LISTEN: Theatre group asks audiences what reconciliation means to them?

By Windspeaker.com Staff

With files from Dustin McGladrey of CFWE-FM

Theatre for Living is exploring what reconciliation looks like on the ground, said David Ng, the show’s outreach coordinator.

They are bringing a production to tour Alberta called šxʷʔam̓ət (home) starting in Peace River on Feb. 8 and ending in Calgary on Feb. 18. Then the production goes home to Vancouver for nine final shows at the Firehall Arts Centre from March 2 to March 10.

The cast, with participation from the audience, will strive to discover what behavior changes need to happen between people day-to-day for reconciliation to be real and meaningful.

The production is unique in that it requires audience participation. The play will run-through twice, with the first run of a story that builds into a crisis, but offers no solutions. In the second run-through the audience is invited to stop the action at any time and replace a character to try to offer solutions to the barriers toward reconciliation.

“So its kind of a fun interactive way that people can literally get up off of their seats and try out a way forward towards reconciliation, said Ng.

The actors are made up of non-Indigenous and Indigenous people whose work is informed by their own “lived experiences” in order to react to the interventions offered by audience members. Cast members are Mutya Macatumpag, Joey Lespérance, Rev. Margaret Roberts, Sam Seward (Squamish/Snuneymuxw), Madeline Terbasket (Okanagan, Ho-Cak & Anishnabe), Asivak Koostachin (Inuk/Cree), and Nayden Palosaari (Cree).

Sometimes the interventions don’t work, but they can always be learned from, said Ng.

The Theatre for Living company will be devolving so this will be its last tour. For information about the performances and locations, visit http://www.theatreforliving.com/present_work/sxwPamet/index.html