Sum Theatre reaches out to residents Through the Window
A chat over Skype, a quick conversation on the phone, a wave from a parking lot; for some people in long-term care, this is the only contact they’ve had with the outside world. The pandemic has isolated some of our community’s most vulnerable. Many residents in long-term care have spent the past year alone with little connection to the outside world. Now, Sum Theatre is reaching out to let them know we care.
Sum Theatre creates performances that respond to the needs of the community and the need has never been greater than for those forced into isolation by COVID-19. That’s why its created Through the Window.
“There are people in our community that have had that connection completely taken away. We wanted to do something to bring a little joy to their days.”
Joel Bernbaum says Sum Theatre specializes in theatre for the whole community. (Studio D)
“In this moment that we’re facing right now, people need community and connection more than ever,” says Sum Theatre’s artistic director Joel Bernbaum. “There are people in our community that have had that connection completely taken away. We wanted to do something to bring a little joy to their days.”
Inspired by interviews Sum Theatre artists conducted with long-term care residents, the team has created a show that combines an original collaborative story and a soundtrack by Gilles Zolty into a 15-minute performance just for the residents in care homes. The cast will safely stage the show in courtyards, parking lots and streets outside care homes… anywhere the residents can get a good view in Regina and Saskatoon.
“It will look a little bit like a circus with lots of colour, puppets and larger-than-life action,” says artistic associate Judith Schulz. “We hope this performance will help the residents feel seen. We want to show them that humanity hasn’t forgotten them, that they are valued and loved.”
Schulz says Sum wants to reach out and let residents know they are valued. (Studio D)
This production is free and was made possible in large part to a grant from the City of Saskatoon’s Take It Outside program. Sum Theatre relies on the generosity of grants like these and the support of other donors. For those who can, a special merchandise campaign is being launched alongside Through the Window and all the proceeds from the sale will be put towards bringing free theatre to the entire community.
Later in April, the general public will be able to see the show and hear from the residents who saw it in an online offering.
