Created in 2006 by youth and professional artists, Far From the Heart is a story about coming of age, violation and redemption. It begins with two boys (Warren and Adam) and two girls (Felicity and Rachel) getting ready for "the big party." The play uses interactive "forum theatre" that allows audience members to change the outcome of various realistic, problematic scenarios. Spectators are able to suggest different actions onstage, as well as act out their ideas with the professional cast. A facilitator (The Joker) emcees the performances, and trained community partners help lead lively discussions to debrief the audience interventions. In the end, Far From the Heart seeks to help young people develop healthy attitudes and behaviours based on honesty, equality, respect and safety.

The Cast

WARREN BAIN (The Joker, Co-Director) is a theatre artist, facilitator, and arts educator hailing from Toronto and is a graduate of Ryerson University’s BFA Performance-Acting program. He is an arts educator with over a decade of experience, and he uses his knowledge of devised community-based theatre creation with actors and non-actors from ages five to seventy-five. He has extensive training in Image Theatre and the Forum Theatre methodology and has worked with Sheatre for nine years. He is Co-Artistic Director of Bain & Bernard Comedy; Co-Creator of The Love Stories Project; Artistic Associate with Sheatre, a rural arts company that believes in the power of theatre and the arts to change lives and help build a compassionate and healthy society; and he holds dual citizenship with the United Kingdom. He believes in people, conversation, and this will be his seventh tour working with Far From the Heart / Loin du Coeur. “I keep coming back to Far From the Heart because I’ve seen its ability to create instant social change. The experience creates a safe place for us all to look at relationships and power dynamics, allowing the room to collectively work towards empathy and safety. It’s remarkable. Where else do we do this as a society?”

COLETON DÉNOMMÉ (Warren) is a bilingual actor, writer, and director from Windsor, where he is finishing his BFA in Acting and also acquiring a Minor in English and a Certificate in Arts Management. He has appeared in films, music videos, and has starred in theatrical productions such as Much Ado About Nothing and Love and Human Remains. He is excited to be working with a strong cast and crew on Far From the Heart. “It is an honour to be using Forum theatre to both empower and educate people on social topics such as domestic violence.”

MARIE-JOSÉE DIONNE (Rachel) has been working in theatre and film since the age of 14. She is delighted to be returning to play Rachel for a second year with Sheatre and Far From the Heart. In 2013 she moved to Toronto after having graduated with a BFA in French Theatre from Laurentian University. She has since trained at the Second City Training Centre, Process Theatre, and with countless actors studios in the city. Some of her recent film and television credits include Amélie et Compagnie (CarteBlanche Films), Letterkenny (New Metric Media), Antibirth (Traverse Media), Slasher (Chiller Films). "The work that Far From the Heart allows us to do is truly life-changing, not just for those we teach, but also for ourselves. We don't usually get to practice for real-life difficult situations, and with FFTH we get to do exactly that. We don't just talk about it. We try it out and see where our choices lead us, in an honest and safe environment."

ERIC MCDACE (Adam) is thrilled to be returning for his second production of Far From The Heart. Eric has been involved in many recent projects including the Dora-nominated production of Hogtown: The Immersive Experience and The Pansy Crazy, a new musical that sought to improve representation of trans actors and characters. After seeing the positive effect on young people and their communities during the last production of Far From the Heart, he was eager to jump back on board. He is a firm believer that the most effective way to prevent sexual assault is through the type of hands-on education and support provided by Sheatre.

REBECCA PARENT (The Joker) - Originally from PEI, Rebecca Parent has been working professionally in the theatre arts for over 15 years. She started out at age 14, touring in kindergartens with a show promoting empathy. It is a great privilege for her to be once more taking part in theatre for social change with Sheatre. She spent six seasons at the Watermark Theatre, primarily as a member of the acting company, but donning many other hats as well. She co-created What to Wear to the Birth of a Nation/Se costumer pour confédérer, a piece commissioned for the 2014 Charlottetown celebrations. Selected theatre credits: Anne Shirley - Anne & Gilbert (Guild); Alma - What a Young Wife Ought to Know, and Nora Barnacle - Unconscious at the Sistine Chapel (2b); Lady Nijo - Top Girls (Lunasea); 6 seasons at the Watermark including Eliza Doolittle - Pygmalion, Marianne Dashwood - Sense and Sensibility, The Women - Rondelay, and Juliet - Romeo and Juliet. "This world needs some re-programming. I am so proud to be part of a team dedicated to giving youth vocabulary and permission to engage in the uncomfortable conversations that are necessary to this re-programming. It is so rewarding to watch even a single student become empowered to use their voice for the betterment of their community."

MORGAN ST. ONGE (Felicity) is a bilingual actor/activist with a passion for theatre for young audiences, voice-over, and the development and creation of new Canadian plays. Selected theatre credits: Far From the Heart/Loin du coeur (Sheatre), Black Dog:4 vs the Wrld, Charlotte's Web (Sudbury Theatre Centre), Muskeg & Money, Moss Park (North Road Theatre), MEANT, Plague: a sic love story* (2017 Toronto Fringe Festival; *awarded the 'Patron's Pick'), The Tale of Peter Rabbit/Les contes de Pierre Lapin (Little Red Theatre). Morgan has also worked with Pat the Dog Theatre Creation for 5 years workshopping new Canadian plays by Northern Ontario playwrights. Training: George Brown Theatre School. "It's such a joy to return to this show after a year where there has been an international conversation on consent. I can't wait to expand the conversation with young people once again about how we can all work together to build more honest and healthy relationships."

The Sheatre Team

JOAN CHANDLER (Co-Director, Playwright, Producer) - Award-winning producer, director, writer, arts educator and workshop facilitator, Joan Chandler is the founding Artistic Director of Sheatre (1985 to present). She has led the collective creation of 112 plays reaching about 143,775 people, facilitated over 1,250 projects, and led about 10,000 participants in groups in primarily underserved rural and small urban environments in Canada, the U.S. and Europe. “I’m so eager to hear what directions the conversations will take in this current environment. When I created this piece in 2006, people generally didn’t talk about any of this out loud. What a change there’s been! What will we witness and share in this year?”

david sereda (Artistic Associate, Co-Producer) has over 40 years of experience and a national reputation as theatre artist, singer/songwriter, composer, producer and activist. He has worked with Sheatre and Joan Chandler since 2002. As a singer/songwriter, he has performed at festivals and concert halls across Canada. Recent collaborations include performances of words and song with Anne Michaels (poet laureate of Toronto) at the Toronto International Festival of Authors and a dialogue of words and song for Solstice evening, also in Toronto. As a producer and administrator, david helps organize tours for Sheatre’s Far From the Heart / Loin du Coeur and Be Our Ally.

RACHEL GILLOOLY (General Manager) - If one had to identify a single theme for Rachel Gillooly’s career over the last 30 years, it would be “empowering organizations to make positive change.” Beginning with her first National Action Committee on the Status of Women conference in 1986 to her most recent conference event, the Rainbow Health Ontario Conference in 2018, Rachel has made it possible for movers, shakers and stakeholders of over 40 non-profit and private sector organizations to meet, debate, discuss, strategize and learn. Those organizations include: Canadian Association Against Sexual Harassment in Higher Education, Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business, Canadian Environmental Law Association, Dying With Dignity, DAWN (Disabled Women's Network), Toronto Public Health, and World Conference on Breast Cancer Foundation. In 2013-14, Rachel was responsible for organizing SPARC: Symposium for Performing Arts in Rural Communities, Canada’s first symposium concerning the impact and business of performing arts in rural communities. Rachel is thrilled to work with Sheatre where she will continue to “provoke people to change their world… for the better.”

MELANIE HALL (Stage Manager) is a Toronto-based stage manager working regularly in both English and French. She graduated with honours from the Ryerson Theatre School’s Performance Production program and completed a stage management short course at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. Her stage management credits include: Le Menteur, (Post)Mistress/Zesty Gopher s’est fait écraser par un frigo, Les Zinspirés: Puissance quatre, and Les Zinspirés : 3D (Théâtre français de Toronto); the 2018 Dusk Dances Festival and Dusk Dances Tour (Dusk Dances); and Richard III (Perchance Theatre). In addition to her experience in theatre and dance, Melanie has worked events with Pride Toronto, the Toronto District School Board, and the Toronto International Film Festival, as well as being on the stage management teams for the ceremonies at the 2017 Invictus Games and the 2015 PanAm and ParapanAm Games.

SIOBHAN RICHARDSON (Intimacy Director) is co-founder of Intimacy Directors International and the only person in Canada recognized as an Intimacy Director by Tonia Sina, founder of the Intimacy For The Stage method. Siobhan is quickly building an impressive resume in this field, including several directing and teaching credits across Canada, Europe, and the USA. Intimacy Directing credits include Hadrian (Canadian Opera Company), Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Soulpepper), Bunny (Tarragon), Really, Really (Theatre Erindale), Serenity Wild (Tender Container and the frank theatre company), Odd One Out (Human Wick Effect), Love and Human Remains (University Players, University of Windsor), Aunt Dan and Lemon (Shadowtime Productions), The Container (Theatre Fix), The Trial of Judith K (Thought For Food Productions), and assistant to Intimacy Choreographer Tonia Sina on The Bakkhai (Stratford Festival, directed by Jillian Keiley). Recent teaching credits include workshops across Canada, Europe and the United States, including numerous post-secondary theatre programs across Ontario. An accomplished speaker, Siobhan has lectured at numerous occasions. Listen to her interview on CBC’s The Current (starts at 22:44), on Canadaland, and read about her and the other two IDI founders in HuffPost. Siobhan is also an actor/fighter/singer/dancer, and a fight director/stage combat instructor. Check out her new performance company, Crux Encounter Productions, which is a resident company of actors with extensive fight training, specializing in stories of conflict and violence told through text, movement, and of course, stage combat. In all her work, Siobhan is dedicated to the growth and development of the art form and for the artists in order to support a vibrant and healthy artistic community.

JON FARMER (Education and Tour Manager) is a writer, educator, and arts promoter based out of Owen Sound. He believes that shifting cultural narratives is necessary if we want to create a more caring and constructive society. He is the new Supervisor of the Men's Program (Grey/Bruce) and one of the hosts of the folk radio show Georgian Bay Roots. He has a BASc from Quest University where his undergraduate thesis explored men's perceptions and experiences of masculinity. This is his third tour with Far From the Heart. He keeps coming back because he's seen how art effectively breaks down the barriers that keep people from talking about the important issues surrounding relationships.

MAGALI ROUSSEAU (Translator) - I was a high school co-op student with Sheatre in 2012, when I translated Loin du Coeur. This experience informed my future choices and my love of writing in many ways; I obtained my BA (Hons) in English Language and Literature from York University in 2017, and had the opportunity to work with Sheatre again as a translator from May to August of the same year. Far From the Heart/Loin du Coeur matters deeply to me because it empowers youth, and encourages them to stand up, to speak and to act; this play can change the world. It has been an honor to participate in this project.

REGIONAL TRAINERS
Susan Gaby-Trotz, Kim Postma, Melanie Smith, Robyn Smith, and Robyn Wilson

Far From the Heart's generous supporters include: It's Never Okay: An Action Plan to Stop Sexual Violence and Harassment through the Ontario Arts Council, Johansen-Larsen Foundation, The George Lunan Foundation, Meridian Credit Union, Investors Group (Todd & Associates), OTIP, OPSEU Local 260, Grey Bruce Labour Council, ETFO Bluewater Local, UNIFOR Local 1106, ETFO Bluewater Occasional Teachers’ Local, Enterprise Holdings Foundation, and Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario.

Sheatre - Community Arts for Social Change

Sheatre is a groundbreaking community arts organization based in Grey-Bruce, Ontario. Since 1985, Sheatre has produced and co-facilitated over 100 community-based plays and interactive forum theatre presentations to nearly 143,000 people in Canada, Europe, and the U.S. At its heart are dynamic, interactive workshops in an array of media. Professional artists and tools are brought together to stimulate students' expression of their ideas, values, and concerns. Sheatre has the capacity, skills, and partners to provide students with a quality experience in a safe environment.

Joan Chandler, Artistic Director, Sheatre
It’s okay not to feel okay.
It's okay not to consent.
If you’re uncertain or feel uneasy or fearful
It’s okay to say “no”. It’s okay to say “stop”. It’s okay to stop what’s going on
In whatever way you need to do that.
It’s fine to take time to think and talk and become clear
Or just hit full stop and walk away.

Saying “stop” can be hard in real life.
Turning away from potential harm or from hurting can be hard.
Being a supporter can be hard, too.
These can be hard lessons to learn.
Forum Theatre gives us a safe place to practice and to learn.
Forum Theatre at its root is about taking power back by saying “Stop!” and intervening within the safe confines of a theatre game.

Someone called me on the phone recently and said, “Joan! … I said, 'Stop!'” She was filled with emotion and pride and awe as she told me the story. Then she hung up. End of call. I hadn’t talked to her for a very long time. It had been years since she’d played the stop game in Forum. You see? There’s no expiry date to learning and implementing knowledge.

Far From the Heart / Loin du Coeur gives young people the opportunity to talk about, role play and viscerally learn about some of the complexities of dating and sexual relationships, and to turn grey territory, like consent, into crystal clear knowledge and social change. We can see the penny dropping when people get it. The conversations are engaged, and the interactions are riveting to watch unfold. Because together, as the kids play this exciting theatre game, they’re teaching each other how to safely help someone, about what is or isn’t okay, and about asking if they’re not clear.

Wouldn’t it be nice if no one ever again had to say, 'Me Too'?

Far From the Heart / Loin du Coeur is a partner in Ontario's It’s Never Okay: An Action Plan to Stop Sexual Violence and Harassment.

The Cast

The Sheatre Team

Sheatre - Community Arts for Social Change

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