Mirror Mirror

Fiona and I went last night to see Mirror Mirror. It's a play written, produced and performed by a group of Vancouver teens. The theme is depression, but it also talks about the social life of all teens and their experience of family, friendship, love, academic pressure, peer pressure, racism, and the isolation that is part of growing up. The play shows how this isolation can overwhelm a person to the point of desperation and illness. It gives a glimpse into the lives of young people on the verge of adulthood, experiencing psychosis, schizophrenia, clinical depression and bipolar syndrome.

Mirror Mirror was put on at the Roundhouse Community Centre by writer-director Valerie Methot, Coastal Health (the local health authority) and other good people. They spent 6 months together, first workshoping the play then rehearsing it and readying it for presentation. We saw the finale performance on Thursday.

I wondered if Fiona would like it. On the way there, we discussed the different forms of theatrical presentation and which ones we liked best. I also wondered if it would be too immediate for her - a bunch of people just a bit older than she is, performing initially improvised bits about their angst and suffering. And it was deeply personal and immediate - maybe enough to make it uncomfortable to view. I should not have worried. She loved it. So did I. We were moved and impressed. It was a great show.

Valerie, Coastal Health and Roundhouse plan to do this again next year. I'm looking forward to seeing what issue they choose to tackle in their new production. Valerie will also facilitate another production of Take a Breath - a community performance show workshoped and presented by neighbourhood people a couple of years ago. It was delightful.

Valerie is also my friend and co-worker at Parks and Rec, where her day job is community arts facilitation. I feel proud to know her.

question: what kind of theatrical presentations do you like best?

mompoet - my sox is knocked off