Shanice Pereira

We live in a world where history repeats itself—where trauma is passed down, where old wounds refuse to heal, and where darkness often feels overwhelming. But The Coven is a story of resistance, forgiveness, and finding light in the shadows. It’s a play that asks: How do we confront what haunts us? How do we move forward when the past still lingers?

At its core, this is a play about family, about the weight of ancestry, and about reclaiming power over our own stories. It draws from the cultural richness of Guyana, a nation built through the pain of colonization but defined by resilience. Through its surrealist, supernatural lens, The Coven explores what it means to carry history in our blood—and how we might finally set ourselves free.

This new intergenerational play by Shanice Pereira has been lovingly and carefully woven together from a gifted poem, a history of cultural traditions, and will to explore healing through theatre. Since its inception, The Coven has undergone workshops and development, and now enters its final workshop, readying the piece for production.

The first iteration of The Coven was presented digitally in the 2021 Youth Infringement Festival where the One Act version of The Coven, Directed by Anne Hamels won Audience Choice and Jury Choice Best of Fest!

More information here: https://www.youthinfringement.ca/festival-2021

Opening Scene of the Zoom iteration of The Coven for YIF 2021

After the Youth Infringement Festival, The Coven has continued to grow and change through development work in Fall 2023 in the TACTICS Development Series where we developed choreography, explored the story and created music for the production.

The most recent round of development was supported by the Ontario Arts Council and the City of Ottawa. In Fall 2024 we continued to explore the world of The Coven through the creation of new choreography with the addition of ensemble dancers and the expansion of blocking to bring the power of The Shadow to life. Video of this work is available here:

The Coven continues development in Spring 2025. Building on choreography and exploring text, the dynamic creative team of Shanice Pereira (Playwright + Director), Micah Jondel DeShazer (Movement Director), and Xavier Magloire (Sound Designer) are joined by a full cast of actors, lighting designer and stage manager to present the first full workshop presentation of The Coven.

View the expansive and nuanced exploration of this new work when it is presented at LabO Theatre in Ottawa in TACTICS’ Sunset Season for a staged reading including select scenes of choreography and blocking of this mystifying and intriguing new Caribbean-Canadian play. This pivotal development is supported by The City of Ottawa, The Black Theatre Workshop and TACTICS.

Are you interested in supporting emerging Canadian talent? Consider supporting this workshop presentation to fund local artists and support new voices in theatre. Please contact Shanice Pereira if interested.