The man behind the curtain: theatrics of the state in Algeria

This article examines the construction of state and regime in Algeria through performance and narrative. It is ethnographically centred around a series of events surrounding the demolition, relocation, and reconstitution of a local theatre. I argue that even as Algerians position themselves discursively outside the political regime and deny that they can impact its decisions, they also find pragmatic ways of working with it in order to shape their own futures. I show how narratives of regime omnipotence and citizen impotence simultaneously haunt and fuel various creative means for engaging with the state.