Two provocative and moving one-act plays will
be performed at the Sid Williams Theatre in Courtenay
May 15 at 7 p.m., as part of the theatre
society’s Blue Circle Series, and in partnership
with the Comox Valley Community Justice Centre.
Local playwrights Robinson Wilson and Lori
Mazey have each penned a story from the perspective
of high school students. Wilson’s FrAcTured
deals with the aftermath of a high school shooting
while Mazey’s Torn Rainbow (Sticks and Stones
and Names May Break Me) focuses on the effects
of bullying and discrimination due to homophobia.
A 2013 Vancouver Fringe Festival special production,
FrAcTured will be performed by a cast
from Seacoast Theatre in Vancouver and directed
by Seacoast’s artistic director Scott Swan.
The play has been described as “honest, powerful,
provocative, surprisingly humorous, relevant
and thoroughly engaging.”
The lives of nine high school students have been
FrAcTured since their classmate came to school
with a gun, killing eight students and three teachers,
and wounding 22 more.
The students share – directly with the audience
– the stories of what happened on that life-shattering
day, how it affected their lives, and their search
for understanding and forgiveness.
The continuing occurrence of school shootings
(such as the one in Sandy Hook, Connecticut on
Dece. 14, 2012), underlines the importance of creating
an open dialogue around bullying, violence
and gun control.
The stories are told in the brash, confrontational,
and authentic language of high school students.
Its purpose is to raise awareness and encourage
dialogue by opening our eyes, ears, and hearts to
what is actually happening in high schools across
North America.
Director Scott Swan has been a Canadian theatre
director and producer for over 30 years.
He was the founding artistic director of the Kay
Meek Centre for the Performing Arts in West Vancouver,
and Northern Light Theatre in Edmonton,
and has directed all across Canada – including the
National Arts Centre, the Shaw Festival, and Bard
on the Beach.
Torn Rainbow (Sticks and Stones and Names
May Break Me) is both written and directed by
Mazey and will be performed by Vanier Drama.
It uses an interview format, inspired by another
play The Laramie Project, where students tell
their story of homophobia at high schools.
Mazey, G.P. Vanier’s Director of Theatre Arts
and Dance, is no stranger to accolades, having
won numerous awards regionally and provincially
for various projects, and as coach of the two time
Canadian Improv Games National Champions.
She has a degree in theatre, a Masters in Education,
and is an Associate of Trinity College in
London for Speech Arts.
Mazey has also directed more than 20 musicals
and travels to New York regularly to attend
classes, see productions, and learn as much as she
can about theatre and dance.
The performance of FrAcTured and Torn Rainbow
begins at 7:00 pm. Tickets for this Blue Circle
Series event are $10 for students, $15 for members,
$20 for the general public.
Purchase in person at the Ticket Centre Tuesday
to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., by phone
250-338-2430, or online at sidwilliamstheatre.com.
— Sid Williams Theatre Society