The Last Sunday connecting the province with “Theatre of the Now”
Provincial and civic elections, race relations, the environment and a global pandemic – the world is full of headlines that affect our everyday lives. Sum Theatre is harnessing the power of live performance, music and open discussion to help the community process world events with the return of The Last Sunday. Now in its fourth season, the company is reaching even further to communities beyond Saskatoon.
“We need to work together to understand our world and what’s going on in it. The Last Sunday gives people a chance to openly discuss and digest issues of the current moment.”
Artistic Director Joel Bernbaum says The Last Sunday gives people a chance to dive deeper into the current events that affect us all. (Studio D)
“We want to offer the province an opportunity to connect through the artistic process,” says Artistic Director Joel Bernbaum. “We need to work together to understand our world and what’s going on in it. The Last Sunday gives people a chance to openly discuss and digest issues of the current moment.”
Sum is partnering with local theatre companies in Prince Albert (Spark Theatre), Swift Current (Lyric Theatre), The Battlefords (Battleford Community Players), and Regina (Sum Theatre, Regina) to expand the performance and its possibilities. The show will offer participatory live streaming so that audience members, no matter where they are, can ask questions and get in on the discussion.
The show is as fresh as performance can get as playwrights, musicians, comedians, poets and community leaders respond to the news of the day. Each month will feature a new play, music written just for the event as well as a rant and a hot-seat interview.
“We want to see a different side of the story than we’ve heard before, go deeper and challenge people on their opinions and thought,” says Bernbaum.
This month’s performance will include a brand new play by Yvette Nolan and original music from Amanda Trapp. The guest “ranter” is actor and comedian Dakota Ray Hebert and Jason Mercredi from Prairie Harm Reduction will join the crew in the hot-seat interview.
Krystle Pederson says The Last Sunday gives artists a powerful opportunity to reflect what’s going on around us. (Margie Pederson)
Krystle Pederson says The Last Sunday amplifies artistic voices.
“It’s a challenge to write about what’s going on in the news and current events,” says Pederson, a Sum Theatre Artistic Associate who performed in The Last Sunday in May. “It was a big push because you had to write quickly. It was also incredible to have the freedom to do it, to express my own opinions through my music.”
Sum Theatre is going one step further and creating a podcast from the show. The theatre company is working with local teachers to share the podcast with students and bring live theatre and thought provoking discussions to students. The goal is to take a look at issues from all sides so the public can come away informed about things happening at home and around the world.
“Sum Theatre believes in the power of community, we need it most right now and we are trying to connect people in the best way we can.”
