Section 98 – Open Source Entry #6 – A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Harbourfront Centre

by Aislinn Rose

I asked for it…

On February 24th, I woke up to find an email from Section 98’s director Michael Wheeler, saying “have you been following my conversation with Omar Khadr?”.  I’m sorry, what?  Now, I think it says a lot about Mike that my first thought was, “if anyone’s going to find a way to have a conversation with Omar Khadr, it’s Mike”.  Or maybe it says a lot about me.  Then it dawned on me that a week earlier I had mentioned Omar Khadr in my Open Source entry “Checking for a Pulse“.  I had dared to suggest that if one is going to support human rights and civil liberties, then one must do so in all cases, and, instead of quoting Margaret Chase this time, I’m going to quote Oscar winning actress Mo’nique: “sometimes you have to forego what’s popular in order to do what’s right”.  I also said, based on this idea, that I’d like to know when we would be bringing Omar Khadr home.  If I was going to find Mike’s conversation with “Omar Khadr” anywhere, I was betting it would be at the end of this post.

I headed to the comments section of the post, and there it was: ‘Everyone calm down! It’s me, Omar Khadr!‘… and it looked like Mike and Omar had stayed up “conversing” until the wee hours of the morning as well.

Don’t feed the trolls

If you spend a lot of time (angrily) reading reader comments on news sites like I do, you’ll often find the line, “don’t feed the trolls”.  Can I go so far as to call this person a troll?  Wikipedia defines an Internet Troll as “someone who posts inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum, chat room or blog, with the primary intent of provoking other users into an emotional response or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion.”  Well, the posts were reasonably on-topic, but cue the inflammatory on his end, and the emotional on my end.  Ultimately, I don’t want to call this person a troll as I think he truly believes in his point of view (and isn’t just engaging in order to be a nuisance), but at the same time, he isn’t posting to debate or discuss.  He’s posting to say “how it is”.

I was surprised at first that Mike had taken on a somewhat similarly comedic tone with his responses.  Good on him for not taking the bait I guess, but I was also frustrated at the amount of misinformation sitting there that was going undisputed (in the beginning).  It’s so very easy to spout inflammatory statements like, ‘“The Young Offenders Act?!” Even I know that was replaced in 2003!‘ as thought that actually means something.  In this case, it means nothing.  While the YOA was replaced in 2003 with the Youth Criminal Justice Act, Omar was captured in 2002, and therefore still covered by the YOA.  Regardless, the new Act still considers youth to be between the ages of 12 and 18, and Omar was 15 when captured.  So what was his point, other than to say something in an authoritative manner, thereby casting doubt on Mike’s earlier assertions?

Same goes for such lines as ‘here’s the only law that DOES apply to me and my “situation”‘ (when in fact there ARE other international laws relating to child soldiers that apply to him and his situation), and ‘(unlike a lot of these bastards at Gitmo) I was actually charged WITH A CRIME‘… as were other Guantanamo Bay detainees who, regardless of their charges and/or convictions, were still released to the custody of their respective countries.  I’ve always enjoyed people saying that Canada is unique, or special, but not when we’re unique because the only Western citizen remaining in Guantanamo Bay is Canadian.

Omar Khadr: Then & Now

… can we send it back?

The “debate” went on for a few days, with Mike and another valiant participant going head to head with this person… and I just sat back watching, wondering what to do, feeling a little bit useless, and a little bit overwhelmed.  Oh, not by the level of debate, don’t get me wrong.  In fact, when I first started reading his comments, I actually thought it might be satire.  I thought, here is an ignorant, arrogant Colbert-like character playing up the ridiculousness of “the other side”… you know, that side that suggests the only reason anyone is interested in Omar’s rights in this case is ‘because they hate America, they hate what it stands for‘.   It would almost be funny if he weren’t actually being utterly serious… in a quasi-funny, (mis)appropriated, and conveniently anonymous voice.  So the level of debate wasn’t what was overwhelming me.

No, it was more about the fact that I knew engaging him further was useless. Consider, for a moment, his insistence that Omar is guilty (though he has yet to be tried), and his complete dismissal of the evidence to the contrary provided by Mike.  In fact, any good point in the real Omar’s favour was simply met with something like ‘just which side are you on? Because it sounds like you’re on mine! This is fantastic, I need another “useful idiot”‘.  So t. schwellnus gets called an idiot… not by the writer of course, but by “Omar”… so he gets away with it.

And then there’s the issue of my being a woman.  Fake Omar’s first comment said (in reference to me), ‘what’s with the lady that hates “Borat” and why is she even allowed to view such Western filth?’.  After that, I (wrongly or rightly) assumed that any comment I made would be met with a similar ‘joke’ about my place as a woman.  He would be ‘in character’ of course, and I would be expected to be able to take a joke of course… otherwise I’m just another one of those humourless shrews we see portrayed on the television every day.  I didn’t say any of this to anyone, yet I was asked by a female friend if this was one of the reasons I wasn’t responding to the discussion.  And let me tell you now, I’m not proud of the fact that I stayed away.

Finally, it is overwhelming to know that there are so many people out there like this person.  As Mike said in one of his responses, ‘it is valuable for the production to acknowledge that the reason Omar Khadr is in Guantanamo Bay is because there are many, many people, just like you out there.’.  I don’t mind that people have differing opinions than my own, not at all.  I just want to be able to have discussions with those people where we can share what we think and what we know, and actually drive the discussion forward.  I love to learn, and I therefore love it when someone proves me wrong… but that can only happen if I actually listen to what the other person is saying.

t. schwellnus may have said it to fake Omar best: ‘I don’t know what your intentions are, ultimately, but this shit just kinda makes me crazy‘.

We don’t use Griffons – and that’s what separates us from them.

What the heck do we do now?

So, as the keeper of Section 98‘s Open Source Theatre project, here’s what I want to know: what the hell do you do in this scenario?  Do you take the bait and engage in the name of accuracy and/or principle?  Do you ignore the “troll”?  Do you delete his posts (as he accused us of doing)?  Or, like Mike, do you try to find a way to incorporate this “voice” into the show, without taking the voice “out of context” (which is what concerns fake Omar).  Though, I don’t see how we can take a voice that doesn’t actually belong to this person out of context, but we’ll certainly do our best.

Now I want to leave you with a question… and feel free to tell answer in the comments section below: what were you doing when you were 15? What was I doing when I was 15?  I was going to Catholic school, and campaigning for Perrin Beatty?  Why?  Well, I was raised by my parents as both a Catholic and a Conservative.  And, while I hate to admit it, I was pretty much one of those kids that did as their parents told them.  It wasn’t until a little later in life that I realised I wasn’t a believer, and I certainly wasn’t a Conservative (of the big or small c variety).  Luckily, when I was 15, I didn’t have parents that sent me to Afghanistan to fight in a war, as I probably would have gone.  You?

Come see Praxis Theatre’s Section 98 interactive work-in-progress presentation on Saturday, March 13th at the Harbourfront Centre Studio Theatre.  Click here for more information.

Variation #12: Adam Lazarus

Text:

Martha Graham to Agnes De Mille:

“There is a vitality, a life force, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium, and it will be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is, nor how valuable it is, nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours, clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep open and aware directly to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open. No artist is pleased. There is no satisfaction whatever at any time. There is only a queer, divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others.”

Sound:

Thank God for this website. There’s so much here. This is a specific song I’m loving on the website:

Image:

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Adam Lazarus is Artistic Producer of the Toronto Festival of Clowns, through which he is accepting submissions and teaching workshops in Bouffon and physical approaches to theatre creation.

Check out these websites for more info: www.torontoclown.com & www.quiptake.com

Canada Wins The Olympics Starring Margaret Evans!

Pretty tense going into the 3rd Period.                   Yanks sure are pouring it on.

Less than 2 minutes to go in regulation.              Less than 1 minute to go in regulation.

Less than 10 seconds to go in regulation.              Crosby scores in OT.

Stand and drink beer for your anthem.               This isn’t Margaret, but it did happen next.

This is what it was like in Vancouver.

You can see Margaret as Eugenia (Jim) Watts in the workshop presentation of Section 98 on March 13th @ 8pm as part of HATCH in The Studio Theatre at Harbourfront.

Click here to buy tickets.

Section 98 – Open Source Entry #5 – I believe in the power… of you and I

Vancouver Poet Laureate Brad Cran on the Canadian Women’s hockey team’s post-game celebration.

by Aislinn Rose

The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games are over, and although there was some protesting and censoring, it seems to have come off as a relatively controversy free affair. For this creative process we’ve been keeping an eye on things ever since we first heard about “free speech zones“, and rights activists being detained on both sides of our border.  We are, after all, building a show about civil liberties in Canada, which leaves room in each iteration for pressing civil rights issues at the time of each production to be addressed within the context of similarly difficult moments in the history of our country.

We became interested in these stories about activists being detained at the Canadian/US border, and then I came across a piece by Vancouver Poet Laureate, Brad Cran who, incidentally, declined to participate in the Cultural Olympiad due to rules he believed muzzled free speech.  In his piece entitled “2010 Handbook for Entering Canada”, Cran takes a look at these border crossings from the perspective of the border guard.  Sort of.

In an effort to stay true to this concept of “Open Source”, I am reaching out to you for contributions to the “source code” of Section 98.  That’s right.  I want you to read Brad Cran’s piece below, and then send us what you think we should do with it.  It can be in script format, or just in the form of a completed idea or concept. You can email all of this to the “info” address at the top right of the website if you’re the shy type or leave it as a comment below!

Our creative process has evolved a lot at Praxis Theatre – evolving from working exclusively with text-based tools to create new work, to also incorporating and  experimenting with ideas and using the workshop process to develop them into theatre.  You’ll see the results of those recent efforts on March 13th at our work in progress HATCH presentation.  (Did I mention tickets are on sale now?  No?  Tickets are on sale now.)

Please take the time to read the Handbook below, and then send us whatever comes to you.  How might you put this story, this issue on stage?  How would you make it theatrical?  Have you considered how it might fit into a show that is also covering civil rights issues of the 1930s and 1970s?  In keeping with things open source, we may incorporate your contribution into our presentation (so be forwarned), we may save it for a later iteration, or we may determine that it doesn’t fit into what we’re developing.  Either way, you’ll be acknowledged, credited, and thanked appropriately.

Without further ado, here it is: Brad Cran’s…

2010 Handbook for Entering Canada

For Howard White

Are you bring­ing any fruits or veg­eta­bles into Canada?

Have you vis­ited a farm in the last 30 days?

Are you now or have you ever been a mem­ber of a group that dis­agreed with government?

Do you intend to ride the zip line?

Do you approve of prod­uct place­ment in movies?

Do you like my uniform?

Are you bring­ing into Canada any cur­rency and/or mon­e­tary instru­ments of a value totalling CAN$10,000 or more per person?

Have you ever assaulted a police offi­cer with a stapler?

In describ­ing my uni­form, would you say that it a) inspires respect or b) breeds contempt?

Have you ever dreamed of shoot­ing a fas­cist dic­ta­tor off a Spanish balcony?

Do you approve of John Furlong?

Can you give me an exam­ple of the words in your head and how they might be used while in Canada?

Do you vote?

Are you now or have you ever been a per­son who car­ries MasterCard?

Were you aware of the Oka upris­ing, and if so, whose side were you on?

Remind me again about the zip line.

Do you read poetry?

Do you believe in home­less­ness as a right of the people?

If you were Canadian, and if it were pos­si­ble to do so, would you vote for John Furlong?

Does the colour of your socks match the colour of your pants?

Do your chil­dren own an effigy, stuffed or oth­er­wise, of the Olympic mascot?

Our pre­mier rode the zip line. Did you see that? It looks awesome.

Please arrange the fol­low­ing terms in order of pref­er­ence, start­ing with the least impor­tant: Health Care, Education, the Environment, Homelessness, Logo Placement at Sporting Events.

Do you now or have you ever owned a copy of Raffi’s Baby Beluga?

Do you own a cell phone?

Are you car­ry­ing any printed mat­ter that illus­trates same-sex love?

Are you bring­ing into Canada any firearms or other weapons?

Did you know that each year, more Canadians trust RBC Royal Bank® for their mort­gage solu­tions than any other provider?

What is the total mon­e­tary value of the goods you will be leav­ing in Canada?

Let’s go back to my uni­form for a minute, you gotta admit it’s pretty fuck­ing awesome.

Do you or have you ever lis­tened to Democracy Now?

Can you fin­ish the fol­low­ing sen­tence? Baby bel­uga in the deep blue ______________.

What colour is your heart?

Do you believe in global warming?

Have you ever pur­chased No Name brand prod­ucts? You know, the ugly yel­low ones?

If while in Canada you were tasered, would you be upset or go into car­diac arrest?

Do you sup­port an inter­na­tional unelected and roam­ing fourth tier of gov­ern­ment as set out by a non-existent char­ter of the
IOC?

If your gov­ern­ment acted against the prin­ci­ples of democ­racy, would you be com­pelled to action or would you just tell your
friends you are miffed?

Do you ever expe­ri­ence emo­tions stronger than miffment?

If some­one you knew spoke up against your gov­ern­ment, would you a) lis­ten or b) think that was a lit­tle weird?

Which of the fol­low­ing does not fit? Osama bin Laden, Louis Riel, Chris Shaw, Gordon Campbell.

When asked, will you keep the flow of traf­fic mov­ing smoothly?

How long will you be staying?

*                                                           *                                                         *

I should tell you there’s a lot of interesting stuff to read on Cran’s Poet Laureate site, including his take on Shane Koyczan, the slam poet featured in Vancouver’s Opening Ceremonies.  Here’s Koyczan performing “We Are More” in 2007.