Prologue to Seuls by Wajdi Mouawad

Abstract

Seuls by Wajdi Mouawad is a Quebecois play that follows a young male, Harwan, in the midst of writing his doctoral thesis. After the discovery that he is in a coma, Harwan begins to remember elements of his childhood, and acknowledges his loss of identity in consequence of his young immigration, parental issues and lack of academic fulfillment. The objective of this communication is to create a prologue for the play Seuls that introduces the themes presented in the play. The prologue is an abstract projection that represents Harwan’s mental journey and identity through audiovisual effects. While maintaining the abstract and visual themes of the play, the audience is given a conceptual preview while setting them up to best understand the play. Overall, this presentation explores the possibilities of expanding Mouawad’s polyphonic structures to include an abstract soundscape and further develop his story of sensation, memory and art.