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Home is where the art is

Adult mentors team up with youth actors and writers to deliver theatre piece running May 3 to 6
Actor Christopher Rahim and Valerie Methot are part of Some Assembly Theatre mentorship program and
Actor Christopher Rahim and Valerie Methot are part of Some Assembly Theatre mentorship program and the play Home, which runs May 3 to 6 at the Roundhouse. Photo Dan Toulgoet

Few things elicit a fight-to-the-death mentality more than compromising a person’s place of belonging.

The writers and cast of Home very much fall into that thinking.

Running May 3 to 6 at the Roundhouse Community Centre, Home focuses on a diner that’s both safe space and meeting place for a group of teens. It’s there that they socialize, decompress and take part in open mic sessions.

The spectre of corporate takeover mobilizes the kids into action to save their hangout of choice. As that narrative unfolds, the teens open up to each other around deeply intimate subject matter: abuse, consent and substance abuse.

East Vancouver actor Christopher Rahim plays the role of Amon. As the group is rallying to save the diner, Amon is drugged and assaulted by a woman at a party.

“I have a strong passion for open discussion about things that are often seen as taboo,” said Rahim, 18. “With assault in any form, even if it is talked about, I feel like a lot of people may not think that a male is just as likely to be assaulted as anyone else.” 

The fact that the play's writers and cast are one and the same is paramount to the production of Home.

The play is the culmination of a six-month partnership headed up by the Some Assembly Theatre Company, which operates on a mandate of seasoned theatre vets mentoring younger upstarts.

The adult mentors enlisted 12 youth between the ages of 13 and 20 from across Metro Vancouver to fill out the production ranks and guide them through the nuances of theatre: script writing, acting and building the narrative from the ground up.

“It’s truly a fascinating dynamic,” said company co-founder Valerie Methot. “I’m in my 16th year and I’ve never experienced anything more exhilarating than this type of process. It is challenging but it’s a slice of life because each individual brings their own perspective.”  

Home runs May 3 at 1:30 p.m., May 4 at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. and May 5 and 6 and 7:30 p.m.

jkurucz@vancourier.com