Pathfinder Comments

If you have recently attended the show and have comments please don't hesitate to contact us by e-mailing jdemkiw@legalaid.sk.ca .  If possible we'd like to know if you fall into one of four categories: 1) Teacher  2) Student  3) Parent or 4) Other.

Pathfinder:  The Choice is Yours TOUR 2008

A unique partnership between a theatrical company and lawyers brings a creative approach to crime prevention through a province-wide tour of schools and communities from March 3-21.

Called "Pathfinder: The Choice is Yours" this tour is co-presented by the Saskatchewan Legal Aid Commission and the Saskatchewan Native Theatre Company (SNTC), and funded through the Law Foundation Legal Aid Endowment Trust.
"This prevention/education tour is targeted to Grade 9 and higher students, their parents and their communities," said Julian Demkiw, Director of Planning and Administration for Legal Aid. The innovative theatre presentation draws on interactive tools to give participants an opportunity to direct the story line and see the consequences of their choices. Topics are based on real-world, common incidents we see every day in our clients experiences, including gang-related activity, underage drinking and sexual activity, shoplifting, armed robbery, and others.

The presentation is done through forum theatre that uses an interactive approach to simultaneously educate and entertain audiences. At various points during the action where the 'protagonist' has to make a choice, a moderator 'freezes' the actors and asks the audience to vote for which choice should be made. The action resumes, and the audience sees the consequences of their choices."With offices across Saskatchewan, Legal Aid has a strong community focus. We are always looking for ways to connect with our communities and are proud to be partnering with the Saskatchewan Native Theatre Company on this project." said Legal Aid CEO Allan Snell.

This is the second public awareness project that the two organizations have partnered on. The first in 2006 was the 'Telling Our Story' project, which focused on actors from SNTC's Circle of Voices program telling dramatic stories which were used in video, audio public service announcements, on DVDs distributed widely across the province, and a special section of the Legal Aid web site.

"We share similar goals of helping our province's youth choose healthier, more productive, creative and positive lifestyles," said Donna Heimbecker, Manager of SNTC, "and each bring different talent, experience and information to the program. We provide the talent and experience to tell the stories dramatically, and Legal Aid provides the real-world information on the consequences of poor choices, and their services."

The tour will make 15 stops in 13 communities, focusing on communities where Legal Aid offices are located. Teachers Guides and other materials will be provided to teachers to maximize the value of the presentations.

Show credits include:

Actors: Jennifer Bishop, Mitchell Poundmaker, Krystle Pederson and Arron Naytowhow
Writers: Arron Naytowhow and Suzanne Paschall
Director: Rob Roy
Stage Manager: Damien Bartlett