L'Histoire dans le theatre africain francophone.

In traditional African society the griots played the role of oral historians and archivists. They are being replaced by playwrights who draw on history as a source of inspiration. They are being replaced by playwrights who draw on history as a source of inspiration. The first historical plays produced in the 1930s at the William Ponty School in Senegal reflected colonial ideology and were a justification of France's "civilizing mission." The plays produced during the post-independence period present a decolonized vision of history. Symbols of African resistance to colonial conquest, such as Albouri NDiaye and Lat Dior are exalted. These heroes also project traditional values which are considered exemplary. The evocation of the past sometimes contains a veiled criticism of the failing of post-independent African society. Contemporary dramatists fulfill the traditional role of witnesses for their society.