Fonds med-490 - Inter-Act Theatre fonds

Inter-Act was a social theatre company committed to the development and presentation of theatre premised on subjects involving current social concerns. By exploring inter-relationships among people and promoting inter-action between players and audiences Inter-Act sought to educate, inform and encourage people to discover constructive ways of dealing with difficult situations. The concept of social theatre was formally introduced to Medicine Hat in 1987 when Catalyst Theatre of Edmonton gave a workshop on the workings and mechanics of social theatre. A local steering committee was then formed with the intention of forming a similar theatre company based out of Medicine Hat. During the next several years Inter-Act became a provincially recognized social theatre company mounting numerous original productions that toured the province including:;· The Only Way to Win - 1987 examined problems faced by young people from single-parent families. A paid director and troupe of volunteer actors created it collectively. · It's Your Party - 1988, looked at substance abuse among teenagers and its correlation to peer pressure and low self-esteem. It was collectively created by a director and actors. A subsequent remounting of the show was funded through grants, which resulted in a paid director and actors touring schools in Southern Alberta. · Aids Life in the Bloodstream --1988-90, was a two part play written by local artists, Carli Warne and Larry Morton that addressed often misunderstood issues surrounding the Aids epidemic. The first part was geared to an older sexually active audience and explored common stereotypes of AIDS victims: drug users, hemophiliacs and homosexuals. The second act was created for younger children and introduced in a comedic fantasy fashion the inner workings of the bloodstream and the immune system with cell types becoming exaggerated character roles ie. Mr. Hyper T-Cell. · Family Matters -- 1989, contrasted traditional and modern family values. · A Fond Farewell -- 1990-1991, depicted the stresses and rewards of a family who choose to home care a dying family member. It was written and directed by a local cast for a palliative care conference and remounted a year later for several public performances. · Breaking the Cycle --1990, was a full length three act play about sexual, spousal and elder abuse. Jointly funded by the federal secretary of State and Alberta Social Services the scriptwriter and actors were all paid. The production toured schools in southern Alberta as well as being performed for a provincial conference.