Deborah Lawlor

Colourful and Vibrant Pioneers

Deborah, and her husband Robert, were pioneers in Forecomers at the end of the 1960s and presented the first harvest from Auroville to Mother. They were responsible for the first infrastructure of the community, named ‘Forecomers’ by Mother and, with a background in dance and theatre, they famously presented a torchlit drama in the Forecomers canyons during which Deborah danced. The pair also built a first check dam in the canyon by hand.

Having returned to USA in the mid-70s, Deborah eventually moved to Los Angeles where she co-founded the Fountain Theatre, known for its festivals of flamenco dance and with which she worked for three decades

Her artistic skills and outgoing nature made her loved by many, and those of us who were around at the time, will never forget her colourful and highly artistic rendering of the then still budding Forecomers community.