Urban meets rural in theatre collaboration

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A unique collaboration between a First Nation theatre troupe and a Toronto repertory company is allowing northern Ontario students to view William Shakespeare in a new way.

From Oct. 12 to 24, Wikwemikong's De-ba-jeh-mu-jig Theatre Group hosted representatives from Toronto's Soulpepper troupe. During the artists' exchange, the actors travelled to elementary and high schools on Manitoulin Island to share their love of drama. Youth at Pontiac School and Wasse-Abin High School in Wikwemikong had a chance to learn from the professional actors. Workshops were also held at Manitoulin Secondary School and Little Current Public School.

In the integrated workshops students participated in a variety of warm-up exercises. Chris Wemigwans of De-ba-jeh-mu-jig led an ear-tingling activity designed to "get the neurons firing inside your brain."

As students massaged and uncurled their ear lobes, gales of laughter filled the room. Predictably, someone shouted, "Why are we doing this?"

Others giggled at the unaccustomed postures as they were asked to take turns touching their nose and then their ear. Creating figure eightss and infinity signs posed a challenge to some participants.

"Try putting your hands in front of you, then crossing your arms and your legs," Wemigwans directed. "Put your tongue on the roof of your mouth and breathe out. Keep blinking your eyes."

All of a sudden the giggling stopped as everyone concentrated on this difficult co-ordination.

"People become dependent upon using one side of their brain," Wemigwans explained. "Our brains become lazy. These exercises demonstrate how information is processed. It is possible for the brain to process up to nine things all at once."

The laughter continued as Soulpepper member Derek Boyes stepped into the circle. In a series of "loosening exercises" he instructed the students to mimic chewing gum, to roll their lips and to make big faces. Participants tried to follow him through a series of difficult tongue twisters.

"Six slim slippery seals," the students chanted. "Whether the weather be cold or whether the weather be hot, we'll weather the weather whatever the weather whether we like it or not."

Next, De-ba-jeh-mu-jig's Bruce Naokwegijig invited the students to form smaller circles. In the trust-building activities that followed, students took turns falling into the arms of classmates.

Coaching from the sidelines, Naokwegijig urged, "Take your time; take it easy. Be gentle; you want the person to be safe. Ask yourself: How trusting can you become? How much trust can you put in your fellow players?"

Following the theatre games, students were asked to share their thoughts and experiences with Shakespeare. Some said the "old, weird language" turned them off. Others found the Elizabethan playwright "boring."

During the workshop, the Soulpepper actors took up the challenge of trying to change these negative perceptions.

"Shakespeare's work is beyond genius," Boyes said. "It is the ultimate joy for us to perform Shakespeare. His poetry attracts us to do his plays even after 400 years have passed. His plays contain some of the best language and poetry ever written. Just allow the images and thoughts to wash over you."

Students and other community members had an opportunity to immerse themselves in the life and death themes of Shakespeare on Oct. 24 when Soulpepper presented an interpretation of Hamlet at Pontiac School .

The artists' exchange proved to be popular with both troupes.

"This collaboration gave us an opportunity to get away from the city and leave our cell phones and computers behind," Boyes said. "It has allowed us to travel to a rustic setting and really delve into why we love making theatre."

Soulpepper's Oliver Becker was equally enthusiastic. "It's very exciting," he said. "We are seeing many similarities between the two companies. In the end, it's all about story telling; it's all about holding a mirror up to nature.

De-ba-jeh-mu-jig veteran Wemigwans agreed the interaction was mutually beneficial. "It opens up an avenue to link the rural centres and the urban centres," he noted. "We can increase our opportunities in both senses. Soulpepper gets a chance to be exposed to the outlying areas and we open up some channels in Toronto."

His colleague Naokwegijig viewed the partnership in a positive light as well. He enjoyed the contrasting approaches to creating a theatrical experience.

The First Nation actors draw upon stories that Elders have passed down from generation to generation, he said. De-ba-jeh-mu-jig players also use experiences from their personal lives to convey a universal message.