Within Theatre

Press Release: Lacerta

Emotional drama and traditional storytelling meet in Lacerta

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Western culture and innovation are driving humanity towards an exciting future. Just take a look at our technology; if one really thinks about it, it is a marvel what we are capable of. We can, in essence, hold the sum knowledge and experience of the world in the palm of our hand. Pick up a smart phone, search the internet, and find the answer to whatever problem, ailment, or quandary one may have. One hundred years ago, if we were to tell someone that this is an everyday reality, it would be unbelievable.

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A Look Into Lacerta

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Mission Statement

Within Theatre desires to express and explore artistically through theatre. Through community and commercial projects, Within seeks to challenge perceptions, create from nothing, and present art that is meaningful, connected, and relevant, not only for artists, but also for the greater community.

Within Theatre’s mandate is to perform original or adapted works by artists within the Saskatchewan theatre community, to experiment with and explore the artistic aspects of theatre, and to help art and artists grow within the province.

What is Art?

The primary goal of most theatre is to entertain the audience; Within Theatre’s primary goal is to share art with the audience. This subsequently begs the questions, “What is art?” and “How is Within Theatre actually different?”

Art is incredibly subjective. All theatre is art in one way or another. It is art because it engages an audiences emotions, it engages their minds, and it engages their senses. Theatre is art because of the desire to express and share ideas, and feelings, and because of the impact and experiences had by the audience.

The difference for Within comes from the emphasis placed on art over entertainment. Within Theatre does not exist solely for escapism. We want our audiences to question, to feel, to think, to respond, and to engage. This is not for artistic snobbery, pretension, or high-minded drivel; Within Theatre instead desires to challenge itself and its audience to view theatre as an experience that fully engages mind and spirit.

Lacerta

Lacerta is the emotional and gripping journey of a young woman at the brink of death. After suffering from tragedy in her family, Mitena seeks spiritual guidance. Finding it in a mish-mash of Native American stories and myths, she patches together her own understanding of the culture, and begins a journey to the Land of the Dead. Through Native American storytelling (with stories both real and imagined), flashback, and retrospection, Mitena seeks her spirit guides and absolution on a path that could instead lead to her own self-destruction.

Lacerta is written and directed by F. David Schultz. It was written in the Summer and Autumn of 2010, and was inspired by the stars–quite literally. In specific, the constellation Lacerta caught Schultz’s eye. In latin, Lacerta means lizard; coincidentally, this same patch of sky was, reportedly, once referred to by the Chumash Native Americans as “the lizard.” For the Chumash, the lizard was one of the spirit guides that brought souls to the Land of the Dead, a place in the far-off western sky. These coincidences sparked his imagination, and Schultz began writing draft after draft of this new play.