Rapa NuiTheatre: Staging Indigenous Identities in Easter Island, Moira S. Fortin Cornejo (2023).

The article reviews *Rapa Nui Theatre: Staging Indigenous Identities in Easter Island* by Moira S. Fortin Cornejo (2023), which examines the Indigenous theatrical traditions of Rapa Nui (Easter Island), a Chilean territory in Polynesia. Drawing on over twelve years of ethnographic research, the book situates Rapa Nui theatre within its cultural and historical context, highlighting its distinct non-Eurocentric performance practices that integrate storytelling, dance, body painting, and oral narratives linked to Polynesian traditions. Fortin Cornejo explores how local artists engage in the (re)construction of theatre as a form of cultural expression and identity affirmation, particularly through festivals like Tapati Rapa Nui and Mahana o te Re’o, which also support language revitalization. The work offers a detailed account of the island’s creative processes and community interactions, contributing to broader understandings of Pacific performance cultures and Indigenous artistic resilience.