The term “Whitewashing” often refers to white actors portraying racialized characters. In this performance, Rébecca Chaillon redefines and reclaims the term to address skin lightening. She reveals how the pressures of racism diminish the self-esteem of Black women, weaving her way out of mainstream beauty standards. On stage she explores the tension of being a Black cleaning woman in a white society by scrubbing bleach on the floor, then on her own skin. She creates a ritual of skin and hair care that affirms their distinct existence against the alienating force of discrimination. The audience is invited to watch closely, as a body that society tries to render invisible becomes increasingly visible and undamaged.  

Whitewashing is the smaller sister of Chaillon’s epic work: Carte noire nommée désire. With seven performers of African descent coming from various artistic backgrounds, she creates a community on stage that embarks on a poetic journey of initiation into a country whose imagination hasn’t gone through decolonization. 

In her work, Chaillon crafts a profound disarray that spills words, inverts images, and elevates bodies. How can one cultivate desire in a society where machismo and colonialism continue to taint imaginations? This sharing of revolt and wounds comes with a price for everyone involved—performers and spectators alike. 

Rébecca Chaillon, an author, director, and performer, draws inspiration from her multiple identities to create bold and transgressive performances that incorporate her practice of artistic self-makeup and her fascination with food. Born in Martinique and raised in Picardy, she began her artistic journey in Paris, studying performing arts at the Conservatoire of the 20th arrondissement. She has worked with theatre companies like Entrées de jeu and she founded her own company: Dans le Ventre, in 2006. 

She has created a solo performance, L’Estomac dans la peau (winner of the CNT/ARCENA award in the Plural Dramaturgies category in 2012), as well as short performance pieces, featured in numerous festivals and venues such as La Ferme du Buisson and the Scène Nationale d’Orléans. Her next creation, Monstres d’amour (je vais te donner une bonne raison de crier), is a duo with her main collaborator Elisa Monteil, centered around amorous cannibalism and Issei Sagawa.  

Chaillons artistic pursuits extend beyond traditional theatre to screen acting and documentary involvement, focusing on performance art and societal issues. Recognized for her inventive approach, she was appointed as an associated artist at Théâtre de la Manufacture – CDN de Nancy.