Suitcases: Heath Salazar helps give voice to those who were silenced for being different

by Drew Rowsome

Suitcases is a production based on the discovery of the Willard Aslyum suitcases. The suitcases and their contents were photographed by Jon Crispin and an art project became a powerful history of people history had tried to erase. As Crispin writes,

In 1995, the New York State Office of Mental Health closed the Willard Psychiatric Center in Willard, NY. It would eventually become a state-run drug rehabilitation center for prisoners. A Willard employee, Bev Courtwright, was given the task of going through all of the psych center buildings to determine what should be salvaged. She unlocked an attic door behind which was a collection of over 400 suitcases containing the possessions of former patients. The cases had been put into storage when their owners were admitted to Willard sometime between 1910 and 1960. And since the facility was set up to help people with chronic mental illness, most of these folks never left, and many were buried in the cemetery across the road.

Suitcases has been previously presented at Canadian Stage but this full production, with another to follow, expands on the original and delves deeper into the source material. Cast member Heath Salazar - dancer, actor, Dora Award winner, singer with Josh Groban and also the delightful drag persona Gay Jesus - shared their thoughts on the production:

These suitcases belonged to real people. The stories we were reading actually happened to someone. When director Rosanna Saracino talks about the creation, she often refers to it as "a love letter to anyone who has suffered in silence, and faced the consequences of stereotyping, judgement, isolation, secrecy, or fear. It is a tribute to anyone who has been persecuted for being different." The suitcases of Willard Asylum have taught our cast not only about history, but also about hope and resilience. There is a beautiful solidarity that has blossomed throughout the process and a sense of honour in having the opportunity to share what these truths have inspired.

Many discussions circled around why people were being sent to asylums to begin with. That was often followed by looking at how patients were being treated for their varying conditions and how many of those treatments were actually helping them. There were also many moments of checking in and being thankful for how far we've come in terms of acceptance and treatments of mental illness. At times, it was also a struggle to notice the things that hadn't changed or that had simply evolved into different forms of isolation.

So many members within our queer community have been persecuted for being exactly who they are. A lot of the patients we studied over the course of developing Suitcases were put into asylums simply for being a part of the LGBTQ+ community. Our people know too well what it feels like to pack their suitcase in order to find a safer place to live. Others have had their suitcases packed for them and are currently in conversion therapy and/or prisons around the world. Too many have lost their lives at the hands of ignorance. Suitcases is an ode to those who have been made to feel that what makes them different is wrong. It’s a beacon reminding you that there is always hope even in the bleakest of circumstances.The queer community is full of survivors, warriors and superheroes. In many ways, I feel that Suitcases is a tribute to them and a reminder that they are never alone.

The rehearsal process felt surprisingly organic for a cast of this size [22 performers, guest writers and artists including Brad Fraser]. We had everyone together about once a week or so which always felt like a bit of a reunion. Apart from that, each rehearsal often had a different number of people.
In the beginning, we spent a lot of time getting to discuss and explore the material. Having a different mix of people from rehearsal to rehearsal allowed for us as creators to take the time to hear the individual voices that we were working with and play in a more intimate setting. We then started moving into fleshing out the show which Rosanna and Linda Garneau, our choreographer, did brilliantly. They would create a structure while leaving space for influence by the people who would be added in later on. Throughout the entire process, the cast worked together to catch each other up on material someone may have missed or changes that were made. I think that in the end, our rehearsal process actually ended up serving not only the cast dynamic, but the storytelling as well.

More from Heath Salazar on Suitcases at drewrowsome.blogspot.ca