Terrorism and Torture on Stage

By Rachel Weight

Colombian director, actor, and playwright Hector Aristizábal will present
Nightwind: A Performance and Discussion, a disturbing
multi-character solo performance that reenacts the true story of
his arrest and torture and his brother’s torture-murder by the
U.S.-supported military and Columbia. His performance asks the
question “What makes a terrorist?” and explores possible outcomes
of the terrorized victim; violent rage, or a channeling of the
impulse and energy into the peace movement?

He is accompanied onstage by Enzo Fina, providing a live sound
score. After the 35-minute performance, Aristizábal’s audience has
the opportunity to participate in an active workshop based on
Theatre of the Oppressed
techniques, and then engage in a discussion with Aristizábal
and his collaborators.

Hector Aristizábal serves on the board of the Program for
Torture Victims, and is co-founder of the Columbia Peace Project,
the Columbian Children’s Project, and the Theatre of the Oppressed
Applied Theatre in Los Angeles. He is currently the clinical
director and co-founder of CITYSCAPE, an Art Therapy program, and
works as a consultant for several organizations in the Los Angeles
area.

The performance takes place on Thursday, February 22 at 4 p.m.
in the McCune Conference Room, 6020 HSSB at UCSB.