Lorraine Brooks, Director, Actor, and Artist. Photo Courtesy of Laurel Mill Playhouse
Regional and community theatre allow us to watch productions that we might never have a chance to see live onstage. Sometimes, venues are just too far away or too costly. Sometimes larger, more famous venues do not have the financial ability to take chances on a small or unknown production. Local theatre often provides that function, mounting productions that are original or lesser known.
I had never heard of “Consecrated Ground” before Laurel Mill Playhouse, one of these important local theatres, put it on their schedule. It was first written in 1999, and it did get noticed due to its plot that follows a woman in 1965 who lived in Africville, in Nova Scotia, Canada. It was written by African-Canadian, George E. Boyd. Africville was a Black community in the province that was ignored by the government for years and raised against the wishes of the residents in 1965. The town was the oldest Black community in Canada, and many residents fled there before the Civil War, via the Underground Railroad. Boyd was from Halifax. He is primarily known as the first Black national newscaster for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. In addition, Boyd wrote several plays and films.
“Consecrated Ground” was nominated for a Governor General’s Award for drama. Boyd wrote several dramas about the black Canadian community until his death in 2020 at the age of 68. Lorraine Brooks, who has appeared at Laurel Mill Playhouse in “Vagina Monologues,” is making her directorial debut with “Consecrated Ground.”
I had a chance to chat with her about this important production.
Lorraine Brooks is originally from New York City. She is excited to be making her directorial debut at Laurel Mill. She has appeared onstage at LMP in several productions, most recently in “Vagina Monologues” in 2022. She has also appeared with Vagabond Players in Baltimore, Upstage Artists in Beltsville, and Upcounty Players in Germantown. For over 20 years, she hosted “Health Center,” a public health cable TV show in NYC, and she is a founding member of Red Round Group, a collaborative of artists, writers, filmmakers, and musicians. She also founded Retro Radio Players, a group of actors recreating classic radio scripts. In addition to acting and directing, Lorraine is also an accomplished artist whose work is in collections in the U.S., UK, Netherlands, and the Caribbean. Her work can be seen at lorrainebrooks.biz, and heard on Spotify at Retro Radio Players. She thanks her friends and her partner for their support and encouragement and most of all, their patience.
What drew you to the script “Consecrated Ground?”
I first learned about this play a few years ago from a friend of mine who is a professor at Howard. She taught a course in literature that included an analysis of this play. When she told me the story, I found it intriguing, so I read the play and decided I wanted to do something with it. I think it really resonated with me because my mother was Canadian (the play is set in Canada), and I remember her telling me that she and her family had experienced racism in Canada when she was growing up there 100 years ago.
We always think of Canada as more progressive in civil rights for Black people (not so much indigenous people). What did you learn about Canada’s response to what happened in Nova Scotia?
Since my mother had told me a few stories of racism in Canada, I wasn’t surprised at the fact that racism existed. What did shock me was the extent to which the community of Africville had been neglected by the Canadian government. The play is set in 1965, well within my lifetime, and this community didn’t even have running water or paved streets. It is shocking to think that so recently there were groups of people who did not have even the most basic of services provided to them. I think we always thought of Canada as being more progressive—after all, it was the “destination” for the Underground Railroad. We were taught that people escaping slavery here in the US traveled many miles through the Underground Railroad to get to Canada where they would be “free” and able to make new lives for themselves without the fear of capture or further servitude. While they may have been free from the formal institution of slavery, they were by no means welcome, nor were there any more opportunities or advantages to them in Canada. In fact, many of the people who settled in Africville were former US slaves who had escaped to Canada. In Canada, they were relegated to live in certain areas, banned from certain professions and jobs, and denied many civil and human rights.
In terms of Canada’s “response” to what happened in Africville, I think it is more relevant to discuss Africville’s “response” to what Canada did to them! (It’s not what happened, it’s what was done to them. If we say it in the passive voice—what happened—we are not putting the responsibility where it belongs, which is with the Canadian government.) The residents of Africville believed that the Nova Scotian government deliberately neglected them by not providing basic services which they, as tax-paying citizens, deserved and earned. They also felt by locating objectionable facilities—such as a prison, an infectious disease hospital, and garbage dump—on the outskirts of the Africville, the government deliberately and intentionally caused the already deplorable conditions to become unlivable and subject to inevitable condemnation. The Nova Scotia government did issue an “apology” in February 2010, but most Africville residents and descendants consider the apology to be too little, too late, and just another insincere promise (in a long line of promises that the government did not live up to).
To this day (March 15, 2023) the Nova Scotia government has not rebuilt Seaview Baptist Church, nor have they given any (promised) compensation to the residents. They did build a structure that was based on the design of the original church, on the approximate location of the original church, but it is designated as a museum, not a house of worship. The community that was based on this common faith and place of congregation was dispersed, leading to the breakdown of relationships, families, and sense of purpose for many.
What do you hope your audience will bring away from the play?
I think that this is a story that needs to be told. Not only is it of historical relevance, but it is also current events, as this scenario is still played out in cities all over the U.S., and I presume, Canada as well. Right now, right here in Baltimore, the community of Poppleton is facing similar challenges that echo what happened in Africville. Communities are “redlined,” services are curtailed, funds are funneled elsewhere, and neighborhoods decline. Then governments swoop in under the guise of “urban renewal” or “gentrification” and suddenly, what was once a blighted community (usually comprising people of color) is transformed into a thriving, pulsating, desirable location, with all the amenities that had been denied the previous occupants. I want people to become more aware of these situations, to become educated as to how circumstances like this happen, and perhaps gain an understanding of the dynamics of racially motivated decisions and assumptions. I want them to feel a sense of outrage at the way people of color have been treated, and perhaps be more mindful of their own learned biases and preconceived notions.
I noticed you are a visual artist as well as a performing artist. This is your first chance as a director. Do you think you will do more directing or would you rather concentrate on acting or visual arts?
I am enjoying the challenges of directing. As a director, you are responsible for the overall vision and presentation—how it looks, how it sounds, what aspects of the characters you want to emphasize, etc. Fortunately, I have chosen a wonderful group of people to assist me, without whom I couldn’t have succeeded. Jacqueline Youm is my assistant director, Joyce Camper is the technical advisor, Celeste Davis does sound and lights, and Jana King is my stage manager. All of these talented and energetic WOMEN have made my job a lot easier because of their cooperation and support.
In some ways I am happy I don’t have the pressure of having to learn lines! And it is fun to see my vision come to life. From the first time I saw the words on the page, to now seeing a full production, it has been rewarding in ways. It is hard to describe. I think I would like to direct again if the material is something that resonates with me, and, of course, I will continue to do my own art as a hobby and pastime.
What is your next venture in either visual arts or theater? If you don’t have something in the near future, what would you wish could be your next theatrical production?
I don’t want to give too much away, but I am looking at other African American-themed plays for a possible future directorial turn. I would like to encourage more Black youth to get involved in the theater, as participants as well as patrons. I think that if more material is presented, people will become more interested in stories that are relevant to them and reflect their life experiences—not just current popular culture, but historical dramas, stories about little-known events like Africville, and stories of hope.
“Consecrated Ground” runs weekends March 24-April 8, 2023 at Laurel Mill Playhouse, 508 Main Street, Laurel MD 20707. It is produced by Maureen Rogers. For more information and tickets, call 301.617.9906 or go online. While LMP does not require vaccination cards and masks, it strongly urges all patrons to be vaccinated and wear masks.
