2024-01-18 22:25:00
The Théâtre Duceppe struggled to recruit actors of Chinese origin for its new play, which opened Wednesday in Montreal and which deals with the massacre in Tian’anmen Square, because several actors feared reprisals from the government Chinese.
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It is difficult to find a more concrete example of the repercussions of Chinese interference on Canadian citizens. “We have no idea to what extent the Chinese regime still has a place in life [des Québécois d’origine chinoise] and influence over their decisions, even if they no longer live in China,” says co-director of the Théâtre Duceppe David Laurin.
The latter was present during the 2020 auditions of the play Chimerica, which will be on display for a month in Montreal. Around twenty Quebec actors of Chinese origin were summoned, the play taking place in French, English and Mandarin.
Image of the play “Chimerica”, currently presented at the Théâtre Duceppe. PHOTO PROVIDED BY Théâtre Duceppe
Never seen
«At lunchtime, we noticed that between half and a third of the actors had not shown up for the audition, which is something that never happens. [dans le milieu du théâtre]. There are so few auditions in Quebec that when there are, I can confirm that the actors travel!” he told the Journal.
It was an interpreter present on site who revealed to the director and director that certain actors had already been hesitant for several days to appear for the auditions, for fear of reprisals from Beijing due to the theme of the play (see down there).
“It was this interpreter who made us understand that these people were risking a lot […] By going to bring these words on stage and say that yes, Tian’anmen, it was really a massacre which left thousands dead, these [comédiens] go against what the Chinese regime wants people to know,” explains David Laurin.
A real risk
Eventually, the six actors needed to run the play were hired, with some of them indicating that they were willing to do so because they planned to never return to China.
“It is [pendant le processus d’auditions] that we understood how serious it was and that it is not a myth when we talk about spying on Chinese nationals. It’s very real. The average salary of an actor in Quebec is not very high. If you refuse to go to an audition because you feel a risk, it means that this risk is serious,” says Mr. Laurin.
The actor Alexandre Goyette also deplored the situation on the microphone of the show Since you have to get up at 98.5 FM, Thursday morning. “It’s revolting, but it’s reality. We talked about the Chinese secret police stations that are located all over Canada […] Asian actors who star in this show […]it’s very courageous of them.”
PHOTO PROVIDED BY Théâtre Duceppe
This fear of reprisals does not surprise pro-democracy activists like McGill cybersecurity professor and spokesperson for Action Free Hong Kong Montreal, Benjamin Fung.
“I’m not surprised. People are afraid of China, even in Canada. This is also the case for the Hong Kong community. When we started organizing events in 2019, we had 200 participants. Today, less than ten people show up. They are afraid of being photographed [par des gens qui travaillent pour le régime chinois]“, he said.
Asked to comment, the Union of Artists said it was “excessively sensitive” to the performers’ fear of reprisals, but indicated that its means of action were limited since the situation concerns a foreign country.
Why are they afraid?
We asked Artur Wilczynski, a former senior national security official now at the University of Ottawa, what motivates some Chinese nationals’ fear of displeasing Beijing.
Q. Do the actors of Chinese origin who refused to participate in this play have reason to fear reprisals?
R. A play that depicts what happened in Beijing at Tiananmen Square is really problematic for the Chinese government. He does not want this historic event to be recognized, particularly by members of the Chinese diaspora. I understand why some actors wanted to avoid taking the risk.
Q. Why is the Chinese government reacting so much to the mention of this historic event?
Editor’s note: Student and worker demonstrations in the spring of 1989 which ended with the deaths of thousands of Chinese.
R. This historic event demonstrated two things: first, that part of the Chinese people are fighting against the government and for democracy. This scares the Communist Party, for whom the most important thing is control. However, what happened in Tian’anmen Square was precisely a lack of control which led China to resort to its military. Thousands of people have been killed by their own government. This is something the government wants to deny and hide at all costs.
Q. Does Beijing really care about what its nationals say and do abroad?
R. It depends. A demonstration or a play commemorating the Tiananmen Square massacre is important enough to displease the government of the People’s Republic of China. It wouldn’t surprise me if a play with this profile would attract interest from the Chinese government. […] There are formal and informal networks that carry out surveillance. In this case, no doubt someone in the community will make a report and send a message to members of the Chinese government who will take note of it.
Q. What are the possible retaliations for a Chinese national in Canada who displeases Beijing?
R. If one wants to return to China, the visa may be rejected. It is then impossible to return to see the family, who themselves may suffer negative consequences. This can affect children’s admission to Chinese universities, access to jobs, etc., since all aspects of life in China are controlled by government decisions.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY Théâtre Duceppe
Chimerica
- Piece by the British Lucy Kirkwood.
- Deals with the legendary photograph of a man who stood alone in front of the column of tanks crossing Beijing, on the second day of the bloody repression in Tian’anmen Square.
- Presented at the Théâtre Duceppe until February 17.
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