People who took part in the mayhem of the 2011 Stanley Cup riot are being asked to help bring the infamous chapter in Vancouver history back to life through an interactive theatre show.
Creators of the Electric Company Theatre’s new project, entitled “RIOT,” say they intend to explore the city’s history of rioting and how ordinary people can get swept up in crowd violence.
“I was very upset by the whole thing,” John Korsrud told CTV News. “We’re not glorifying it at all, but we’re trying to understand the human psychology of why something like this might happen.”
Korsrud and co-creator Brian Johnson said their production will include live actors, a 12-piece orchestra, stunt performers and dancers, as well as real footage of the riot itself.
They also want to film interviews with rioters and bystanders to gather unique perspectives on what happened.
“We want to create something very immersive wherein maybe over the course of the evening audience members may be able to relate to people that night,” Johnson said.
The team said interview subjects will have the right to first refusal if they change their minds about taking part.
Korsrud and Johnson, who have teamed up for critically-acclaimed multimedia performances before, are aware the show might not be for everyone, given the charged subject matter, but they believe there's a fascinating story to tell.
“It’s great subject matter for making a very emotional, very energetic, very high-impact piece and I think it’s something every Vancouverite will have an opinion on,” Korsrud said.
They expect to raise the curtain in spring 2017.
With a report from CTV Vancouver’s Penny Daflos
