Daron Letts
Northern News Services

Iqaluit (Nov 14/05) - A theatrical initiative in Iqaluit is encouraging members of the community to express feelings and share experiences using improvisational theatre.

Erin Brubacher introduced Iqaluit to Playback Theatre, a form of improvisation that promotes communication, over the weekend. The idea is to get people talking about their feelings and personal experiences. - photo courtesy of Erin Brubacher

The Isaksimagit Inuusirmi Katujjiqatigiit Embrace Life Council (IIK), a partnership of 23 governmental and nongovernmental organizations formed in 2004 to address Nunavut's high suicide rate, hosted two Montreal drama instructors over the weekend to advance their project.

Erin Brubacher and David Jurkasek introduced more than a dozen part-time actors and youth in the community to Playback Theatre, a style of improvisation, or improv, based on personal story sharing.

The improvs invite audience members to share anecdotes, impressions or feelings from their life experience. Actors take these stories and act them out on the spot.

"There are a multitude of ways in which Playback Theatre can be used in any community," Brubacher said. "It can be used quite simply as a form of entertainment. It can be used in therapeutic ways. It can be used as a great facilitator in specific contexts, such as to promote communication between elders and youth."

The method is used to facilitate discussion in schools, hospitals, prisons and community centres, she said.

"It's about the universality of stories," she said. "It's a way for people to see their common humanity through story telling. It can be very funny and light or it can be very serious and profound."

Brubacher lived in Iqaluit from 2003 to 2004, during which time she participated in a number of theatre productions. She met Lori Idlout, IIK executive director, while directing AlterNatives in Iqaluit. Idlout acted in the production.

Idlout had the idea to bring Playback Theatre to Iqaluit while visiting Brubacher during a conference on suicide prevention in Montreal earlier this year.

"It's a chance to have a bit of dialogue about any individual situation or story by having it interpreted by different actors in different ways," Idlout said. "It's a good opportunity for audience members to realize that no matter who you are, you are a human being."

Two days of workshops were planned for last weekend. This week, the participants have the option to present their skills in front of Iqaluit audiences in the schools, the women's shelter and other venues.

Brubacher is staying in town to help out for the week.

"If it's successful, we're hoping to be able to give these people who've learned the techniques an opportunity to go to other communities and teach those techniques to other groups," Idlout said.

Playback Theatre was created in 1975. Today, there are Playback Theatre ensembles in more than 20 countries, including Canada, Australia, Brazil, Cuba, Germany, India, Japan, Russia and the U.S.