www.haitiantimes.com
By Jo Haselhoef
The Haitian Times is sharing profiles of individuals and groups driving change in their communities throughout Haitian Heritage Month. This installment looks at Lanise Antoine Shelley, a Haitian-American actor whose work is bringing more diversity to theatre and deeper perspectives to adoption conversations.
CHICAGO – The sonorous voice of Lanise Antoine Shelley starts her Saturday-morning podcast — not with acting tips or talk of her upcoming play — but with how to understand the nuances of interracial and international adoption. “When They Were Young: Amplifying Voices of Adoptees” is borne of Shelley’s own experiences of self-doubt as an adoptee from Haiti.
In October 2020 on her birthday, an event that often triggers adoptees, Shelley acknowledged her own self worth on that day’s episode, saying: “I’ve come to find my voice in this community is valid, necessary and needed.”
In a similar vein, the House Theatre of Chicago, one of the Windy City’s ensemble companies renowned for award-winning plays, wrangled with its own identity in the aftermath of the pandemic and racial unrest of 2020. The events challenged the theatre’s status quo — its scripts, its acting company, its entire outlook. Its longtime artistic director resigned and the board of directors looked for new direction and leadership.
In Shelley, an actor and director familiar to Chicago audiences, they found both. She joined as the artistic director in March 2021.
“We can only move forward and expand into the full force of our greatness when we understand why we are afraid.”
LANISE ANTOINE SHELLEY
“Not all actors, or even just people, do the best job of asking for what they need,” said Celeste M. Cooper, an actor who has worked with Shelley. “She’s not asking for permission ahead of time. Fearlessness is really what I’m saying. She’s bold and courageous.”
Case in point: for her first season, Shelley chose “The Tragedy of King Christophe,” Aimé Césaire’s play about Haiti’s first and only king. Set immediately after the Haitian revolution of 1804, the play nevertheless explores issues society still wrestles with today — colorism, leadership and Haiti’s relationship to other countries.
“We need impact, we need to go deeper,” said Shelley about her selection of the tragedy, which features more Black actors and themes than the theatre had ever produced.
“We need to ask hard questions of ourselves and elevate our artmaking by doing introspective work,” Shelley said. “Our art must be meaningful and, therefore, indelible.”
Shelley’s strong direction thrusts Haitian dance, singing and community — aspects that captivate and hold the audience’s attention. The production, which runs through May 29, brought in voice coaches to help actors sound authentic for the era. It is the North American premiere.
During the final scene at a recent viewing of the play, audience members sat forward, enraptured by the main character’s demise.
“It’s essential when the tragedy happens, we, as an audience, feel sorrowful. We must mourn the death of Christophe,” Shelley said.
She learned to journey early on
Not too far from Cap-Haitien, where Roi Christophe’s story took place, is a quaint, verdant town called St. Michel de l’Attalaye in the Artibonite region. Shelley and her sister, Jessi, were adopted by Karla Shelley Albert at ages 4 and 5, respectively, from an orphanage there.
Albert, a single white woman from Chico, Calif., returned to Haiti with her daughters as often as three times each year during the 1980s. She led groups of fellow American volunteers to work at the orphanage. Over 40 years, the small facility transformed into Fondation pour les Enfants d’Haiti, which now employs a staff of over 200. It includes Hope Hospital, three educational institutions and a home for children, including those with disabilities.
Albert is now president of the United States’ board for the foundation, USFCH.
“We were always connected to our heritage in that way,” said Shelley, “understanding our adoption … making sure everything we did growing up led us back to the humanitarian work that shaped our lives.”
Shelley studied classical acting — sometimes called “the Shakespearean style” — which focuses on control and precision in performance. Classical actors are action-oriented, rather than emotion-oriented, when bringing their characters to life.
She has studied in five countries, including a residency at the Moscow Art Theatre School as part of her Master in Fine Arts program at Harvard University. In 2021, Shelley was chosen the Drama League’s sole Classical Directing Fellow.
“Our upbringing informs; it is not an indictment.”
LANISE ANTOINE SHELLEY
“Shelley had these recordings from our dialect teacher, and she would constantly be working on them— not even that they were an assignment,” said her college roommate Cassy Sanders, now an actor and director in Los Angeles. “She was just the kind of person who was looking for ways to grow and be better.”
Part of that growth included coming to terms with her adoption. And on her podcast, Shelley looks at the nuances and complexities of adoptions. The series attempts to answer the question, “How can we support these adoptees, who are now adults, grappling with the trauma of being adopted?” Shelley said.
She and her guests share tools for healing, encourage self-care practices and promote mental health.
“That’s where my relationship is right now with Haiti,” said Shelley. “It’s about connecting with other Haitian adoptees, connecting with other international adoptees and supporting the healing journey that we’re all on.”
