This text is part of the special Theater booklet
Last November, the Quebec Theater Council (CQT) published a research report on the presence of Aboriginal artists and diversity in Quebec theater productions. According to the president of the Theater and cultural diversity committee of the CQT, Charles Bender, there is a movement that is beginning, but there are still challenges to be met.
On stage, the change is more apparent, he says. “I think the first gesture that is made is meant to be a gesture of brilliance, we want people to realize it, he says. Sion brings someone from diversity into its board of directors, it does not show. There is an advantage to going through the stage first. »
However, there is the trap of always using the same people. This is one of the reasons for the existence of the Théâtre de La Sentinelle, the only professional French-speaking company run by Afro-Canadians, founded in 2017 by actors Lyndz Dantiste and Tatiana Zinga Botao, and joined by Philippe Racine. as artistic director.
“When we had graduated, Lyndz and I, roles commensurate with our talent were non-existent, mentions Tatiana Zinga Botao. With the company, we not only wanted to work, but also to be seen. »
beyond the stage
Even if the presence on stage of people from diverse backgrounds is applauded, we must not stop there. For Charles Bender, the scene must be a doorway and not the end. Indeed, beyond the interpretation, there is also the writing, the staging or the conception which require to be invested. “We continue to trust the people we know and it will probably take time if we don’t immediately put in the effort to develop and recognize the skills of people from diverse backgrounds. »
For the Théâtre de La Sentinelle, finding a black director was a real challenge, which underlines the importance of appropriating all trades. “The story is not only told with the texts and the actors, it is also told with the decoration, the light, the sound design, the costumes. It’s a whole, says Tatiana Zinga Botao. That’s what we’re trying to do with La Sentinelle, open the way to all these possibilities. »
The challenge of training
For Charles Bender, the blockages begin in training. “If theater schools do not encourage [la diversité] within their cohort, you lose all those talents, he says. You have to open your horizons on this side, and only then will you begin to see the emergence of a generation of diversity that will be interesting. This will also open the doors to those who are already in the business. »
For Tatiana Zinga Botao, who has been teaching at the National Theater School of Canada since 2021, we must work to make culture more accessible. “That’s also what we want to deconstruct with La Sentinelle, we don’t just want to represent people on stage, but we also want to work upstream,” she says. They say it doesn’t interest the other communities, so you have to go find them. According to the actress, schools are ready to make changes in their practices and to open up to different cultural backgrounds.
Gender diversity in theater
In addition to cultural communities, visibility also concerns artists queer. Having begun exploring her gender identity in 2018, Lé Aubin, who now presents herself as a non-binary artist, couldn’t find many role models. A reality that tends to change slightly.
“Marginalized communities have been speaking out for a long time, but all of a sudden, we start giving them more space,” notes the artist. I say that it was time and we must take advantage of it to make ourselves known. »
Evolving mainly in Quebec City, Lé Aubin believes that there is a difference between the different regions because of their uniqueness. From his experience, “the real safe spaces are rather rare, although they do exist. Things have evolved rapidly in recent years, but we are still at the first steps, the first times. We must continue to move forward in this direction to break down prejudices, clichés and have access to more nuances. »
According to the artist, creation can also serve as a driver of change in an artistic world where too often a binarity is imposed on the characters. “I think there is a responsibility as a creator to write these characters, then to meet the people who can interpret them, who will give them a more accurate breath. I want to come up with certain proposals, with this desire to play a human above all else, I think we can have some imagination in relation to what lies between the two. »