Potestad

Synopsis

In the shadowy corners of Buenos Aires, the legacy of Argentina’s Dirty War looms large, and the line between victim and perpetrator blurs.

Potestad by Eduardo Pavlovsky delves into the mind of an ex-repressor, a former agent of the military regime responsible for the disappearance of thousands during Argentina’s brutal dictatorship. The protagonist, a middle-aged doctor, embarks on a psychological journey as he confronts his past actions and the impact they had on his victims and himself. Through intense monologues and fragmented memories, the play reveals the doctor’s inner turmoil and the haunting realization of his complicity in the regime’s atrocities. His attempt to reconstruct a traumatic event—the abduction of a child—serves as a metaphor for the larger societal need to reconcile with a painful history.

The play explores themes of guilt, memory, power, and human rights abuses. The play’s tone is harrowing and introspective, providing a raw and unflinching look at the psychological effects of repression on both the oppressed and the oppressor. Pavlovsky’s writing is both poignant and confrontational, using the protagonist’s perspective to challenge audiences to reflect on their own roles within systems of power.