MCT is happy to present you a new volunteer in our team: Christine Balt! Christine has been volunteering for a month and has already used many of her communication skills to help out with our projects. She has jumped onboard the promoting and booking our show Mixed Messages. She is very eager to make the most of her talent within MCT’s work and it is a pleasure to have her around.

Here is a short interview, for you to get to know her better!

So Christine, I am curious to know about where you are from and what brought you here?

I am from South Africa, I was born in Johannesburg. I originally came here for my husband so I thought I would really like to continue to do what I was passionate about in South Africa: community theatre. I was involved in a lot of that, back in South Africa, especially with rural communities and low income kind of settlements, with people living there. So I did some research and that’s how I discovered Mixed Company Theatre! I am learning a lot through volunteering here, especially how forum theatre is done in Toronto and the different projects they have. So yeah it’s been quite exciting for me!

Did you notice many differences between what you have seen in South Africa and here?

Oh yeah, wow it is crazy but it’s still interesting because some of the underline issues have a lot in common. In rural schools in South Africa it was mainly dealing with teenagers and AIDS awareness. That’s a big issue, especially in the area I lived in. So a lot of the work that we did was about Aids but it was also about issues very much connected with Mixed Messages and sexual consent and offering a platform to be able to make the right choices. So, there is a lot of overlap. In South Africa it’s more about rural communities and countryside and over here it is very much like an urban environment but that also generates problems and issues, especially within the city communities and I find that quite interesting to see the contrasts between the two.

And in terms of settling in, since you have been to different places, is anything special about Toronto?

Ah, yeah, and I think that’s with every city. Oh man, in the past, living in Asia it was a totally different kind of set up because you were part of that “Expats” group and you got your like mini-community within the broader community that you are living in. Here it’s different because I came by myself; I wasn’t part of like a job that attracted expats exclusively so I did feel like a little bit of a lone wolf floating about, trying to find where I need to be. And also with Toronto, they are so many different little communities within communities that it is a bit overwhelming because you are presented with all these opportunities, which is exciting, but at the same time, you start to thinking, so, ok, how do I go about fitting in, blending in, living like a local and these are challenges that you have to learn on your own.

And if you could have your own project, what would it be?

That’s a good question…Based on what I have experienced in South Africa and what I’d like to try there because it is something that I grabbed from you guys, is something similar to the InterGEN project. Because I think that’s a big issue in South African communities as well. The reason for the gaps that exist between younger people and older adults is not only because of a completely different lifestyle, it is because there are generations of South African who have passed away due to AIDS or due to violence so you have a lot of communities where you have adolescents and young adults, early twenties, living alongside older adults and there is an entire generation that is missing, that has either been taken away because of poverty or a lot of serious issues that face rural communities. So I would love to see how that kind of project would work in this setting in South Africa.

Anything else you’d like to tell MCT and the people reading us?

I really feel like I have joined a great community of people, who are community minded and have the same values as I do. I kind of feel that I found my tribe, which is an important thing to do when you move to a new city, especially because I had kind of built up my tribe and then I had to remove myself out of it and set roots down, from scratch, and that’s hard and challenging. But it feels good to be here and I am learning a lot and hopefully want to stick around for a while!

Thank you Christine!

“I want to be respected,” said the older adults. “I want to be respected,” said the youth. “We’re not invisible!” said both.

At the root of intergenerational conflict is the need for respect; both groups, young and old, want to be heard, recognized and understood. On March 20th, the interGEN project brought youth (between ages 9 to 18) and older adults (between their 50s and 80s) together to share their stories through theatre. The older adults performed C’mon Granny (written by Luciano Iogna) and the youth performed, Dis-connected (written by Alicia Payne).

The March Break youth participants worked with facilitators Kristin Bartlett and Alicia Payne to create scenes that illustrated what it felt like to be a teen in Toronto: Dis-connected is a collection of scenes that illustrate the tension that exists between youth and older adults—particularly in diverse and urban contexts.

Both groups identified public transportation as a place fraught with intergenerational conflict. A 14-year old youth, who played the role of an older man who couldn’t find a seat on a bus because two young girls took up an entire row of seats and refused to let him sit down, reflected on his experience: “I now know what it feels like to be old. Those girls were so mean to me. They had no respect.” The 14-year old went on to explain how it felt to “get a glimpse of life in the future.” Clearly, the experience of taking on the identities and perspectives of older adults had an impact on these youth. Through the weeklong workshop the youth explored issues such as, the impact of technology on their lives, the need for freedom, and sharing experiences of what it is like to be a new resident in the city. All of these themes culminated in the multiple scenes that led to the creation of Dis-connected.

In the final scene, the youth indulged in alcohol at a house party and ostracized an “uncool” kid, forcing her to leave the party. One young girl chose to accept a “special” drink offered to her by a young man. The youth all started to dance, and engaged in a lively, choreographed performance—and then that young girl with the “special” drink fell to the floor. Everyone ran away, leaving her collapsed on the floor—and the scene ended.

At the end of each performance, Simon Malbogat and Alicia Payne each opened up the stage to the audience: Is there anything you would change? What could we do differently? The youth, older adults, and audience members actively participated in the discussion and interventions—each taking on different roles, and exploring alternative outcomes to manage and challenge the injustice and disrespect they witnessed. One audience member attempted to humanize the thief in C’mon Granny—attempting to show how an “oppressor” experiences oppression, such as poverty and lack of social networks. Many audience members attempted to take on the role of the young girl who accepted the “special drink.” This resulted in a theatre-wide discussion with both the youth and older adults sharing moments where they found themselves in uncomfortable and dangerous situations. As they shared different and similar perspectives they appeared to find a place with common ground, and while no consensus was reached on the final “right” answer, the conversation definitely sparked a healthy debate—one that allowed and encouraged participants to openly and safely express their fears and experiences with alcohol.

MCT intends to continue to encourage youth and older adults to come together to explore intergenerational issues through theatre. If you’re a youth or older adult in Toronto, reach out to MCT to find out how to get involved, and join this important dialogue.

The blog entry was contributed by Christina Parker (MCT’s volunteer researcher) and Amelie Sterchi (MCT’s international intern from Switzerland).

Mixed Company Theatre is looking for Volunteer committee members for our annual gala!

EVENT SUMMARY

MCT’s will celebrate its 30+ Anniversary with an interactive fundraising event! This evening will be a combination of carnival-like games and MCT’s performances, around a 50’s version of a fun fair theme. We will present MCT’s up-coming Intergenerational programming with teens and older adults, through multi-media art forms, including dance, music, song and excerpts from plays. This will allow the guests to see what their donations are supporting and how our methodologies help give diverse communities a voice. This event will help MCT raise funds in a dynamic and entertaining way. We will provide entertainment, food, and drinks. Get prepared for an awesome celebration of positive change!

JOB DESCRIPTION
Mixed Company Theatre is looking for volunteers interested in joining our Fundraiser Event Committee. The volunteer committee members will help organize this Fundraiser Event and help out in various capacities. Weekly meetings will be organized to plan the steps needed execute this project. We are looking for candidates interested in:

• Project & Entertainment management
• Event planning
• Fundraising
• Marketing
• Design, Production and logistical assistance
• Front of House & Serving

HOW TO APPLY
Mixed Company Theatre invites all interested applicants!

Contact Amelie Sterchi
Email: info@mixedcompanytheatre.com
(416) 515-8080

Download the posting here: Volunteer Posting_Gala Fundraiser

Through a series of workshops, MCT facilitators carefully prepare participants to get into their bodies, to explore their identities, and to develop deeper connections with themselves and each other. Amelie Sterchi participated in a series of interGEN workshops and played the role of Kate in the recent performance of ‘C’mon Granny.’ The character of Kate was created based on experiences that many of the older adults shared during the workshops. Stories of marginalization, exclusion and abuse of power surfaced as participants reflected on their experiences through various activities. Amelie reflected on what it was like to prepare for this forum theatre performance:

“The workshops were really intense. It involved bringing energy in and drawing energy out at the same time. By doing the exercises with the community members, I started feeling closer to them. We were slowly building trust towards each other. Sharing personal stories brought up a lot of emotions, as we were all going on a journey into ourselves—individually and as a group. It was a continuous flow of internal and external movements. Looking into your inner self to find a story, a song, an action, an image and bringing those to the group. The workshops allowed everyone to be creative and open. All the different exercises brought us to get to know each other better and to discover and use our skills.”

In forum theatre ‘finding the light at the end of the tunnel’ involves seeing the story transform and evolve into a positive ending. It also involves the exploration of different options for responding to oppression and ultimately engages everyone in deep, transformative, and creative self-exploration.

Just because Amelie played the role of Kate doesn’t mean that she agreed with Kate’s perspectives and actions: to abuse her grandmother verbally and economically. In fact, Amelie did not agree with Kate’s actions—but she didn’t waver from her role, as she was committed to “rehearsing for reality”:

“When I was playing Kate, the granddaughter, I could really feel the tension rising towards me in the audience. It felt awkward…I tried to concentrate on how a teenager would feel about the interventions and the audience’ reactions and decided not going to let go of my ideas. I was playing a stubborn Kate who is very self-focused and doesn’t realize or doesn’t want to realize how aggressive and arrogant she can be. I accentuated my character’s oppressive side so the audience would react and jump in. At the end of the play, a member of the audience asked me if I was like Kate in real life and said she hoped I wasn’t! When “rehearsing for reality” the boundary between playing a role and just being yourself becomes a lot thinner. In forum theatre the audience is part of the play—they make changes, to play with situations and open up other possible solutions. I may have played Kate, but I definitely didn’t agree with her actions.”

Like Amelie, all of the participants in the interGEN older adult project expressed their joy in being part of the first performance of ‘C’mon Granny.’ Many of them felt they took risks, and delved into uncomfortable spaces, only to feel more comfortable and connected by the end of it. As one participant said, “he had set his feet on chaos!” another found comfort in “finally being able to see the light at the end of the tunnel.” However, the light continues to shine and expand in many different directions, as the interGEN project continues to engage more youth and older adults in different communities and contexts.

It’s not too late to join and have your chance to play your part. Kate and her Granny, Lucille, will perform again today, alongside a new performance created by a group of youth in Toronto: together they will tell each other their stories—and everyone will have the opportunity to join this intergenerational dialogue. The performance will begin at 6 pm at Urban Arts in Toronto.

This post was contributed by Amelie Sterchi– (Currently working at MCT through an international Student internship from Switzerland), and Christina Parker (Volunteer researcher for MCT’s interGEN project).