Theatre Orangeville is offering a new Theatre for Young Audiences show this year with the help of an Ontario 150 grant.
The theatre will be travelling with Night Light from May 12 to June 2, performing 30 shows on the road.
“We have hired some young aspiring actors from some post-secondary institutions so they’re college and university kids,” said theatre programs manager Sharyn Ayliffe.
“We’re going to be able to tour a really great show that’s both entertaining and issue based into local elementary schools, both in Dufferin County and Peel and Wellington.”
Night Light tells the story of Victor and Tara, siblings whose father is about to go to the hospital for a procedure.
“Tara’s really scared and so at night there’s this monster that starts haunting her from her dresser kind of thing and (Victor) is trying to encourage his sister to be brave and have all this courage,” Ayliffe said.
“Meanwhile he’s being bullied by this kid Farley on the playground at school and so Tara’s sort of giving him the gears about ‘why can’t you just stand up to the bully’ kind of thing.
“So it’s very much about overcoming those childhood anxieties and parental expectations and bullying at school … while being a bright, colourful fun show.”
The show will travel to elementary schools throughout Wellington County for students in Grades 1 to 6.
Thanks to the $19,055 Ontario 150 grant and sponsorship from the Meridian Credit Union in Orangeville, the production will come to schools for $150.
Night Light was chosen for its message.
“Its issue is bullying which is just such a huge topic in the schools right now. It seemed like a good fit,” Ayliffe said.
Theatre, Ayliffe said, is often received well by students who are more visual or tactile in nature and don’t necessarily learn well from listening to the teacher talk or reading from books.
“They all enjoy it because it’s fun and entertaining, which you don’t always get from a standard lesson,” she said.
In the show the audience takes on the role of fourth actor.
“The audience feeds into the show as much as the cast feeds off of the audience, so being a part of something that’s only ever going to happen the same way once …
“Because of course the actors play off of whether the kids are laughing or if they’re nervous or excited or upset … it becomes a really engaging and interactive experience.”
For more information or to register a school for a production visit www.theatreorangeville.ca/ticket-info/schools.
