What is Section 98?
Section 98 is an open-sourced, interactive, work-in-progress that uses performance and technology to explore and debate individual and civil rights in Canada. The production invites the audience to participate in the production with their cell phone or PDA during the presentation, and online before or afterwards.A work-in-progress presentation of this work will occur in the Studio Theatre at Harbourfront Centre in Toronto on March 13th at 8pm at part of the HATCH program.
Section 98 – Open Source Entry #1 – Introduction: What a tangled web we weave
Praxis Theatre’s “Open Source Theatre” project has gone live! In this first entry, “What a tangled web we weave”, I’ve introduced our concept of “open source” to let you know that we plan to share our process, and our materials with you as they develop. The first step in Section 98’s development process was to figure out the gaps in our knowledge, or, as our Dramaturg Alex Fallis suggests, “how ignorant are we?”. Here you’ll be able to see how we went about creating a visual representation of what we didn’t yet know, and the kinds of questions that our continuing research have been raising. We need your feedback, your advice, and to hear whether or not our processes might help you with yours. We look forward to the dialogue.
Section 98 – Open Source Entry #2 – The Peeps, the Perps, The Parties, and the Mugshots
Praxis Theatre’s Section 98 performer/creator Melissa Hood is the star of our second Open Source Theatre entry. Her interactive research presentation, entitled “The Peeps, the Perps, the Parties, and the Mugshots” forced us to work together to uncover just how much we did and didn’t know when it came to the FLQ and the October Crisis of 1970. Here you’ll see the results of our putting the pieces of the puzzle together in a network of colour-coordinated names, “mugshots”, bios, parties and organisations. As we continue to explore these human beings at the centre of this conflict, we find ourselves always debating, but never answering the question, “when is violence an acceptable means to an end?”.
Section 98 – Open Source Entry #3 – Tim Buck, The Musical!
More than 5000 people greeted him upon arrival at Union Station. Men shouted his name, women swooned, and some even reached out to touch the hem of his coat as he walked past. Later he greeted a capacity audience at Maple Leaf Gardens (after 3000 others were turned away at the gate). Who are we talking about? Why, Tim Buck of course… Canada’s most celebrated Communist! (And avowed Stalinist.) Check out the lyrics to our song that won’t make the show, but with hyperlinks to everything you need to know.
What does Open Source mean?
“Open Source”, as it relates to software, is “an approach to the design, development, and distribution of software, offering practical accessibility to a software’s source code”. You may be using Open Source software to view this information right now – the popular web browser Firefox is an example of Open Source software, and its source code is shared online for free. Wikipedia is often pointed to as a model of Open Source principles, as it is free to use and invites participation by users.
More recently, the term has taken on a broader definition in order to describe any effort to decentralize information or technology so that it can be used by anyone.
What is Open Source Theatre?
Section 98 investigates complex issues concerning civil rights in Canada. These issues require discussion and debate as none of it is black and white – we are navigating a vast sea of grey. As with the proponents of Open Source projects, we believe that an open and collaborative process is critical to creating work that seeks to engage an audience to consider these issues. This webpage provides a new way for audience to interact with an artistic product that is actively examining a complicated and layered issue.
This is the page where we provide the “source code” of Section 98. On this website, you will have access to our artistic process and the material as it develops – as well as anything else we think you’ll find relevant to our audience and this project. We’ll be looking for your feedback as we continue to develop the show. It’s also where you’ll be able to interact with our project before and after its public presentations.
We invite you to join us in our creation process and we hope to make it interesting and stimulating for everyone involved!
How is Section 98 being created?
This show is a collective collaborative creation with all members of the creative team contributing to the process. That being said, we all have specific roles:
Director: Michael Wheeler
Assistant Director: Laura Nordin
Script Supervisor & Open Source Project Leader: Aislinn Rose
Dramaturg: Alex Fallis
Sound and Lighting Design: Verne Good
Stage Management: Brittney Filek Gibson
Performers: Margaret Evans, Alex Fallis, Melissa Hood, Greta Papageorgiu and David Tompa.
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Section 98 HATCH workshop funding
Open Source Project Funding for Aislinn Rose through the Creators’ Reserve program.
