstract

David Arancibia Urzúa’s play, Ñuke, depicts the life of a Mapuche family in Araucanía, and the different forms of violence that its members have to face every day. The conflict between the State of Chile and the Mapuche people has been a subject of public debate for several years. However, since the murder of Camilo Catrillanca, the debate regarding the legitimacy of Mapuche people’s demands and the violence experienced by several Mapuche communities has intensified. In the following pages I will describe the project my research on Arancibia’s work is based upon. Then, I will address the obstacles that the incorporation of drama –as a literary genre— to the reading lists at high school level in Chile entail. Later, I will introduce the play Ñuke, its features as a piece of dramatic art and the particularities of its staging in connection with documentary theatre. Finally, I will focus on my own experience teaching Ñuke in high school.