By Cynthia Cheponis
The plight of refugees around the world came to life recently in a play by Centretown’s Broken English Theatre Company.
Freedom House tells the story of Zahra, a refugee from the Middle East who has many difficulties adjusting to her new life in Canada. Bernadette Hendrickx, BET’s artistic director and the playwright of Freedom House, says the story is about the feeling of displacement most refugees have when they arrive in a new country.
“They (the refugees) just don’t feel like they’ll ever fit in, they’re so lonely and scared,” she says.
The play was inspired by pieces submitted during BET’s annual writing competition for immigrants. Zahra’s story is a true story, and the play asks the audience members to imagine themselves in her position.
“Her story is heart-wrenching,” says Hendrickx. “She has no country, no identity, nothing. (Ask yourself), how does that feel, having to leave everything behind?”
The play’s title, Freedom House, is symbolic of a sheltering country and a place of peace, which is what Canada is supposed to be to refugees.
A recent survey done by the Catholic Immigration Centre showed that many refugees never get over the feeling of being an outsider, says executive director Carl Nicholson.
“There’s a feeling of statelessness that can be quite depressing. (One person said) that, after 10 years, the culture still seems very strange and he still doesn’t feel like he fits in,” says Nicholson.
The other characters are an immigrant, a natural-born Canadian, and a homeless person. Hendrickx says all the characters suffer from feelings of loss and confusion, and as the story progresses they each come to a decision about how to better live their lives.
“They find a way of dealing with it. They know they can choose to look at things in a different way,” she says.
The play was directed by Jafar Vali, an Iranian immigrant who came to Canada seven years ago. This was his first time directing a play with BET, though he has acted with them before. He hopes the play will have a unifying effect on audiences.
“The beauty of art is that it speaks to all the world, not only a part of the world. The play is not just for refugees,” Vali says.
Hendrickx wrote the original version of the play more than a year ago. After the terrorist attacks in the United States on Sept. 11 and the resulting increase in the flow of Afghan refugees, she quickly redrafted the piece. She consulted with a refugee lawyer while researching to ensure accuracy.
“This is a typical story. You’re being attacked, you’re going to a camp, and if you’re not chosen by a UN officer (for resettlement) you have to borrow, beg, and steal to get this passport to come to Canada.”