《哈萊姆二重奏》是非裔加拿大女劇作家丹尼爾·西爾絲的經典代表作。在本劇中,作者巧妙地借用了布魯斯音樂中"呼與和"的對比復調和模仿復調敘事技巧,將白人與黑人以及黑人內部復雜矛盾的種族關系和性別關系布局在該劇的敘事結構中。一方面探討了黑人內部在種族、文化身份認同上的矛盾與困惑,傳遞了劇作家對黑人族裔前途命運的深沉之思;另一方面也拷問了當代社會黑人族裔遭受的種族及性別創傷,以獨特的現實主義情懷解構了加拿大宣稱的"多元文化"。通過"呼與和"演繹與變奏的敘事形式,西爾絲實現了從"黑人她者"的視角對莎士比亞《奧賽羅》的后殖民再寫,開拓了基于非洲文化的創作模式,形成了獨特的自我書寫。

Harlem Duet is a representative work by African Canadian female playwright Djanet Sears. In this drama, she delicately borrows the narrative skills of counterpoint and imitation polyphony from Blues to signify racial and sexual relationship between the black and white as well as the relationship among the black community. With this narrative strategy, she not only explores the contradiction and confusion of black people about their racial and cultural identity, conveying her deep thoughts on the destiny of black ethnic group, but also exposes their race and gender trauma in contemporary society deconstructing the alleged multicultural policy of Canadian government. And finally by interpretation and variation of call and response, Sears expands writing modes based on African culture, forming her unique self-writing by rewriting Shakespeare’s Othello from the perspective of a female black woman.