Controlled Damage
Spriet Stage | January 17 to 29, 2023
On November 8, 1946, Black Nova Scotian, Viola Desmond walked into the whites-only section of the Roseland Theatre in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia. Unaware that the theatre was segregated, Viola took a seat on the main floor, instead of in the balcony where Black patrons were expected to sit. She was eventually arrested and dragged from the theatre.
In Controlled Damage, award-winning playwright Andrea Scott illuminates the story of Viola Desmond – a woman who took a stand against racial discrimination, by taking a seat at a theatre.
