• 982
    The Tragedy of King Christophe writer Aime Cesaire. Photo credit A. James Arnold, Paris 1982
The House Theatre of Chicago continues its 20th season—the first led by new artistic director Lanise Antoine Shelley under the theme “The House Reimagined”—with the North American premiere of The Tragedy of King Christophe.

The true story of the rise and fall of the first king of Haiti, The Tragedy of King Christophe will run April 22-May 29 at the Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division St.

Written in 1963 by West Indian playwright and poet Aime Cesaire, translated from French by Paul Breslin and Rachel Ney, the production is set in a period of upheaval after the Haitian Revolution of 1804. It follows the true story of Henri Christophe, a general in Jean-Jacques Dessalines’ army who was elected president but, in 1811, chose to declare himself king.

Tickets, $20-$50, are on sale now at http://thehousetheatre.com.