The message behind a Cochrane-produced play about a strange and disturbing recurring dream shared between four strangers in the woods was not lost on a group of Grade 6 students.
“It’s really good. It definitely gives a good example of how our garbage can affect our environment and our world,” said Gabi Courte, a student at Manachaban Middle School.
“It’s to show we should be more respectful to nature,” echoed classmate Amy Costen. “You have to respect nature – you’ve got to keep trying to find new ways to help the environment.”
Written and directed by Daunia Del Ben, Dreaming Alberta was produced as a partnership between her company Teatro dell’Eco and the town of Cochrane as a creative way to spread the word about the importance of recycling.
The play’s run this week was scheduled to coincide with the rollout of the town’s new organics program, which began earlier this month.
Manachaban was just one of several Cochrane schools to make the trek to the Cochrane RancheHouse to take in the drama, which combined shadow puppetry and unique audio-visual components with the live action of a growing relationship between a rancher, a Native elder, a French woman and a Filipino girl who converge in the forest after all experiencing visions about a girl in grave trouble.
Although the stage production tackled heavy topics like greenhouse gases, Dreaming Alberta found a way to make the world’s fragile system of natural resources relatable to young members of the audience.
“There’s a lot of garbage in our landfills,” said 11-year-old Caitlyn Rost.
“I think you should do your part because it’s better for the environment,” said student Alana Martens, with her friend Janelle Saltvold summing it up.
“You need to respect the earth.”
