Submitted by Nicole Pryce, Artistic Producer, Crane Creations Theatre Company.

We need theatre in our post-pandemic lives. The world is slowly re-opening. While many are excited at the thought of re-entering society and getting back to “normal”, many of us are feeling a little lost after a year of very little social interaction. Re-connecting (or connecting for the first time) with an external community can be daunting. I, personally, am feeling the massive loss of theatre and live shows, and the warm inviting connection it offers me to my community. 

For me, just walking into a theatre makes me feel at ease. It’s the feeling of  knowing at some base level everyone there has a shared connection.  Theatre has a powerful ability to bring communities of all sorts together over a mutual appreciation of art. So, I offer it to you as a solution to your post-pandemic social anxiety. Whether you and your family were avid attendees of shows or you are dipping your toes into theatrics for the first time, whether you are a performer yourself or you are just looking for a creative outlet, everyone can gain something from theatre no matter their experience or skill level. That is why Crane Creations started Play Date, to make reconnecting in difficult times a little easier. 

At the beginning of this year, Crane Creations Theatre Company launched Play Date. This online event allowed theatre admirers of all ages and locations (thank-you Zoom!) to get together and read plays from playwrights around the world. We pride ourselves on being a local theatre company with an international focus.  With this free event we aimed to raise awareness and appreciation for international playwrights and stories. In times when we feel bound to one place, storytelling has the amazing ability to transport us out of our current situations and into new worlds. 

These Play Dates happen on the third Thursday of every month, and anyone who is interested is welcome to join and read no matter the level of their reading or language skills. We start the night off by splitting into break out rooms on Zoom. This way more people have a chance to read if they wish. This open invitation to read provides a great opportunity for people to improve their cold-reading, get experience speaking in front of strangers, or practice their English skills. A moderator is also assigned to each group to offer assistance and insight if needed. When the groups have finished the piece, we join together for a discussion led by a professional theatre artist to talk about the play, themes and overall experience of reading. This discussion afterwards is so invaluable. Everyone’s perspective is informed by their age, culture, and profession, and it is amazing to see the different interpretations and impacts these plays have on different people. We hope to expand our Play Date community even more over the summer. We see the potential for families and individuals who speak English as a second language to benefit greatly from an event like this. 

Our next Play Date will be an extremely significant one. We will be looking at the play  “Depravity in St. Florian Valley” by Ivan Cankar. Cankar is regarded as the greatest Slovene writer, although you may not have heard of him, as his work until recently had never been translated into the English language. This reading will be the first time this great play is read aloud in English. It tackles many interesting themes such as conformity, free-thinking, and resentment. 

We hope you will join us for the online event this month, and follow us as we transition to an in-person event running out of our theatre space in Mississauga. Use this occasion to find kindred spirits in the theatre community and let’s begin the process of reconnecting together.

Learn more about Play Date and sign up at: https://www.cranecreations.ca/play-reading-circle/