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Lisa C. Ravensbergen

Laara Sadiq

Mercedes Baines

Maiko Bae Yamamoto

Margo Kane

Donna Spencer

what we do

A Place of Critical Mass

In our she-she conversation at The Steam house you said, "I didn't think of myself that different until I went into the theatre world." Could you explain?

I think what I meant was, I was aware of my face. But I did not think my face would be an impediment to pursuing theatre. Not my features, but my brown skin. I know that all actors are cast by their type, but it seems that white actors are allowed a greater range of types than actors of color.

It seems that the women artists I know that are of diverse backgrounds have become much more than they initially bargained for. Do you think it has ultimately made you a better artist?

Yes, and no. On good days I believe that I have become a more well rounded and grounded artist because I am able TO realize my art - write, act, direct and produce; on bad days, when I am feeling fatigue from the act of producing my own work and begin to fantasize about jobs with dental coverage, I wonder if I am pulling myself to tight and think it might be better to focus on one thing to really hone my craft. I have more good days than bad, I am glad to say and I do believe that becoming a theatre artist requires a full knowledge of what it means to create theatre.

As an "artist of colour" can you separate art from politics? Is this a burden we have to carry, or an evolution? Do you feel we can lose the labels that marginalize our work?

Can you separate art from politics? No. Art is political. A brown woman on stage telling stories is political. It doesn't matter if we don't want it to be that way, it just is. So, if I accept that and better yet embrace it, then it can be an evolution; however, I do find though at times it is a burden. I am not interested in writing about my brown skin in every play I write. I have done it, and I may do it again. But I am more than what my parents made me and those are the things I want to write about; that may include my experience of being a racially mixed woman in Canada or it may not. I think that is political too, because there is an expectation that the brown folks will solely write for themselves and it is then much easier to maintain status quo and remain in the margins of artistic expression. I have to say that I do feel the pressure when I am writing sometimes because I know there are not many women artists of color who are producing. I feel a responsibility to nail it every time so that there will be no excuses as to why artists of color work is not produced. I have to put this pressure aside or I will not be able to write. There has to be room for learning and growing from failure. But when there are only a few folks out there then it is harder to come back from a failed attempt. A big theatre company can have a few flops and it does not bury them. It is sadly not the same for the independent artist and especially the independent artist of colour.

Sitting in the middle of a business restaurant at lunch hour watching suits eat lunch and talk I was intrigued by "your talk"? Can "cultural diversity" and "theatre" ever equal "good business"?

Yes, that's the biggest secret! Take a look around. What faces do you see? In the urban centres in Canada the faces of Canadians are diverse. Are they coming to theatre? No? Why? Perhaps they don't have good reason to go. They don't see themselves reflected in the work that is being produced. I think there is a huge untapped resource for audience development. I think it will mean the difference between surviving and thriving.

Tell me about your theories of critical mass and what you are seeing now? What you are experiencing as an undeniable part of that critical mass?

I believe we are approaching a place of critical mass where artists of color will become undeniable, that it will not matter what stories they are telling - they will be told over and over. It makes sound business sense for larger producing companies to create partnerships with artists who have connections with a potentially more diverse audience base. We still have a ways to go, but I can see the faces gradually changing in the theatre community. I think some of the resistance has to do with a poverty mind set (glass half empty attitude). That is, if the artists of color get stuff, then what about the rest of us? I see it differently. We will become stronger when we connect with each other - more audience, more revenue, more funding, better work because we are being paid for our time. Our work grows because of the creative partnerships that are forming. We are not taking from each other but filling up the glass to over flowing. We are not there yet, but we could be. With good will, trust and open hearts and minds we could be there and benefiting from what we all can bring to the table.