Overview

For over two decades, Mixed Company Theatre has helped organizations develop and present original Forum Theatre plays to address issues and concerns within their communities.

Forum Theatre is a UNESCO-recognized educational tool that involves the audience in developing real-time strategies to those issues. It celebrates community stories and voices, catalyzes people to ask questions about oppression and inequity, and build agency to develop grassroots solutions to community challenges.

In a Mixed Company production, a story representing an issue is created, rehearsed and performed. The story is then presented again—only this second time, audience members can intervene in the story, as “spect-actors.” They can replace characters, suggest changes and act out their own solutions to result in a positive alternative ending.

The Programs

We offer three types of virtual programming options, as well as a staff training option for community organizations to choose from, based on your goals and budget. Your community is fully involved in the creation process from beginning to end, possibly assisting with or acting in the final Forum Theatre presentation of the theme/topic that they wish to explore and analyze.

Option A: Workshop/s

Description: Your participants will engage in theatre exercises such as storytelling, image theatre, sculpting, and tableaux creation to share their experiences, and develop awareness about how they can take action to make positive change for themselves.

Timeline: 2 hours per workshop

Group Size: Ideal for smaller groups (4-20)

Option B: Lightning Forum/s

Description: You talk to us about community issues and situations to be addressed. Our artists create and perform a customized presentation depicting scenarios reflecting community reality. The community interacts with the Forum Theatre play to find alternative solutions to their challenges.

Timeline: Consultation + creation time + 1.5 hours per presentation

Group Size: Ideal for larger groups (20+)

Option C: Forum Project

Description: Your members participate in theatre-based workshops to elicit stories of their personal experiences related to the topic/issue. They then use these as inspiration for a script and play depicting their reality. Participants perform the play before a community audience to catalyze dialogue and action.

Timeline: 10+ hours of workshop time + 1.5 hours of performance time

Group Size: Variable depending on scope of project

Staff Training

Description: We train your organizational staff members in how to integrate Forum Theatre exercises in their everyday practice with your community members.

Timeline: Variable

Group Size: Variable

Going Virtual!

In light of the shutdowns and physical distancing measures in place during the COVID-19 pandemic, we have adapted our Forum Theatre techniques to a virtual platform!

We offer all of our community programming through Zoom. For those unfamiliar with Zoom, we start all presentations with an overview of the functions and ways to interact for full participation.

Possible Topics

We can explore topics such as…

  • Diversity
  • Mental Health
  • Equity
  • Health Anxieties
  • Environment
  • Homophobia
  • Harassment
  • Add your own!

To discuss a made-to-order workshop or play for your community, please call our office at 416-805-9272 or e-mail info@mixedcompanytheatre.com.