Young actors put crime in the spotlight

GREG YOUNGER-LEWIS

Teamed up with young convicts, Iqaluit teens are fighting back at crime in their community by putting their school’s dark side under the spotlight.

The troupe of young actors put on two hour-long performances last week at Inuksuk High School, as part of a series of Theatre For Living workshops, hosted by the Qaggiq Theatre Company.

Together, the budding thespians wrote and acted out three short plays based on the crimes they’ve seen, heard or even committed in their community.

One result was a stark portrait of vicious bullying in the school.

Mary Tulugak, 16, said part of their performance re-enacted a beating that took place a couple of weeks ago in Iqaluit. In the play, a gang of teenage girls swarm the new girlfriend of a boy coveted by their leader.

“Jealousy is one of the biggest problems in this school,” Tulugak said after the last performance on Feb. 28. “People aren’t really respecting each other like they’re supposed to.

“We wanted to point out how we wanted things to change.”

The real-life scenario ended in non-action by teachers and the student council, according to the actors. But the play showed how after-school programs against violence could have been an option.

Other details in the play were inspired by guest speakers who met the students during the workshop last week. They included Lucien Ukaliannuk, an elder, and two police officers.

Premier Paul Okalik also visited, and spoke candidly about his youth. In turn, the group acted out the story of a young woman who finds her brother dead from suicide, and then descends into alcohol abuse.

Leona Ipeelee, 15, said her character breaks her addiction, only after hearing caring advice from her best friend.

“My best friend tells me that I’m hurting the people around me,” Ipeelee said. “I didn’t want to do that any more.”

Ipeelee and Tulugak also drew on the real-life stories of their new friends in the workshop, who have been convicted of break-ins and other crimes.

Tulugak said she was frightened at first to share the stage with classmates who have been in trouble with the law.

But Tulugak and her friends found that the five young offenders picked for the week’s worth of activities were shy and polite.

And like the others, they were fed up with the social ills, like alcohol abuse, contributing to youth making bad decisions.

“There’s plenty of doors open to people besides crime,” said Tulugak. “It’s a person’s choice, but they should think about how it’s going to turn out in the end.”

Tulugak and the others received some guidance along the way. Before their performances, the group of 14 joined two facilitators from an Ontario native youth troupe called De-ba-jeh-mu-jig, and Sylvia Cloutier, who organized the program.

The facilitators taught the young actors repeatedly that there are no mistakes in theatre, and to keep acting, even when they hit awkward parts in the play.

Cloutier said the actors taught each other lessons as well, namely to learn from each other’s mistakes, including those of the young offenders.

But even if young offenders prove remorseful about their crimes, Cloutier believes they still need more to help them move on with life.

Theatre gives the troubled youth a chance to express themselves, she said. But it also earns respect.

“They really deserve to take part in a creative act,” Cloutier said. “And they need to get out and show the community that they’re part of the community.

“They need to show they’re helping the community, too.”

The latest workshop was sponsored by the federal government’s National Crime Strategy, and the government of Nunavut’s department of culture, elders, language and youth.