The Art of Silence

Emilio Barreto spent more than 12 years as a political prisoner in Paraguay before the Stroessner dictatorship was overthrown in 1989. Confined to a 13-by-7-foot cell and forced to endure severe torture, Barreto was never charged with a crime or given a trial. Jennifer Hartley brings his story to life in this raw, physical one-act. The only characters are Older Emilio and Younger Emilio, different versions of the same person that illustrate the effects of imprisonment and the psychological toll Emilio’s ordeal takes. Desperate to tell their story and the story of those who no longer have a voice, Young Emilio and Older Emilio describe and reenact the physical and psychological torment they endure. This highly emotional and physical piece of theatre demands high-octane performances and will spark conversations about human rights, war, and the striking effects on the psyche when basic human dignity is taken away.