Objects and Props in the Role of the Human: Ways in Which Theatre Performance Can Restore New Kinds of Visibility to Migrants and Refugees: War Maker Performance as an Example

I am a Palestinian-origin Jordanian theatre director and puppeteer concerned about how to construct a counter-narrative about a person called “refugee”() and how to deconstruct stereotypes and prejudices. This chapter will investigate object theatre as a support of new kinds of visibility for refugees. It will analyse and reflect on Dafa Puppet Theatre’s performance: War Maker (2021). It brings a story of Palestinian man to the Western audiences to intervene in cultural constructions and perception of refugees in Europe, raising understanding to the world of Others. While representing refugees by actors or puppets may fall into literal interpretation, appropriation and commodification, in War Maker objects and/or materials such as matches were used to represent them metaphorically. This chapter will bring the affect theory (Ahmed, 2014), Pedagogy of Discomfort (Zembylas, 2015) and Kumashiro’s anti-oppressive pedagogy strategies (Kumashiro, 2002), to a theatre performance; to analyse how objects as metaphors carry the potential to transform audience’s identities and their worldview. While my case study is based on my own theatre practice, the implication of the research findings could be applied within school settings to challenge stereotypical images.