Us and Them (Headlines Theatre) [last 4 shows!]

Just realized that it’s the last four shows for Us and Them by Headlines Theatre, a very edgy, experimental theatre company in Vancouver that is tackling issues of homophobia, environmental degradation, racism, etc. in their theatre. Had I not decided to go on a hiatus and stop taking new pitches and blogging for a while, I would totally have checked Us and Them. It sounds like the kind of challenging, interesting, thought-provoking theatre that I enjoy. Particularly because I’m someone who loves telling the stories of the underdog, the challenged, the ones who are facing a difficult time.

I’ve been a participant of experimental, interactive theatre before and I really enjoyed it. The work of Headlines Theatre reminds me a lot of an experimental piece I participated in a few years ago, 2 Degrees of Fear and Desire.

Co-directed by David Diamond (Headlines Theatre) and Kevin Finnan (Motionhouse, UK), Us and Them explores how and why we create divisions between ourselves and ‘others.’ This play is the continuation of last year’s project, Us and Them (the inquiry), which Headlines Theatre co-hosted with 27 community partners.

I find it fascinating what they say about how they are celebrating their 30th anniversary.

“Since this is Headlines Theatre’s 30th anniversary, it’s important for us to do something risky – taking the blending of personal story-telling and physical, image-based theatre to a new level. At the same time, the ‘us and them’ theme hits a nerve because it’s personal for everybody. We are hoping to reach out to a very broad audience.”

Us and Them is an interesting project of grassroots, interactive, physical theatre (Forum Theatre) that allows audiences to intervene and change the way the story unfolds. A live webcast of the play will be streamed through Headlines Theatre’s website on November 12th at 8:00 pm PST for audiences in Vancouver and around the world.

While I won’t have the time to check it out, I would love it if my readers did.

FINAL WEEK! 4 shows left!
Oct 21 – Nov 12, 2011
All performances at 8 PM
Live, interactive, global web cast: November 12 at 8PM (PST)

Reservations highly recommended: 604-251-1363 or on The Cultch website.
Tickets: $20
Student/Senior: $15
Matinées/Preview: $10
(All tickets + venue service charge $3.36)

You can also contact Headlines Theatre at 604.871.0508 or email outreach@headlinestheatre.com

More on Headlines Theatre

Headlines Theatre works with communities that want to tell their stories, and approaches community-based cultural work from a systems-based perspective—understanding that a community is a complexly integrated, living organism. Founded as a collective in 1981, Diamond became Artistic Director in 1984. Headlines Theatre’s work is a worldwide leading example of theatre for social change; theatre for dialogue, creation, and conflict resolution as well as theatre for community healing and empowerment. Projects have taken place in collaboration with First Nations and multicultural communities through hundreds of theatre workshops, Power Plays and Forum Theatre events around the world on issues such as violence and suicide prevention, anti-racism workshops, youth empowerment, homelessness and mental health, ‘othering’, bullying and community development.

Check this YouTube conversation with the director.