Conceptual Theatre production pushes boundaries and provokes community involvement
By Ljudmila Petrovic
Photo courtesy of David Cooper
The first thing I noticed when I walked into the theatre at Firehall Arts Centre was the stage props: there was some furniture, and the rest of the set design consisted of piles of storage boxes. This made me wonder what the play was going to be like amidst the creative and powerful, albeit messy stage. It turned out much like the stage.
The concept behind maladjusted is described as “theatre making policy,” a somewhat difficult connection to make out of context. I quickly learned that this entailed two components. The first, a short play (running at approximately half an hour) that dealt with various mental health issues and the “mechanization” of the mental health system.
This was followed by a repeat of that play facilitated by Theatre for Living’s artistic director, David Diamond, where audience members were asked to stop the scenes at integral parts where they could see an alternative and take the places of the community actors.
Diamond’s idea is to generate conversation on potential policy changes within the social services through community discussion and involvement. The project uses a community scribe, whose function is to transcribe any ideas for policy changes that might arise on a given night, then to compile them all into a Community Action Report to be presented to the Mental Health Commission of Canada.
The plot revolves around several stories and issues. One involves a mother and daughter (played by Khoal Marks and Micheala Hiltergerke, respectively) face the latter’s diagnosis of bipolar II disorder, while the mother deals with her own mental instabilities.
In another, a homeless man (Colin Ross stepping in for Martin Filby) deals with various mental health issues — including ADHD and anxiety — must fight through a bureaucratic system that lacks resources and is driven by overworked, often burnt-out workers and practitioners (Erin Arnold, Pierre Leichner, and Sam Bob’s characters all exemplify this).
Diamond then guides an audience discussion about the “human-centered care” approach to mental health that should be addressed in policymaking. The change, he tells us, is possible through theatre, and we can use theatre as a way to illustrate the issues, look within ourselves to find empathy and understanding, and to use it as a launchpad for discussion and brainstorming.
The second part, as mentioned, has the purpose of getting audience members to step into the shoes of the characters and to address possible routes for policy changes through an improvised adaption of the initial scene. While in theory an innovative idea, this is of course completely reliant on the type of audience in attendance; it took a while for people to begin breaking out of their shells and, when they did, it did not always lead to any ideas on policy change.
Diamond seems to have an expectation of where, when, and how people should approach the scene, and so he often asks probing questions and directs audience members as he would his actors. This is no doubt due to his obvious passion for the project, but it also intimidates audience members.
I decided to go up for the next scene. Being thrown into an unknown scene — one with complex characters, interactions, and issues — and having to deal with it in an empathetic but pragmatic way in front of an audience of strangers is an intimidating experience. That, combined with Diamond’s constant questioning and pushing, leaves you feeling exposed and vulnerable, but that might be just the right state to discuss protective policies for those who are systemically exposed and vulnerable.
As a social project, maladjusted is a bold and creative gem, and a potential vessel for change powered by a marginalized local community; as theatre, it is still conceptually novel, but the implementation of it leaves an image of disorganization.
Local projects that engage the community and rally for change like this are worth supporting. They are beacons of hope for those that may feel like they’re lost in the system.
