By Desirée Zagbai
Lydie Dubuisson lived next to Black Theatre Workshop (BTW) for three years without knowing it existed. After meeting an artist from BTW she worked her way into success and will make her directorial debut at the theatre with the play Taking Care of Maman.
Taking Care of Maman is about Eli (played by Seeara Lindsay) and her neighbour (played by Alexandra Laferrière), who helps Eli deal with her mother’s struggle with depression during COVID-19. The play evokes the influence of intergenerational relationships and offers the audience a message of hope and healing during difficult times.
Dubuisson began taking theatre seriously in 2018. When she first walked through the doors at BTW, she realized that she could use her playwright skills to achieve her theatre goals.
“It was my first time seeing Black folks doing Shakespeare, doing theatre, not even entertainment, not even back up. It was a whole production of Black people doing Shakespeare, which broke a little of my brain. I thought I needed to get in there, and that was it,” Dubuisson said to the CONTACT.
Dubuisson explained that she faced some challenges throughout her career, such as learning how to enter the theatre industry, working in an office during the day, and then switching to working in a musical theatre with kids and professionals afterward.
Looking back at the hardships, she now sees her progress as a good lesson.
“It was a beautiful journey to learn to respect the people carrying the work and then understand how I could get to the other side and be a part of that industry. Not just a player and always auditioning, but becoming a creator,” Dubuisson emphasized.
Dubuisson said that she hopes children watching the play will understand how to find help during hard times. She wants them to realize they can choose the community with whom they wish to share their personal stories, whether a teacher or someone they trust to help.
She expressed that part of why she loves plays is that people can absorb and observe their message. Some people might connect with a scene that, for example, clarifies why they are in a state of panic.
Dubuisson added that she wants the audience to remember their role while watching plays, which becomes crucial to their experience.
“Remember that as a part of the audience, you’re also a part of the story. Walking into a theatre, you’re part of the story. You’re part of the reactions. You’re part of who’s holding the characters, the people on the stage. So, remember you’re a player in this play and anything else you see. Once you enter and you sit, you’re in the space,” Dubuisson said.
Taking Care of Maman will be performed from Oct.11 to Oct.12. The show on Oct. 11 is sold out, but tickets are available for the Oct. 12 show, which starts at 2 p.m. It will be at the Teesri Duniya Theatre; for more information and tickets: https://blacktheatreworkshop.ca/Taking-Care-of-Maman/.
.
