Dramaturge / Context – Echo Productions, Toronto, Canada (January – June 2017)
Context follows the story of an evening in Jamie’s life as she struggles to live with her complex anxieties and feelings while interacting with others in the visual arts industry. The show is set in a scene in Toronto that is familiar to many, to reiterate the fact that mental illness is something that is all around us – not just on a screen, in a hospital, or in a lonely bedroom. As the story is shown multiple times, through various lenses, Context aims to shed light on the inner turmoil of those living with mental illness. Jamie’s perspective in the second half of the show is shown through exaggerated motion, sound, touch, and visuals – to provide the audience with a closer look at the daily experiences of those living with these struggles.
Context was built in consultation with a community of people with lived experience of mental illness. The content of this show was created by combining aspects of stories shared by people who live with these struggles, and represents parts of their individual varied experiences. This show is not intended to represent any one particular illness or experience of madness, and the Echo Productions team would like to acknowledge that all experiences of mental illness is varied.
