Patti Shaughnessy Brings a Collaborative Vision to Crees in the Caribbean

June 1, 2026

By: Don Kearney-Bourque

Lighthouse Festival 2026 Summer Season

When Crees in the Caribbean takes the stage as Lighthouse Festival’s second production of the 2026 summer season, audiences will be treated to a heartfelt comedy guided by one of Canada’s most respected theatre artists.

Director Patti Shaughnessy has built a career around creating theatre that is collaborative, thoughtful, and deeply rooted in relationships. Those qualities make her a natural fit for Drew Hayden Taylor’s Crees in the Caribbean, a witty and moving comedy about Evie and Cecil Poundmaker, a Cree couple celebrating their 35th wedding anniversary with their first trip abroad; a Mexican resort vacation gifted by their children.

For Shaughnessy, theatre is never created in isolation. She believes the most meaningful productions emerge through collaboration, with artists bringing together their unique perspectives, experiences, and talents.

“Theatre rarely emerges from certainty,” says Shaughnessy. “More often, it emerges from the weaving together of people, stories, energies, histories, and relationships.”

That philosophy has shaped her approach to directing Crees in the Caribbean. Rather than focusing on a single artistic vision, Shaughnessy sees her role as helping connect the many creative elements that bring a story to life.

“For me, directing is less about imposing a singular vision and more about carefully weaving together the many strands that make a production live and breathe,” she explains.

The image of weaving is one that resonates deeply with Shaughnessy. Drawing inspiration from the Anishinaabeg concept of O’Kaadenigan Wiingashk – a braid of sweetgrass woven from many strands – she views theatre as a collective act of creation. Actors, designers, technicians, musicians, movement artists, and storytellers each contribute an essential thread to the final work.

At the centre of Crees in the Caribbean are relationships; something that particularly excites Shaughnessy about the play. While audiences can expect plenty of laughter, she believes the comedy’s emotional core is what makes it so compelling.

“What interests me most are the relationships at the centre of the piece,” says Shaughnessy. “The humour, tensions, misunderstandings, and moments of connection that emerge as people try to make sense of themselves and each other.”

Taylor’s script balances sharp humour with moments of reflection as Evie and Cecil navigate unfamiliar surroundings, cultural encounters, and discoveries about themselves and one another. It is a story that celebrates love, resilience, and the enduring importance of family and community.

As rehearsals continue, Shaughnessy is also looking forward to sharing the production with audiences along the shores of Lake Erie, a region she feels has its own rich connections to storytelling and gathering.

“I’m looking forward to directing this work in Port Dover, along the north shore of Lake Erie,” she says. “It’s a place shaped by water, movement, gathering, and layered histories of story and connection.”

With Shaughnessy at the helm, Crees in the Caribbean promises to deliver the humour audiences expect from Drew Hayden Taylor while offering a thoughtful exploration of identity, relationships, and the journeys, both literal and emotional, that can change us forever.

Crees in the Caribbean runs at Lighthouse Theatre in Port Dover from June 17 to July 4 before moving to Roselawn Theatre in Port Colborne from July 8 to July 19.