Horseshoes & Hand Grenades Theatre and Pacific Theatre present RE:UNION Oct 20 - Nov 12. Alongside the production, HHG Theatre presents The Activist City, a series of community events on political activism, community responsibility and anti-militarism. As part of the City of Vancouver’s 125th Anniversary, The Activist City reflects our city’s long and proud history of activist leadership.
Re:Union is a work of fiction, based on real events. On Nov 2, 1965, Norman Morrison drove to The Pentagon with his infant daugh-ter, a jug of kerosene and a box of matches. With U.S. Defense Secretary Robert McNamara looking on, the young Quaker carries out a final act of witness against the horrors of the Vietnam War. Thirty-six years later, in the wake of 9/11, his daughter returns to confront the aging McNamara, the memory of her father, and the costly legacy of sacrifice.
As the artists behind both Re:Union and The Activist City, we can’t help but see the parallel between 31 year-old Quaker Norman Morrison’s act of self-immolation that catalyzed a citizen’s revolt in 1960’s United States, and the self-immolation of 26 year-old Tu-nisian street-vendor Mohamed Bouazizi, which not only resulted in the unseating of the Tunisian regime, but set in motion an un-precedented chain of events across the Arab World. Even more recently, the ongoing Occupy Wall Street campaign mirrors the citi-zen-led uprising the Morrison’s act of witness catalyzed. Accordingly, the various themes and subjects that we wish to incorporate into this outreach series include topics such as current global trends in citizen activism, spirituality in activism, government-initiated threats to activism, and finally, Vancouver's role as an activist city.
The Activist City / Event Details (subject to change)
Guest Blogs / Re:Union Creative Team & Special Guests
October 10 - November 12
Artist Talkbacks / Cast & Playwright
Fri Oct 28 / Fri Nov 4 / Fri Nov 11 / Pacific Theatre / After the 8:00 pm performance
Poetry Reading (Anniversary of Norman Morrison’s death) / Special Guests
Wed Nov 2 @ 5:30 pm (8:00pm performance to follow) / Pacific Theatre
Community Workshop: The Contemporary Activist / Facilitated by Mobilization Against War & Occupation
Thu Nov 3 @ 2:00 pm - 6:00pm / Pacific Theatre / Suggested donation $15
Panel Discussion: The Activist as Extremist / Moderator: Camyar Chai / Special Guests
Sat Nov 5 @ 5:30pm (8:00pm performance to follow) / Pacific Theatre / Suggested donation $3
Special Guest Talk: Gail Davidson (Lawyers Against The War) / Lawlessness at the State Level: The Activist Response
Thu Nov 10 @ 5:30 pm (8:00 pm performance to follow) / Pacific Theatre / Suggested donation $5
Panel Discussion: The Activist as Occupier / Moderator: Marcus Youssef / Special Guests
Nov 12 @ 5:30 pm (8:00 pm performance to follow) / Pacific Theatre / Suggested donation $3
Artists-in-Schools / Student Discussions / Cast & Playwright
Wed Nov 16 @ Trinity University
For more info, or for tickets to Re:Union, please visit:
http://horseshoesandhandgrenades.ca/current-projects/activistcity/
http://pacifictheatre.org/season/2011-2012/mainstage/re-union
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