Toronto: Here are the Fragments.
An immersive theatre experience inspired by the psychiatric writing of Frantz Fanon
When: November 19 — December 1
Where: The Theatre Centre, 1115 Queen St. West, Toronto, Ontario
Price: $17–30; parental discretion advised
Tags: #immersivetheatre, #schizophrenia, #psychology, #mentalhealth, #openworld, #exploratory, #interactive, #ContentAdvisory, #MobilityAdvisory (see below)
How do we trust what we see or feel? How do we know which voices are truly our own? Based on the psychiatric writing of famed political theorist Frantz Fanon and combining narratives, sensory exploration, and scientific and historical analysis, HERE ARE THE FRAGMENTS. reflects on the relationships between identity, history, racism, and mental health.
HERE ARE THE FRAGMENTS. consists of live performances within an interactive installation. The plot, told in fragments, follows a psychiatrist early in his training as he develops psychosis and ultimately, treatment resistant schizophrenia. Eduard, his son, struggles to connect with his father, while the young man must also make difficult treatment decisions.
The Theatre Centre’s Franco Boni Theatre and Gallery will be transformed into an immersive interactive installation. The design will offer many spaces for exploration, investigation, and discovery, bringing audiences into the perceptual experience of Schizophrenia. The scenes unfold around you, incorporating a fabric of sound, video, and live actors. Amidst the seeming chaos there will also be areas of retreat; whispering voices, Fanon’s own books, archival materials, interviews with psychiatrists, neuroscientists, and people living with schizophrenia all merge to provoke analysis and reflection on the intersection of racism and mental health.
People living with schizophrenia ‘hear voices’ and fear loss of control over their own thoughts and bodies; HERE ARE THE FRAGMENTS. invites audiences to reflect on whether anyone can actually separate internal and external voices. The concept is mirrored in the structure of the piece — which is intentionally poetic and free — with attendees encouraged to craft their own unique experience.
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Office facilities provided by Thymele Arts, in Los Angeles, CA.
Contact Level: None
Content Advisories: Depictions of schizophrenia and other mental health issues, strong language/racial slurs, parental discretion is advised.
The Theatre Centre does not post trigger warnings for any of our shows. If you are concerned about the content of the work, please call the box office (416–538–0988) prior to purchasing your ticket.
There will be chairs or stools set-up at various points throughout the space and audiences can choose to sit. The audience is also free to enter or leave a space as they wish. The Theatre Centre is an accessible facility, with barrier-free washrooms and an accessibility lift to facilitate movement between floors. There will a path for people in wheelchairs to navigate through the majority of the experience. One or two of the smaller installation spaces may have limited access.