a look back at the development of: PEACEMONGERS

About the development

Peacemongers was an ambitious new work about the polarity of our current age, how we got here, and how we get out. The work melds post-dramatic theatre with cabaret and dinner theatre to create a joyous night of connection with other people.

Co-creators Katrina Cornwell, Morgan Rose, Samuel Gaskin, Kate Hood, Ibrahim Halacoglu, Sonya Suares, Zak Pidd.

Designers Nathan Burmeister, Rachel Lee, Justin Gardam.

Producer Flick.

With Darebin Speakeasy.

Outcomes

Over several creative developments we:

  1. Explored the themes via discussion, research and storytelling;

  2. Experiment with performance style and tone;

  3. Generated text through structured improvisations and storytelling, ready to be scripted;

  4. Created song sketches with Zak Pidd;

  5. Tested audience interaction with invited guests.

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  • The opposite of paradox is polarization.

    Esther Perel

  • Creativity encourages connection. And connection to true, uncomfortable self allows us to take responsibility for our impact on other people

    Kae Tempest, On Connection

  • So much of the information we get is pre-polarized. Fiction has a way of reminding us that we actually are very similar in our emotions and our neurology and our desires and our fears, so I think it's a nice way to neutralize that polarization."

    George Saunders

Verbatim Excerpt

KATE Can I just say something? To me. It feels very much like you are the person deciding what is reasonable and necessary. 

IBO Yeah. Yeah.

SON Can we..how about how about…if someone feels disempowered in this exchange that there is someone there…not to be the authority, but to ensure there is fairness. What if it was that dynamic.

SAM Ooh this is gonna be fair?

ZAK We’re trying.

SAM Oh I thought we were role playing the old world. 

KATE No, We want it to be fair. 

IBO Yeah, new world. 

SON Maybe Ibo and I---in this scenario---what if we form witnesses. 

ZAK The two of you do that?

SON Well maybe in the real world it would be more than 2 people. 

ZAK Well we’ve got the audience.

IBO But they didn’t want to do anything.

ZAK But they are bearing witness already. Witnessing is audience adjacent. Not to reduce you to audience members. You are worthy and celebrated members of this community.

KATE You are welcome. 

SON You are welcome.

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