Living Below the Line presents true and thought-provoking stories of poverty in Canada.
In 2022, individuals living with poverty in Waterloo Region worked with theatre artists to co-create 12 standalone scenes about their lives. Scenes cover stigma, addiction, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), bias in education, the medical system maze, partner abuse, discrimination and homelessness. In Living Below the Line, community co-creators perform these stories about their own and each others’ struggles, courage, and hope.
This play has now been filmed to share these important stories more widely.
Performed in Waterloo Region tour by Watercourse Theatre, 2022 & 2023
Keywords: poverty, Waterloo, community co-creation, stigma, PTSD, homelessness, discrimination
Genre: Comedic Drama, Community-Engaged Co-Creation
Acts: 1
Run time: 65 minutes
Suitable for students 14+
Content notes: Contains references to addiction, PTSD, homelessness, abuse, discrimination
Cast size: 14 actors
Musician roles: 1
Casting notes: Casting is flexible and the play can be performed by 7 actors, with doubling for the ensemble parts.
"Very humbling – there but for the grace of God go I."
-- audience member
"It was a pleasure to watch something that so clearly empowered the creators to share their experiences, often very difficult experiences, in authentic ways with the public."
-- audience member
"I laughed and cried. It was wonderful. It felt raw and real."Â
-- audience member