Dame Lorraine: The Drama

COURSE TITLE: ! CARIBBEAN FOLK DANCE

PROGRAMME: ! INSTITUTION:! LECTURER:! ! CERTIFICATE IN DANCE & DANCE EDUCATION DCFA, UWI, ST AUGUSTINE (TOBAGO CLASS) MR. LOUIS MCWILLIAMS

ONIKA HENRY - 92841690

2010 October 05th

Exploring Caribbean Folk Dance

Dame Lorraine
Traditional Carnival Performance A PRODUCT OF THE CARNIVAL TENT THEATRE

A traditional Dame Lorraine Costume

CARNIVAL & THE TOBAGO COMMUNITY When referring to Carnival in Trinidad and Tobago within a historical context, we must remember that Tobagonians did not celebrate carnival until after World War II (except for a few incidences).This was mainly because of the heavy influence of the Anglo-Saxon churches. Tobagonians did, however, celebrate Emancipation Day - 1st August - in traditional African fashion, masked and disguised to cope with laws of state and church. (The influence of the church did however, give us our tradition and strength in 1 choral speaking and perhaps also gave us our Speech Band.) Two spontaneous Carnivals

1 Personal Interview with Eddie Hernandez, Curator of the Tobago Museum, Sept 2010

erupted after World War II on VG Day (victory over Germany) and VJ Day (victory over Japan) and Tobagonians returning from Trinidad at the US Armed Forces bases from 1947 to the 1950s, brought exciting news (real and imaginary) about Carnival in Trinidad. With these returnees, came the steelband to join the few traditional characters we had here in Tobago, who, before the war, had challenged the wrath of religious zealots.

By 1946, celebrations were organised. As in Trinidad, steelbands and mas took to the streets, and bands depicted military mas and biblical history (which partially pacified the religious zealots), with traditional mas being played by a few committed groups and individuals. Carnival bands and calypso developed in every main village. There was a cultural resurgence in the year of independence and each village contributed a village community project, which collectively revealed a rich folk history of the island. Within a year, what was learnt was infused into Carnival and village workshops emerged in which men, women and children poured their energies and skills into arts and crafts.

As such, the Dame Lorraine Drama was essentially a product out of Trinidad and was never a part of the Tobago Carnival celebrations. What exists today however, is also was is seen in Trinidad: an extremely watered-down version of the presentation - a comic female figure which is a merger of two characters (big breasts and big bottom), who walks around with an umbrella. Every year however, at the Viey La Cou Carnival Heritage Fair and Showcase in Trinidad, the drama is re-enacted and the tradition kept alive.

THE SOCIAL CONTEXT FOR DAME LORRAINE The Dame Lorraine Drama played off of the customs and fashions of the French aristocracy in the period of the 18th to early 19th century. French Planters brought toTrinidad a legacy of European Carnivals. While the whites and free coloreds were active in their ballrooms and dance halls, the Africans celebrations reflected African traditions, characters and function and were held out on the streets and festive areas of the plantation. Enslaved Africans were taught European dance, music and song, since African cultural forms were considered to be barbaric and pagan. It is quite likely however, that the masters did not realise the their students would change their cultural forms into an elaborate and grotesque parody and satire of the way the elite conducted themselves. The Dame Lorraine drama took the place of the banned Sunday night Canboulay procession and it is believed that it began some time after 1884. The presentation took place in the yard on Dominate Gras night and continue into the early morning hours of Carnival Monday. (It was never displayed as a band on the streets during Carnival).

Dame Lorraine dress compared to a European dress

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Duty at the balls and parties of the masters and plantation owners, provided the slaves with opportunity to observe their owners behavior. The term neg deye potla was used in song by Ofuba the Chantwell an enslaved African, and which literally means nigger behind the door, indicating that at every possible occasion, the ruling class was carefully observed and scrutinized by their servants. After the event, the slaves on returning to their barracks or compounds, would relate, in ritual or presentation form, their observation of the the hypocrisy and pretence of these supposedly great people. The elite did not do much physical work and usually spent their time indulging in drinking, eating and other sensual and sexual excesses. These excesses led to the development of illnesses such as gout, diabetes, rheumatism, STIs, high blood pressure and heart problems, indicators of overeating, excessive drinking and lack of proper exercise. The male of the elite were predators of teenage African females, and women would choose a well-muscled servant as her bedroom mate. The enslaved viewed their masters as inept, depraved and physically grotesque. Thus, the presentation, suggests that despite the elites power and wealth, the Africans knew what lay beneath the superficial, and the rustic scenery (set design) in which the show was held (a barn), may have also been the enslaveds way of saying this is where the elite belonged: where the pigs lived, the cows slept and chickens roosted.

There is much speculation about origin of the name Dame Lorraine. Errol Hill, Trinidadian playwright and theatre historian said the name meant fashionable lady. In other research, informants said the word lorraine was local parlance for style in movement (as in show me your lorraine). 2 Author Jeff Henry suggests that the name
2 Author of the book Under the Mas: Resistance and Rebellion in the Trinidad Masquerade

may have referred to the province in Europe called Lorraine, which became French in 1776. Lorraine had changed hands many times depending on the politics of the day in and the whims and fancies of the various European power structures. The province depended on favors from the powers that be, and by so doing enjoyed certain exemptions and privileges. It is possible that the province of Lorraine was the Jamette of Europe and the house slaves, on overhearing conversations from their masters, exposed private family matters to their own communities, and attached the name as a derogatory term to their presentation (the province was the whore of Europe, going from country to country). Mr. Henry suggests that the slaves may have had another name that has been lost.

A few Dame Lorraine shows were done in calypso tents after the 1939-45 war. As communities changed, the tents no longer accommodated the performances. To exacerbate matters, dances the night before Masquerade Monday mushroomed all over the city as the American soldiers and sailors wanted to dance, drink rum and meet women. This affected the Dame Lorraine since the show required an arena, and calypso tents were demolished after the Masquerade and all other playing spaces were beyond the performers means. The form was not used much after that and thus disappeared from the scene, leaving only a remnant of its characteristics.

THE ORIGINAL DAME LORRAINE DRAMA Structure, Content, Costume and Music

Originally there were two acts to the performance, which occupied the central dancing area and one side of a tent. The audience sat on three sides. A small string band or cuatro band supplied music and there were set tunes played for each act. The first act was a reenactment of a ballroom scene. The show for this scene consisted of a grand march of people dressed in 18th century costumes of the French aristocracy. As each couple enters, a very pompous and fussy man, the butler announces their very impressive-sounding names - all difficult to pronounce, and the most complex names are the most pretentious. The butler, prior to this, would run around and ensure everything was in its proper place and he held a long shoulder high staff, that signifies his authority. Guests strut around in regal pretence, trying to impress each other and dance the most fashionable European dance of the time. In this scenes also, the slaves or servants were seen peeping through a door or window at the proceedings.

The second act was when the real fun started. In this act, the African interpretation of the first ballroom scene, was satire and parody. Some accounts describe it as follows: The ballroom became a barn, with none of the finery of the previous scene. It is a rustic environment where pigs live, cows sleep and chickens roost. The butler is replace by the Maitre LEcole (school master). He holds a book in one hand as he calls the roll for the the pupils to gather. He carries a long tamarind whip which he threatens and sometimes strikes his pupils with. He wears a frock coat and high-crowned hat or and academic gown
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and 3 mortarboard, while his students, dressed in old ragged garments and false 4crinolines, were a burlesques imitation of the aristocracy. The actors would copy the fine gowns and clothes, using whatever material they found, including rags, make-shift fans, hats and shiny objects to imitate jewels. All actors were masked and inversion of the sexes was a common practice. Each pupil had a prominent or exaggerated physical protuberance,

which accounted for his name in the play. In this scene, the Maitre LEcole controlled the course of action and had his own form of dance. He would give instructions to his students to execute certain dance steps and measures, either in singles or in pairs, or in a group. The performance of these steps would of course emphasise the peculiar or specific deformity of the pupil, much to the merriment of the audience. The dialogue was in the Creole tongue or French Patois and the names of the pupils, also in Creole, permitted much 5 bawdy without giving offense. Through out the action the Maitre LEcole kept up the pretence that everything was quite proper and above board and any obvious looseness, improper or incorrect dancing on the part of his pupils, was punished with his whip. In fact the words of the Maitre LEcole were: Marchez pointay mes enfants. Msieu Gros Boudin, avancez. Juin! Dancez, mes enfants, dancez. Jamb jamb mais faire pollison. En nous! En nous! Ecoutez! Faire con frre e pis se mais par con nomme eh pis femme. Which translated meant: Walk daintily my children. Mr. Big Belly, advance. Begin. Dance, my children, dance. Leg to leg, but no vulgarity. Lets get on, lets get on. Do like brother and sister, but not like man and woman.

3 mortarboard - an 4 crinoline - a

academic cap with a stiff, at, square top and a tassel.

stiffened or hooped petticoat worn to make a long skirt stand out; a stiff fabric made of

horsehair and cotton or linen thread, typically used for stiffening petticoats or as a lining.
5 bawdy - dealing

with sexual matters in a comical way; humorously indecent. 8

The act continued until it was time for refreshments and participants amused themselves by dancing in the tent until the show was ready to begin again. As dawn came, the masked characters merged with patrons as all moved into the street, dancing to the sound of string band for the JOuvert.

The characters of the play required creativity and inventiveness from the masqueraders. The actors/dancers, took great care to imitate punctiliously, the real life characters whom they were caricaturing, because a major part of the entertainment depended on the audience recognizing the satire. The list of pupils would include, but not limited to the following characters: Misie Gwo Patat: Miss Large Vagina - while a description of the costume for this character was not found, the literature reviews suggested that one had to be creative in finding ways to display ones costume. Physical characterisation, in terms of posture, walk, demeanor and gesture, could not be happenstance. Physicality needed a relationship with subtleties of behavior and general attitudes to broaden and give meaning to Misie Gwo Patat. Monsieur Gwo Koko (also in patois as Babancor): Mr. Large Testicles - Sometimes he is referred to as carrying around a quarry with him. With all their wealth and power, in the local setting, the elite did not have the hospital facilities or medical expertise among them to treat these ailments.

Dame Lorraine - Pringle - Barbados Gwo Boudin: Big Belly - a gender neutral character, this was usually played by men who acted like gluttons and ate everything in sight. At one time, this character was played by a very thin man with a tremendous protuberance for a stomach, which preceded his monstrously thin, disfigured body. He would walk in ahead of protocol, that is, before his name was called and the school master would whip him furiously back to the door. He was too ungainly to turn around and fumbled about, much to the annoyance of the school master and to the enjoyment of the other pupils. (During this period the already

announced pupils, sometimes called guests, are trying to impress each other with their elite background and royal upbringing. In doing so, they commit one faux pas after another. The school master struggles to maintain order, while announcing other guests arriving, and the multi-tasking creates more confusion. With much loudness and
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posturing, in an atmosphere of buffoonery, the school master ushers in the next person, to gain the attention of the assembled guests.) Monsieur Gwo Lolo: Mr. Long Penis - he walks in alone, very proud, very confident and goes around to all the women to greet them by kissing their hands. There is a lot of giggling, silliness and infantile behavior, which indicates a familiarity unknown to their spouses and a pretence of sophistication. Mise Gwo Tete: Miss Big Breast - usually she enters with a tiny male escort who, more often than not, gets caught in her large bosom. There is much interplay between these two as they enter, much to the chagrin of the school master.

Nom Kishoe - this character has a perpetual itch. He is neatly dressed with a collar and tie, very dignified and gentlemanly. His pants have a large saddle patch on the backside. Periodically and surreptitiously, he scratches an itch, while he tries to maintain his dignity. The constant scratching leaves a darkened spot on the crotch of the pants. The play on this
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character was the attempt to hold on to dignity while finding quiet moments to relieve the itch between his legs. Gwo Bunda: Large Buttocks - a woman with a large oversized backside who carried a parasol. This character was also presented with a physically small man who walks behind her. Where ever she goes he quietly follows. There is much sexual interplay between these two characters, which has a subtext of the elite mans sexual attraction to the physical attributes of the African women. Jaffen Bea - a well-muscled young man who the estate owners wife chose for a bedroom mate. In the presentation, he was silly and intellectually challenged, but physically powerful. By being a Bea Bea' man (he doesnt comprehend his power, he was at the sexual beck and call of the Madame of the house. His talents were seeing no evil and hearing no evil. He told no tales outside of school. In this way, his life was not as harsh as those of the other men. The characterisation was ope to all types of interpretations, which created tremendous comedic opportunities. Ma Chen Mun: A woman having her period - this could be displayed in many ways as seen fit at the moment. They wore long night gowns, often transparent and decorated with ribbon and lace. Others wore very litte except menstruation cloths liberally stained with blood. Pissenlit: Wet the bed - this was derived or related to the Ma Chen Mun. Played exclusively by men dressed as women on JOuvert morning, Pissenlit could probably also include menstrual blood. This was banned as it was argued that the men who played this character went overboard in their sexual gyrations and exhibitionism. (The inclusion of
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menstrual blood might refer to the African ritualisation of menstruation and virginity as a significant human rites of passage. For example, after the first night of marriage, the village elders would come to see the bridal sheets which according to custom would be bloodstained.)

In the early stages, the Dame Lorraine presentation was mainly played by men; theatre was usually a mans world. Females did not participate until sometime after or during the late 1930s. Other characters were also created, based on who and what the servants or slaves observed. In the 1940s some high profile night personalities comprising young men took over the characters. They were referred to as Macumere men, a nickname that indicated a sexual orientation that travels in many directions. All the men were bold, inventive and graphic as they broadened the characters and played them over the top. This practice did not go down very well in society and eventually died out.

Movement & Choreography While we did not find video recordings of the movements, some inferences can be made based on the description and it was very much left up to the interpretation and skill of the actor-dancer to portray the character clearly. There may have also been a particular order in which the characters appeared, which would also indicate another subtext or storyline.

Dances were Done either singly, or in pairs, or in a group

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The school master would have created his own movements, which would emphasize their peculiar deformities to the considerable merriment of the audience. Exaggerated movement of the particular deformed body part and use of the hands were possible, to help onlookers focus on the body part. 1 Gwo Bunda (over sized backside) she would accentuate her backside by placing emphasis on the way she moved it. 2 Mise Gwo Tete (Miss Big Breasts) would place emphasis on moving her breasts from side to side ensuring that it was clearly seen. 3 Misie Gwo Patat (Miss Large Vagina) would put the accent on moving with her legs far apart. However, she maintained her posture. 4 Gwo Koko, a man with large, testicles would also move with legs far apart limping and struggling. 5 Gwo Buden or Big Belly-men who acted like, glutton would highlight his belly through moving his body in such a way that his belly would move from side to side. His rhythm was interrupted by his tilting backwards to maintain balance while moving forward. His arm swing was impeded by his large belly. He constantly tripped over himself. 6 Nome Kishoe has a perpetual itch. Periodically and surreptitiously he scratches the itch.

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7 Monsier Gwo Lolo (Mr. Long Penis) would move very proud, very confident and perhaps also with his legs open and a slight drop or dip, indicating the heaviness in the crotch area. 8 Jaffen Bea is a well muscled young man. His movement resembles that of an intellectually challenged male, and would also have the facial expression of such a person. 9 Ma Chen Mun a woman having her period. This could be displayed in many ways as seen fit at the moment, perhaps indicating menstrual cramps and holding the cloths between her legs. 10 Pissenlit (wet bed) movements included subtle steps that would not gain the attention of the others and maybe periodically checking himself because of the moisture, and fidgeting because of a weak bladder

European Dances The school master would have perhaps been trying to teach these popular dances of the time and these also may have been the dances done in the first Act of the play. Counterpanes - The Waltz Cotillion consisting of two couples facing each other dancing six figures with the same chorus each time Minuet -Small dainty steps and exaggerated preciseness, movements were on graceful side

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Standard Quadrille - Couples are numbered and stand in a square with each couple at a corner. There were several Quadrilles some of which are Plain Quadrille, Polka Quadrille, Lancers Quadrille and Waltz Quadrille The Jig - Types of Jig light Jig, simple Jig, hop Jig, treble Jig. It was a lively dance

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CREATIVE USE: DAME LORRAINE DRAMA - A FORM FOR THEATRE EDUCATION AND EXPERIMENTATION

The Dame Lorraine presentation has all the elements of theatre and more specifically, Caribbean Theatre. Speech, song, music and dance are inseparable components in this play and its content is a reflection of all that constitutes the Caribbean experience colonisation, creolisation, rebellion and resistance, cultural syncretism.

An obvious contemporary application of this play is its use for political commentary and satire. The original Dame Lorraine reflected the themes that are common in societies and particularly obvious in colonised territories: oppressor vs. the oppressed (and I dare say this could accurately be described or considered 6 Theatre of the Oppressed.), upper class vs. lower class, rich vs. poor, colour equals currency (i.e. lighter skins meant more privileges and superiority), ruling class vs.working class. The play highlighted the fact that the powers that be, were carefully observed and scrutinised by those over those whose lives they held power or had strong influence and control and that their foibles and faults were not unknown or hidden: there still exists, that element of neg deye potla.

Translated into modern day Trinidad and Tobago, this concept can easily be applied in which the first act is a scene in the House of Parliament and the second act is a fete or party were the same politicians and government officials are seen in a different light. The
6 Augusto Boal - coined the term Theare of the Oppressed

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same expos of hypocrisy, deceit and inefficaciousness of the ruling class could in this era, be way of keeping said class in line or a way of saying without saying: Youre not fooling us. We see right through you.

Other themes such as gender roles and gender relations and how these relate to power (political and otherwise) could be explored using the Dame Lorraine elements. The traditional man who has the testicular fortitude to handle his issues, would have the female version of the vaginal turgidity and as such become Missy Gwo Patat as an influential female political leader, who is followed by male characters.

The characters also displayed obvious medical ailments or conditions and in a totally different application this could be developed as a teaching tool for a science or biology lesson, using theatre/drama-in-education methodology. Students can have fun trying to guess the possible physical ailments that each performer may have, based on the movements and physical protuberance on the actor-student; and to take the lesson further, suggest possible causes and recommended treatments.

There is also a strong sexual element in the play and this facilitates workshops and lessons on adult relationships, sexuality as well as sexual health.

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Because the play also involved the use of masks, as thus some level of anonymity, as a self-development tool it allows for the use of drama games to give shy introverted students a way of comfortably or safely exploring feelings and roles they may not try otherwise and this is an excellent tool to use in theatre education for these students. Because the play also lends itself to imitating known or public characters for the audience to appreciate the satire, Dame Lorraine is a great workshop performance tool for learning how to physicalise' a character and add subtleties of behavior to make the personalities clear.

CONCLUSION The Dame Lorraine may have lost its impact and meaning over the years, but much information has survived about it to gives us a clear foundation for using its format and concepts to create new work.

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CITATIONS
Hill, Errol. The Trinidad Carnival: Mandate For A National Theatre. London: New Beacon Books Ltd., 1997 Henry, Jeff. Under The Mas: Resistance & Rebellion in the Trinidad Masquerade. Caroni: Lexicon Trinidad Ltd., 2008 Hernandez, Eddie. Carnival and the Community in Tobago. The Drama Review. Special Expanded Issue: Trinidad and Tobago Carnival. Volume 42 Number 3, Fall 1998: 48

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