Hostile heckler ‘hijacks’ North Vancouver play that tackles racism

NORTH VANCOUVER ( NEWS 1130) — An unexpected exchange between an actor and audience member during a satirical play in North Vancouver exposed the white privilege the show tries to tackle.

“The Shipment” opens with a brash standup set where Omari Newton says he embodies famous black comics like Richard Pryor and Chris Rock.

While performing, an elderly white woman heckled Newton over the content.

“On the way out [she] basically walked on to the stage and came up to me,” he says. “And gave me the middle finger.”

https://www.facebook.com/omari.newton/posts/10162310415215203?__tn__=K-R

Newton says he remained in character.

“I gave her the finger back and had some funny but choice words, which you sometimes have to do as a comedian when dealing with hecklers,” he explains, adding the crowd “cheered as she skulked out of the theatre.”

In the immediate aftermath, Newton says he was angry.

“As a black man in 2019, I just thought it was absurd that this person felt so entitled and emboldened to hijack a moment like that at an all-black theatre show which rarely happens in Vanocuver.”

The hostile interruption was a hot-topic during the question and answer period after the show.

“It was so absurd, it was so on-brand with the type of white privilege we were talking about, that people thought we had a plant in the audience to highlight white privilege.”

In retrospect, Newton agrees the woman’s behaviour “spoke to exactly the kind of privilege we want to address in the show”

He notes performances in East Vancouver went off without a hitch.

The playwright got in touch with Newton after seeing his social media posts to express her shock and solidarity.

“[She told me] They toured the world with this show and all over the states and they never had something this egregious happen”

OMG I just read the Facebook post. I’m so sorry this happened to you, this is horrifying. I remember telling my cast that they should feel free to do whatever they wanted in situations when audience members were acting out, including walking off stage and not coming back on.

— Young Jean Lee (@YoungJean_Lee) October 11, 2019

The crowd at the theatre on Thursday was modest–just 17 people. After Newton took to social media, attendance quadrupled.

“It was very heartening to see the community rally behind the show,” he says. “It is sometimes uncomfortable I think it’s necessary for people to feel the discomfort that people of colour often have to feel and white people often don’t.”

The play’s last performance at the Presentation House Theatre is scheduled for Oct. 12 at 7:30 p.m.