As a culmination of their course that explored social injustice, students at St. Peter’s Catholic High School partnered with World Vision to perform the musical The Other Side of the River at the National Arts Centre Jan. 12-13.
The play, written by Toronto playwright Dennis Hassel, was part of a course called theatre and development.
The course, the first of its kind in Canada, was created by St. Peter’s teacher Bernard Leger. It combines the expectations of a grade 12 music theatre course and a sociology course entitled challenge and change in society.
World Vision decided to partner with Leger and St. Peter’s after seeing the school perform at a play last year, according to World Vision regional representative Cynthia Koch.
This is the first time an organization has ever been implemented in a high school curriculum, Koch said.
The whole play was done as a collaborative effort by the students, according to Leger, including the various musical numbers.
“[They] didn’t audition for roles; they decided as a group who got which roles, and then if there was a number that needed to be choreographed, they would choreograph as a group,” he said.
World Vision executive vice-president Michael Messenger said the organization’s involvement came out of a desire to teach young people about social justice.
“We often talk about connecting with the younger generation using technology, or Facebook,” Messenger said.
“That’s still really important, but this was a chance for us to do something completely more innovative, to connect at a different level, to look and see that what are the issues that the kids understand and see.”
How does it affect them, when they explore through more a more artistic lens?” Messenger said.
The play’s story revolves around two sides of a river. One side is owned by the Mor family, who control most of the land in the area. The other side is the poverty-stricken side of Les, which is shared among the people there.
Jemma Mor, the daughter of the Matriarch of Mor and the heiress to the estate, meets Forest Les, a leader among the people of Les, and they fall in love, despite the problems they face.
People from Les are forbidden from crossing the river without paying a heavy fee across the only bridge, and only at the discretion of the Steward of Mor, who is only interested in making more money, no matter the cost.
Dana Richardson, a performer in the play, said creating the play taught her about the issues in the world, and how little she knew about them.
“I learned that I was really ignorant, and I’ve definitely been trying to help the world more, and I realized that just because I’m one person doesn’t mean I can’t make a difference,” she said.
Another performer, Keegan Hoban, said she would be going to Cambita in the Dominican Republic on a missionary mission during March break.
As part of the rehearsal process, the students also used social media to learn more about global issues.
The students used Skype to talk to professionals in the field of global development, according to Leger.
“We talked to the director of the Relief for the Horn of Africa, which was really interesting,” Hoban said.
Messenger said these are the kinds of experiences he hopes to see through the play.
He said he hopes the students and everybody who saw the play would see things through a new light because of this experience.
“We want to see kids’ lives transformed,” he said.
