Gayl Jones

The Ancestor Gayl Jones

A lyrical, ritual play that involves the "legend" of Palmares, a settlement of escaped or fugitive slaves in 17th century Brazil. Fourteen times the Dutch and then the Portuguese tried to destroy the settlement. Finally, in this legendary version of the story, when the men, cornered on a cliff, rather than surrender, jumped. The metaphor here is that rather than jumping to their deaths, they sprouted wings, became birds, and flew away. This is both a play and a dance ritual written for a street performance.