The Toll of Suicide
It was a first for playwright Andrew Lee, being commissioned to create a production. Add to the challenge the complex theme of suicide.
“You put together a proposal and then say ‘oh no, now I actually have to figure out how to do this,’” says Lee with a chuckle.
Writing about mental health issues is not out of the ordinary for the Toronto teacher living in Hamilton. His previous work Subway Extension to the Mariana Trench focuses in detail on the lives of four people riding a crowded Toronto subway car when another passenger takes his own life, but no one sees the tragedy unfold.
“The story is really about the other people on the subway car,” adds Lee. The work has earned the writer numerous awards, including Best New Play at the Hamilton Fringe Festival.
It also brought Lee to the attention of St. Joseph's, in particular a committee looking to tackle the issue of suicide in a different way with a hope of reaching a broader audience.
“Theatre appeals to such a wide and diverse range of people,” says Fiona Wilson, Manager of Patient and Family Collaborative Supports. “It is a way of dealing with difficult topics and concepts through the art of story-telling.”
“We had been looking at a few different plays that had already been performed and received good reviews,” adds Wilson who heads the committee. Although ‘Subway Extension’ didn’t quite hit the mark, it introduced the group to Lee’s abilities.
“In conversations with Andrew we decided that commissioning a play to be written was a great option.”
Beyond the theme, the parameters Lee had to work within were broad. He knew a story of this nature had to be carefully crafted.
“You can’t tell the story directly. If you tell it too directly, people when they read it or see it on stage tend to react by pulling away. Like you’re telling them how to feel or how they should think.” Lee continues, “…if you write something that leaves a little space… they have to figure something out. Then they’re going to draw conclusions. And those conclusions are going to have a lot more emotional investment.”
Another element he decided early on involved the ripple effect.
“If you’re telling a singular story, suicide affects everybody around that person.” That formed the concept for the play: one main character and four other characters that have some type of connection to her.
Current movies and television shows tend to focus the topic on young characters. Lee was surprised when his own research revealed men in their 40s, 50s and 60s turn to suicide in far greater numbers. It was important to broaden his storyline to make sure it would ring true.
To assist in making the material authentic, St. Joe’s provided Lee with conversational content gleaned from informal interviews with suicide survivors and family members. It helped to affirm the direction he was taking and the experiences he was creating for each character.
What has emerged is a powerful script that has been placed in the hands of Toronto director Cassidy Sadler and actor Liz Der. For the audience, it was 60 minutes of emotionally charged theatre.
“If this gives people something to think about, and hopefully something to talk about then this has been successful,” says Lee.
“It would be nice if they think it’s a good play as well.”
The free premiere performance of If you know Emmaline took to the stage on Monday, September 10 at the McIntyre Performing Arts Centre at Mohawk College. In attendance was more than 200 guests who also engaged with a panel discussion with experts from St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton.
Sponsored by St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton
Supported by Mohawk College, McMaster Department of Psychiatry, and the Suicide Prevention Community Council of Hamilton