Controlled Damage, a play at Neptune Theatre in Halifax, tells the story of Viola Desmond beautifully.
Perhaps best known to Canadians as a woman who refused to sit in the ‘Negro’ section of the Roseland Theatre in New Glasgow, Controlled Damage shows how much more advocacy and work Desmond had done, but also the intricacies of Black advocacy as a mixed-race or light skin woman. After surviving the Halifax Harbour explosion, Viola went on to be a teacher and though she taught Black students she faced racism from white staff. She left teaching to pursue cosmetology and learned to relax afro-textured hair and made makeup products for melanin skin. It was on a trip selling these products that her car broke down in New Glasgow, and she tried to watch a movie and sat in the wrong section. She was found guilty of evading payment but then fought to have her conviction removed several times. As she fought for justice, her marriage fell apart. Before justice could be brought to her, Desmond moved to New York and passed away.
Controlled Damage shows how difficult life was for Black people in the early 1900s but also the resiliency of community. The play beautifully depicts the difficult balance of being mixed race. Some community members depict Desmond as being too good and not understanding the true issues of dark skinned Black people, while some seemed to feel she was advocating for all Black people even if she was mixed race.
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Through music, dance, monologues and Beyoncé, Controlled Damage epically depicts the real life of Viola Desmond.
Hillary LeBlanc
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