Actress defends role in cancelled production

Kattia Thony, one of the two black actors who were part of the cast of the controversial show SLAV, has taken to social media to defend her decision to participate in the production which has since been cancelled by the Montreal International Jazz Festival.

In a message posted to Facebook on Wednesday, Thony wrote that not only did she have the right to take part in the project, but also a responsibility to do so.

Shewrotethattheshow included a scene fully devoted to Haiti, the land of her ancestors and the first black nation to win its freedom.

Thonyalsosaidshewould not apologize for appearing on the Théâtre du Nouveau Monde stage and making her voice heard, noting that she favoured “union and not division.”

On Wednesday, the jazz fest announced the cancellation of all further performances of SLAV because of the protests sparked by the show, which was directed by Robert Lepage and featured Betty Bonifassi, both of whom are white.

The decision followed an announcement by AfricanAmerican musician Moses Sumney that he was withdrawing from the festival because of the show ’s presence in its programming.

Sumney criticized the show for featuring a white performer and having a white director while containing songs composed by black slaves.

The 28-year-old Sumney took to Twitter to say he could not in good conscience perform in the festival while it continued to defend the controversial production.

For the past week, SLAV has been the focal point of controversy and protests, with critics complaining the show represents a racist appropriation of black culture.