Laura Power
Northern News Services
Published Monday, November 5, 2007

POND INLET - Christopher Morris' original intent when he first travelled to Pond Inlet was to find actors to take part in a multi-cultural play he was working on.

But during his trips to the North last year, the Toronto resident found that his theatre expertise was warmly welcomed by the town.

"On my first trip some people in the community asked me to help them to create a play for drug and alcohol awareness week," he said.

But Sheena Akoomalik approached him with a more long-term idea. She thought it would benefit the community to have a permanent theatre group, and Morris got on board to start it up.

"It gives the youth something to do and something to look forward to other than cadets or after-school programs," said Akoomalik.

After receiving a grant, the two began forming an organization that would welcome both youth and adults into the classes. Now, a group of about a dozen youth is preparing for a performance later this month with the Tununiq Arsarniit Theatre Group.

The group is practising every day for about four weeks leading up to the performance, which is scheduled to take place Nov. 16. So far, the group has been doing some exercises together and forming their performance plan. They have been discussing some issues they want to work with in their play.

"In this group we're trying to work on the environment and the people, drugs and alcohol abuses... and about role models, too," said Jena Merkosak, a 16-year-old Pond Inlet resident who is one of the young actors in the group.

Merkosak said she joined because she enjoys acting and being a part of a group. She said she thinks people enjoy being a part of it because it's interesting and a good way to send messages.

Akoomalik said that many of the kids were quite shy when they first showed up, but that once they immersed themselves they started enjoying themselves.

"They are having a lot of fun. We've been having exercises on communication and teamwork, and mainly about the kids being able to feel comfortable in a crowd and having the courage and confidence to speak out," she said.

In the winter, the town's adult population will get a chance to take part in the theatre group when another intensive session will take place. Morris, who will travel back to the North for rehearsals, said the adult group will perform an adaptation of the novel Saqiyuq in March. v