Have you ever eavesdropped on a conversation?

The whispers in the bathroom stall, the cries for understanding in a basement, the debate in a coffee shop… What would we learn about one another, our neighbours, our communities, ourselves, if we could hear these secret conversations? 25th Street Theatre is heading outside the theatre to transform everyday spaces into stages all over the city with Behind Closed Doors April 30 – May 10.

Snapshots of lives that are hidden away from public view.

“The idea came from a friend of mine who said when he goes for walks at night, he walks by people’s houses and wonders about their lives,” says 25th Street Theatre’s Artistic and Executive Director Anita Smith. “This is a peek behind those doors, snapshots of lives that are hidden away from public view.”

Behind Closed Doors is six short plays written by local artists, performed in unique locations throughout Saskatoon. The playwrights were given only one prompt for their stories – what happens in those private spaces that aren’t for public consumption? Since December 2024, the playwrights have been working to shape new works designed specifically for a site-specific performance. Performances will be held in unexpected spaces like a bus, bathroom, or announcer booth at a ball diamond.

Marley Duckett’s play Fallen Women explores the complicated experience of unwed mothers who entered mother-baby homes in the 1950s as a means to hide their pregnancies. Duckett says the on-location performance breathes excitement into our theatre community and the audience.

Performing this play in a basement makes it a living, breathing thing.

“It makes theatre more accessible to the whole community. Some people may not feel comfortable going to a traditional theatre,” says Duckett. “Performing this play in a basement makes it a living, breathing thing. When we disrupt what people might identify as the ‘norm’ it can reinvigorate all the good things the art form is trying to do.”

Hiring by Mitchell Larsen explores a quiet conversation about harassment and its consequences. (Photo provided)

The location can inspire you and get you out of your comfort zone as an artist.

Hiring by Mitchell Larsen follows a group of theatre producers as they meet in a coffee shop to discuss hiring an actor who’s been accused of harassment.“I really like how much the location can inspire you and get you out of your comfort zone as an artist,” says Larsen. “You have to think creatively about how the place affects the story. I hope the audience sees this show and puts themselves in the characters’ shoes.”“Storytelling can happen anywhere, it doesn’t have to be traditional theatre,” says 25th Street’s Anita Smith. “We wanted to push the boundaries of theatre and these performances will really stand out. This is theatre for the brave, nobody will forget a play they see on a bus.”

In addition to Larsen and Duckett’s plays, there are four others to choose from; Drew Mantyka’s Another Day On The Diamond takes us to the announcer’s booth at a football field where technical issues and personal truths reveal much more, First On, Last Off by Clare Middleton invites the audience on board a school bus for a tender story about a tender relationship between a bus driver and their young, talkative rider. Kaydence Banga’s Historical “Friends” visits a gentleman’s parlour to explore the turbulent marriage of Princess Louis and the Marquis of Lorne, and Cheyenna Sapp’s This Is It is the story of the trans experience and community support found in a nightclub bathroom.

Behind Closed Doors