BRUSH STROKES (Nov 2005)

The book launch of 'Brush Strokes' in November of 2005 marked the 20th anniversary of Sheatre. The launch included the performance of poetic sketches of Tom Thomson and our contemporary world, featuring readings by select experienced and new authors, including Liz Zetlin, Daniel Kolos and Anne Wellwood, Dianne Joyce, Joan Chandler, Lynn Wyville, and Ezra Braves, with special musical guest David Sereda.

BRUSH STROKES is an offshoot off “Brush”, a theatrical work-in-progress, a production of Sheatre. The book combines poems selected from a poetry contest that Sheatre held this year, along with writings about and from the community arts project.

The winners of the contest were Liz Zetlin (first prize winner adult), Sophia Werden Abrams (first prize winner children), Alyson Mulvaney-Courtois (first prize winner youth) and Alex Marotta (honourable mention youth). The work of thirty other poets, most of them from across the Grey-Bruce region, appears in this volume.

For almost 90 years, Tom Thomson has been inspiring artists to express this land. Gritty, gutsy, giving, dogged and moody, his spirit matched the unpredictable world he portrayed. Now these poets, young and old, step through Tom’s doorway and discover a sensual and gripping world of their own.

In its 20 years of professional theatre, Sheatre continues to be dedicated to creating and presenting new work, has produced and co-facilitated over 65 community created plays and theatre forum presentations, and hundreds of workshops, attracting over 42,000 people in Canada, the US and Europe. Its works include The Ballad of Kennedy’s, Stay on Your Feet seniors falls prevention series, Pterodactyl Delight, the Womenfolk Festival and Brush. BRUSH STROKES is the first book publication.

PTERODACTYL DELIGHT (1999)

An allegory about cultural appropriation,
Created with children and professional artists at Cape Croker First Nation.

A Pterodactyl is killed by saber tooth tigers. Years later, little birds find the remains... the Ancient Boney Secret and its hidden Spirit. They tell the Chief, who tells Prime Minister Peacock. The Prime Minister tells the scientists (funky cats). They say these bones are valuable -- attracting the businessmen (ferrets) --, but the adults don't see the Spirit. In three separate attacks, during which the children are repeatedly pushed aside by the adults, the bones are taken by the Cats to the Museum. The last bone is stolen. The Spirit becomes very sick. The children decide to retrieve the bones themselves, with the support of Granny, a great healer.

Outdoor (and indoor) drama with stilters, puppets, dance and music, involving Native and non-native youth with professional artists in the collaborative production of "Pterodactyl Delight", was presented to children's festivals, schools, First Nations and their neighbours across Ontario in 1999. Running time: one hour.

David Diamond, Headlines Theatre (Vancouver) commented, "I like the "largeness" of [this play] and the style .... kind of Raiders of the Lost Ark energy."

The play can be presented both as presentational entertainment and as
educational forum theatre. In a forum, the audience is invited to help
solve the dilemma. Join in this high-spirited romp to change the world.

"Look and listen for the welfare of the whole people and have always in view not only the present but also the coming generations, even those whose faces are yet beneath the surface of the earth -- the unborn of the future Nation." Constitution of the Five Nations

Script available - Contact us!

TWO WAYS OF SPREADING LIGHT

"Turning on the Light" was a visual art exhibition cosponsored by the Tom Thompson Memorial Art Gallery, Owen Sound, and the Sexual Assault Centre of Grey and Bruce as an educational vehicle about sexual assault. This community art project featured the work of numerous artists in the region focusing on the subject of sexual assault. The works were based on stories told by "survivors" to the artists. Artists then expressed these stories through various visual media.

Sheatre presented "Two ways of spreading light", a mask and puppet sculptural piece created by Joan Chandler with Nadia Dekking in a "face to face" youth project. Thanks to John Moulton for his welding and metalwork on the piece.

Joan and Nadia began by talking about the real and disturbing experience of sexual assault. This was then expressed using physical movement. These "dances" were distilled into two images: one reflecting the immediate response to the experience and the second encapsulating Nadia's moment of epiphany, when she saw the strength that she had gained and the person she wanted to be after much healing work had been done.

These images were then rendered into masks. The moment of agony was perceived as being immobile, frozen, disassociated and trapped. It seemed appropriate to turn that mask into a puppet chained to a steel weight, being consumed by fire. The second image is presented as a costume piece, a mask with head-dress. The figure is seen in the act of taking flight, soaring to new heights. The body is still not concrete or whole, but the spirit glows, alive and thriving. These two images form one presentation piece.

The exhibit toured throughout the province during the summer and fall of 1998 in galleries in Owen Sound, Durham and Stratford before touring to schools.

THE BALLAD OF KENNEDY'S Owen Sound, Canada: 1997
"Kennedy's", the city's oldest industry, closes its doors. Prime time to celebrate!

Sheatre gathered stories, interviewing the Kennedy family, and former workers at the Kennedy's Foundry.

Then we jammed... creating a two-act play with music, dance, puppetry and song.

And in 2001 we launched "The Ballad of Kennedy's", performing in a circus tent on the harbour's edge across from the derelict foundry. Our "Kennedy's" was a heart-wrenching tale of trial, triumph and termination.

Historically, it went like this..... In 1857 Scottish immigrant William Kennedy, founded Wm. Kennedy & Sons Foundry (Over 100 years later, it became Black Clawson Kennedy's in 1961). Once upon a time Kennedy's fine propellers were on every naval ship in Canada, on most merchant marine vessels, and on many ships throughout the world. (Educational Guide available.)

Vivid puppets told the story of how Old Man Kennedy's vision exploded on the New World.
The audience laughed with the actors... Tac, Roger, steely Miss Bellamy, T.D. Kennedy and the boys. Howled as the Bewildered Apprentice is initiated into the clan of The Specialists. Watched as the Foundry came to life through a stunning Celtic dance sequence. Cried as The Fire rages.

Collectively created by Joan Chandler, Anne Anglin, Christopher Robertson, Bert Steinmanis, Michael Longley, Chris and Eliza Jane Scott. Music by Doug Stronach. Songs by Larry Jensen and Eliza Jane Scott. Choreographed by Nadine Gibny, the Owen Sound Celtic Dance Company. Design by Shadowland Productions. Directed by Joan Chandler.

THE BALLAD OF KENNEDY'S is Reminiscence Theatre.
More information is available at: Age Exchange in London, England, the premiere practitioner in the world.

IMAGES OF BIRTH / STORIES OF CHANGE (1986)

In 1986, Sheatre presented theatre to the Ontario government Taskforce on Midwifery. A group of legislators toured the province to collect information from "key informants" in order to investigate the need for amending the law which stated that midwifery was illegal, and to create appropriate legislation.

Women Today, a rural women's organization, was asked to make a presentation. They brought together Sheatre and a local group of women comprised of home birth mothers and a midwife in order to bring a truly grassroots statement to the Taskforce. Our group was extraordinary, in that the others who were called to speak to the government were medical professionals and midwives... not the women who were the "stakeholders". We represented the women and children most affected by the legislation. The group felt the pressure of this responsibility and had some stage fright, but the stakes were high. It affected the health and freedom of women in Ontario in perpetuity.

The day before the taskforce was to meet in London, a government representative called Women Today to tell us that we could not present our dramatic image theatre piece, nor could we work to animate anything with the "audience" of fellow presenters and onlookers. The Executive Director of Women Today said, "Do you mean to say that the women of Huron County, the constituents of the Minister of Health, can not be heard by the Minister's Taskforce?" (The minister was our regional MPP.) They backed down, and allowed our presentation. In addition to our scenes, I also animated a midwife/homebirth machine with participation by others in the gallery.

In every other circumstance across the province, speeches were the only form of presentation. The panel would listen and make notes, but said nothing to the presenters. However, after our dramatisation, the leader of the Taskforce looked up from her notes, peered over the imposing dais of the courtroom, and said, "That is the most powerful presentation we have seen in our travels across the province. (pause) It 's too bad you can't work with the doctors." These were the only commments ever made by the Taskforce to any of the presenters. We broke the silence.

Our work helped to change the law; midwifery became legal.
You can imagine how that felt to the women and children who were a part of this.

We were invited to present at a Midwives convention in Toronto the following year (1988).
It was quite a celebration.