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DTP presents — 2B Theatre CompanyOldStockTour.co.uk

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For all audiences interested in exploring the themes, inspirations and creative processes behind Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story

Of particular interest to teachers and students of Theatre, Music, Performing Arts, Politics, English, RE and Media, studying at secondary, tertiary and graduate level

DISCOVERINGOLD STOCK:A GUIDE

Discovering Old Stock: A Guide

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

ABOUTCompany

The Show

UK Touring Partner

Production Credits

INSPIRATION, IDEAS & PEOPLE BEHIND THE SHOW Playwright’s Notes

Interviews with Playwright & Director for Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story

Q & A with Rebecca Desmarais 2b Tour Producer

Q & As with Creative Team and Cast for Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story

HISTORICAL & POLITICAL CONTEXTTimeline and links for key events, places and phrases referenced in the production

CREATIVE, RESEARCH AND DISCUSSION ACTIVITIESCreative1. Re-enactment (Drama, English)2. Theatre Review (Drama, English) Research1. UK Refugee/Immigration process (Citizenship)2. Brechtian/Epic Theatre (Drama) Discussion1. Alan Kurdi (Citizenship, English)2. Would you open the door? (Citizenship)3. Irony – Is this a love story? (English)

EXCERPTS OF THE SCRIPT 1. Chaya & Chaim 2. The Wanderer

WIDER LINKS & RESEARCH

SUPPORTING INFORMATIONTour dates with Q&As and WorkshopsCredits & Acknowledgements

03

04

06

10

12

15

18

19

02

INTRODUCTION

Hello We hope that you will find this Guide a useful introduction to Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story by 2b theatre company. The Guide has been created to evoke thoughts, discussion and learning around the themes, historic and current events which inspired 2b theatre company to create and tour this production. It can be used both by students and audiences alike, either before the show or as a follow up to reflect upon the production, themes and inspirations behind Old Stock.

Within the pack are questions and creative tasks to help stimulate thoughts and additional topics for discussion around how the show makes you feel and reflect upon ways this mirrors the world we live in today.

The processes, form and styles used in the creation and performance of Old Stock make this an ideal production to study alongside a number of key syllabus including:

KS4 & KS5 English; KS4 Citizenship programmesof study; AQA GCSE & A Level Drama & Theatre;BTECH Performing Arts; Music & Music Theatre

The themes and inspiration for the production provide additional stimulus for discussion & research for those studying or interested in: Creative Writing; History; Music History; Philosophy, Religion & Ethics; Government & Politics; Sociology; Media Studies; Citizenship and Wellbeing

Age Guidance: Please note that the production includes some swearing and sexual references, plus language describing violent acts. For these reasons we suggest that the production is most appropriate for audiences aged 14 years + Running time 85 minutes with no interval

Full tour details of where to see the show and ways to get involved are listed on page 19

03Discovering Old Stock: A Guide

ABOUT

The Company — 2b theatre company [Canada]2b theatre company has been making theatre together since 1999. As artists, they create works that explore the world around them, and their experience of what it means to be. Their work can be seen as a series of dialogues: with the subject matter, with the art-form, with the audience, and with themselves. The projects they choose have substance and ideas that are important to the way we as people see and experience ourselves, and our place in the universe. They believe that at the core of the theatrical event is a unique and particular interaction between audience and performance. 2b audiences can expect unique and insightful interactions with stories woven from the fabric of their daily lives. Their themes range from economics to neuroscience to death and the immortal soul, all in the service of exploring life.

2b theatre company is an award-winning international touring theatre company celebrating its 18th season. Their work has been presented to over 50,000 audience members across four continents, 12 countries, and50 cities, from Halifax (Nova Scotia) to Hanover, Edmonton to Edinburgh, Toronto to Tasmania, and Memphis to Mumbai. They have won awards and accolades the world over.

The Show — Old Stock: A Refugee Love StoryOld Stock: A Refugee Love Story is a humorously dark folktale woven together with a high-energy concert.

This Klezmer-folk music-theatre hybrid starring genre-bending sensation Ben Caplan is inspired by the true stories of two Jewish Romanian refugees coming to Canada in 1908.

It’s about how to love after being broken by the horrors of war. It’s about refugees who get out before it’s too late, and those who get out after it’s too late. And it’s about looking into the eyes of God.

UK Touring Partner — dtp dtp is a network of theatres working together to bring exciting and engaging productions and companies to audiences around the UK. The network aims to build and retain audiences by increasing the range and diversity of work available on the regional touring circuit and encourage attenders to try something new by presenting productions from across art form and by extending access to high quality UK and international artists and companies. Since 2004 dtp has toured Ultima Vez [Belgium], Australian Dance Theatre [Australia], Jasmin Vardimon [UK], Renegade Theatre [Germany], Stan Won’t Dance [UK], Theatre Rites [UK], Fabulous Beast [Ireland], Hofesh Shechter [UK], Tanja Liedtke [Australia], Bounce Street Dance Company [Sweden], Shaun Parker & Company [Australia], Blanca Li Dance Company [France/Spain], Nobulus [Austria], Boy Blue Entertainment [UK], Mark Murphy’s V-TOL [UK] and The Farm [Australia]. Full details on our membership and projects can be found on:http://www.dtptours.co.uk

04Discovering Old Stock: A Guide

ABOUT (continued...)

Production Credits —Playwright: Hannah MoscovitchDirector: Christian BarrySongs by: Ben Caplan & Christian Barry*

Rehearsal Stage Manager: Christine OakeyAssistant Director: Laura Vingoe-CramCostume Design: Carly BeamishSet Design: Louisa Adamson & Christian BarryLighting Design: Louisa Adamson & Christian BarryVoice and Speech Coach: Susan StackhouseStage & Production Manager: Louisa AdamsonSound Operator: Jordan Palmer

Original CastBen Caplan: The WandererChris Weatherstone: Chaim, Woodwinds Mary Fay Coady: Chaya, ViolinGraham Scott: Keyboard and AccordionJamie Kronick: Percussion

SongsTraveller’s Curse *written by Geoff Berner

You’ve Arrived

Truth Doesn’t Live in a Book

The Happy People *written by Danny Rubenstein

Minimum Intervals

Plough the Shit

Now is the Quiet

Fledgling

What Love Can Heartbreak Allow

*songs written by Ben Caplan & Christian Barry except where indicated*

Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story premiered at The Waiting Room, Halifax, Nova Scotia on May 4th, 2017

05Discovering Old Stock: A Guide

INSPIRATION, IDEAS & PEOPLE BEHIND THE SHOW

Playwright’s NotesThe text in this project is the story of my paternal family. When there have been gaps in my knowledge of actual events, I have taken artistic liberties. For instance, I do not know the full story of how my great-grandfather Chaim Moscovitch’s family died in Romania. And becauseI have often been working from incomplete information, I have discovered over the course of this project that I have parts of my family’s history wrong. In two instances, I decided to leave my inaccuracies in the text.I originally thought that Chaya was older than Chaim; I later found out from a census that they were in fact the same age. And I believed that Sam Moscovitch, my grandfather, was the oldest child in the family.He was in fact the second child: his sister Mary (Michal) Moscovitch was the firstborn. — Hannah Moscovitch

INTERVIEW —Hannah Moscovitch, Playwright

‘A Refugee Love Story’: How Hannah Moscovitch’s new play honours hergreat-grandparents

‘When you’re surrounded by trauma for so long, you have to find a way to laugh at it’ By Chris Dupuis, CBC Arts, May 8, 2017

Most playwrights begin their careers telling autobiographical stories. Hannah Moscovitch is not most playwrights. Up until this point, the Ottawa-born theatrical wunderkind has dedicated her craft to subjects foreign to her own experience. Her 2006 breakout The Russian Play was a love story set in a Siberian gulag; 2007’s Governor General’s Award-nominated East of Berlin, centred on the son of a Nazi war criminal; 2013’s This Is War depicted the lives of Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan.

“My work has almost always been consciously anti-autobiographical,” Moscovitch says from Halifax (Nova Scotia), where she’s lived since 2013.

“I intentionally write about things I don’t know anything about. I’ve never really thought my own stories were that interesting, and so I haven’t been compelled to tell them — until now.”

With 14 plays under her belt, a shelf full of awards and commissions from companies across North America in development, Moscovitch is doing a creative 180 with her latest work. Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story tells the real life tale of her paternal great grandparents, Chiam and Chaya Moscovitch, who arrived in Canada in 1908, fleeing pogroms in Romania — large-scale massacres of Jews that were becoming increasingly frequent.

“It’s probably counterintuitive, but to deal with more personal material, I think I needed the confidence of middle-age,” she says. “Most artists start with what they know. But I always wanted a mask to be able to see the work from the outside so I could understand its impact on the audience. A show like this feels riskier, because it’s a lot harder to see it objectively.”

Old Stock was catalysed in 2015. Moscovitch and her husband — director Christian Barry, who helms the production — had just welcomed their son Elijah that summer, and the usual flurry of family visits ensued.

In September, her Aunt Enid arrived in Halifax (Nova Scotia) with a dual purpose: she wanted to see Elijah, but she also intended to visit the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21, a detailed archive of the 3.7 million immigrants who passed through Halifax (Nova Scotia) from 1895 to 1971. The goal was to learn more about their family’s arrival in Canada — a subject that had, until then, proven elusive.

“People who come from wealthy, aristocratic backgrounds often maintain really detailed genealogies because they think of their history with pride,” Moscovitch says. “But it’s kind of a trademark of poor families that they don’t know anything about their past. The story is usually just something about how they were fleeing terrible conditions or violence, but everything else tends to be wilfully forgotten.”

What they’d expected to be a one hour excursion expanded to fill an entire day, with Moscovitch rocking her son in his stroller to keep him docile and stealing away to breastfeed while the staff pored over records. The visit to the museum was driven by personal curiosity, not the thought of researching a play — but as her family’s history poured out, she began to think there might be a story worth telling.

Of course, the tale of refugees fleeing genocide, hoping a new country would welcome them, also had contemporary political resonance. The fallout from the Syrian civil war was gaining international attention at the same time that Canadians were preparing for a federal election. Then-Prime Minister Stephen Harper was ginning up enthusiasm among his base with dog- whistling like his “barbaric cultural practices” tip line — the show’s title comes from his infamous quip about

“old-stock Canadians” during an anti-refugee riff at a 2015 leaders’ debate.

But the urgency to write the play was really crystallized by one of the most famous photographs of the last decade: the image of three year old Alan Kurdi, whose lifeless body washed up on a beach in Turkey after his family tried to escape Syria in a tiny rubber raft.

“I remember it so clearly because Elijah was two months old and we’d taken him to be vaccinated,” Moscovitch says.

“He started to cry after he got the shot and Christian and I just held him together and started to sob. BeforeI had a kid, children were largely symbolic to me.”

06Discovering Old Stock: A Guide

INSPIRATION, IDEAS & PEOPLE BEHIND THE SHOW (continued...)

07Discovering Old Stock: A Guide

INTERVIEW —Christian Barry,Co-Artistic Director of 2b theatre & director of Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story,and Hannah Moscovitch, Playwright

Old Stock’s dark relevance

Theatre’s dark and humorous folktaleabout xenophobia has a striking relevance to today’s headlines.By Michael Lake, THE COAST, May 4, 2017

In 2015, Stephen Harper was much derided for using the term “old stock” during a federal leaders’ debate to describe a group of Canadians.

“It was a moment that jolted me,” says Christian Barry, co-artistic director of 2b Theatre and director of their upcoming play Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story

Written by Hannah Moscovitch, the play stars musician Ben Caplan as an MC telling the true story of Moscovitch’s great-grandparents, both Romanian Jews who immigrated to Canada in 1908. In addition to Caplan, a cast of actors and musicians will populate the stage to bring the tale to life.

For several years, Barry and Caplan wanted to create a show together and began the process by building songs.

“I’m a fan of his work,” says Barry, “and I wanted to work with Ben, but the seed of the idea was in talking about what was going on in the world.”

As the show was being developed, the Syrian civil war was gaining media attention, and both Barry and Moscovitch point to this as a pivotal event in reinforcing the kind of story that felt important to tell.

“The play shows xenophobia 100 years ago and though it’s slightly less veiled today, boy, the headlines look familiar,” says Barry.

“It’s gained a dark relevance over the time that we’ve worked on it,” says Moscovitch. With the Syrian conflict continuing to decimate a nation, and Trump trying to turn his racism into policy, the plight of refugees is far from a story of the past.

“I take my lead from a hero of mine, Primo Levi, who survived the Holocaust,” says Moscovitch. “He talks about history as identity, and that you cannot know yourself without knowing your history. And genocide is an attempt to wipe out history. We know that from residential schools in Canada, and Jews know that from the Holocaust. In telling this story of Canada, we are speaking about identity, which feels very relevant.”

In doing research on her great-grandparents, Moscovitch discovered that they had landed in Halifax (Nova Scotia)when they came to Canada. “My great-grandparents met at Pier 21 for the first time. I’d gone there to see if they had any information and they told me they were here. It made me cry. I had no idea.”

Despite its serious subject matter, audiences can still expect the joy and exuberance that is typical of a Ben Caplan show.

“There is joy,” says Moscovitch. “It’s very true of my work that I thematically choose dark subjects and then I address them tonally with a lot of humourand sexuality and joy. And that’s very Jewish of me to do that.”

After a long pause, Moscovitch adds:“It’s about loving for a second time.It’s about looking into the eyes of god. It’s about the experience of your home becoming an apocalypse. And I think there are a lot of fucking good songs by Ben Caplan.”

INSPIRATION, IDEAS & PEOPLE BEHIND THE SHOW (continued...)

08Discovering Old Stock: A Guide

INTERVIEW —Rebecca Desmarais,Tour Producer for 2b theatre company

What do you do?My position can be divided into two sections: Producing and Management. As tour producer, I am seeking opportunities for 2b theatre company to tour shows nationally and internationally. I do this by researching and connecting with presenters and programmers from around the world to learn about their artistic vision and programming policy, to see if they may be interested in 2b’s work. If there is interest, I will provide them with as much information as I can and organise for them to attend a performance. If they wish to book the show, I pass their information to 2b’s agent who negotiates dates, fees, and conditions and contracts on our behalf. Before the contract is signed, I ensure all touring company members are available and that the tour doesn’t conflict with anything else. Scheduling multiple people, many of whom have other projects alongside working with 2b, is very challenging and can take a substantial amount of time to finalise. When a show has been booked,I am responsible for booking everyone’s flights, accommodation, ground transport, and basic needs for the tour. I compile a tour pack with information about the venue and local area.

What does an average day look like?In my job, there is never an average day, my days are constantly changing. I spend a lot of time travelling, trying to answer emails and texts by phone while ensuring that my task list is always up-to-date.

When I am on tour with a show I find myself doing all kinds of things to ensure that the show goes up smoothly. You can find me at the venue steaming costumes, discussing front of house details or running to a music store to find an instrument replacement only minutes before the show begins. When a show

is on tour, I am on call 24/7 in case a performer becomes ill, a flight gets cancelled, or the key code to the accommodation suddenly doesn’t work.I need to be ready to respond and assist whether I’m on the ground or at home in bed. This is especially tricky when other shows are on tour simultaneously, but itis essential that I am available to offer support when needed.

Throughout the year I attend international conferences and festivals where I meet leaders in the performing arts industry and learn about their projects, programming, and spaces as well as share 2b’s work.I also learn about their challenges, achievements, and best practices that help me continue to grow and be better in my role as tour producer.

When I am in Halifax, [Nova Scotia] I go to an office each day where I work alongside an awesome team of artists, producers, and managers.

I spend a great deal of time answering emails, following up with interested presenters for future tours, as well as responding to anything that comes up while shows are on tour. I also write grantapplications that help fund future and current tours.

How did you get to where you are today? This is a difficult question for me to answer as there are so many little twists and turns in my journey that has led me to this position. I would say that I said yes to opportunities that were presented to me and I sought out new opportunities for growth.

Did you always plan to go into this way of life?I knew I wanted to pursue theatre as a medium for self-expression and creativity.

I studied theatre in university and quickly realised that I loved all aspects of it. While I am a creator at my core, I am also a connector in practice. I found myself eager to support talent, cultivate creativity, and connect people together. From there, a myriad of opportunities unfolded over the years and I kept saying yes to new challenges. So, no, I did not plan to bea tour producer.

What is your proudest achievementin your professional life?Being the first artistic programmer at Classic Theatre Cobalt to sell out a professional dance show (and during a massive winter blizzard). I was repeatedly told that dance wouldn’t sell and was too much of a risk. I refused to accept that and worked hard at figuring out a way to make it all work. I had to persuade the dance company, board members, local dance teachers, sponsors, and the community to take a risk with me. And, that performance continues to be the only completely sold out show in over ten years at that theatre.

What advice would you give to anyone hoping to have a similar career to you?Learn as much as you can about other countries, communities, languages, cultures, and identities. See as much professional live performance as you can and ask questions about it. Learn about all the different facets of theatre from creation to production to producing to presenting. Travel to new places, experience what is involved in doing so and pay attention to the details. Know what you need to be your best self always, but especially during high stress and pressured situations.

INSPIRATION, IDEAS & PEOPLE BEHIND THE SHOW (continued...)

Q&As with the Cast and Creative Teamfor Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story

How would you describe the show to a stranger?It’s a music-theatre hybrid show that tells the true story

of two Romanian Jews fleeing the pogroms of eastern

Europe, looking for safe harbour in Canada in 1908.

It’s also a show about the modern day international refugee

crisis as viewed through the lens of a refugee story from

100 years ago.

How will your show make someone feel?The show is a smorgasbord of emotions - the music is

joyful, the horrors of war and persecution are painful,

the beauty of childbirth and family coming together is

transcendent. This is a show about life with great music.

Ultimately, this show is about a triumph of the human

spirit and will make people feel hopeful.

What will it challenge?This show challenges people’s notions of what a refugee

looks like. It’s about opening hearts, minds, and maybe

borders.

How much research did you to do into the historical situation, particularly in Romania? How did this impact your creative decision making?Both musically, and historically, Romania was very present

for us throughout. The sheer brutality of the pogroms is

staggering (just as is the crushing brutality of the war in

Syria today). When there are dark spots in the true history

of Chaim and Chaya, we relied on research to fill in the

blanks. If we didn’t know exactly what happened in

Brasov, the research of the violence in the region gave us

an opportunity to flesh out the story with both chilling,

and truthful details.

The piece is inspired by a true story, how did you balance handling the factual truths with your creative interpretation?The best way to tell a universal story is always to be

specific. As much as possible, we held true to the facts of

Chaim and Chaya’s life. However, there were a few

instances where we incorporated elements from our

research into their lives. Mostly, it was in the moments

where we couldn’t find a particular detail that we allowed

our creative instincts to take over - for example - nobody

could tell us exactly when or where they first met. We

know it was possible that they met in the immigration line

in Halifax. So we had to imagine how that first interaction

would have gone. Our ultimate pursuit was to study the

human story of these two people looking for love, peace,

and safety. So we used the history and the facts as our

spin, but the imagination filled out the body of the piece.

What is the role of love and family in your tale?It’s everything.

How did you create the music for the piece? Did the music inspire the story or the story inspire the music? What influences did you draw from?We wrote some songs before we had found our story.

Others came directly out of the need to tell a specific

element of the story (for example, we wrote the lullaby to

reveal the birth of their first child). Ben has been writing

music with Jewish influences for years. This was a change

for him to steep himself even deeper in those musical

traditions.

How do you think this show appeals to modern audiences?As much as it’s about the past, it’s actually about today’s

world. It’s about the modern day international refugee

crisis. This show puts a human face on the crisis. It goes

deeper than the headlines and the statistics and shows

some of what it means to be fleeing death in search of life.

Why do you think this show has been so successful to date?The themes are urgent, the music is infectious, and the

writing is precise and disarming. It appeals on many levels

to many different tastes. it’s a true story, and it’s great

drama smashed together with great music.

Describe one of your favourite moments in the showTruth Doesn’t Live in a Book is the fourth musical number

in the show. It’s a toe tapper. The lyrics are tongue-in-cheek.

It’s an imaginary examination of the many things that may

have been left out of the written bible. It includes bits of

wisdom like “Try to drink at least eight cups of water every day,” and “Measure twice, cut once.” But the message

behind the song, is a serious one of seeking to understand

the intent of religious texts, and not accepting words as

dogmatic truth without examining context and morality.

As with the rest of the show, it’s a very serious pursuit,

wrapped in a pleasant package.

09Discovering Old Stock: A Guide

(Left to right) Anthony Black, Colleen MacIsaac, Louisa Adamson, Karen Gross, Rebecca Desmarais, Christian Barry

HISTORICAL & POLITICAL CONTEXT

Pogrom is a Russian word meaning to wreak havoc and destroy violently. The word is most commonly used to reference brutal attacks on Jewish people between 1881-1921 in Russia and Eastern Europe. These mob attacks wiped out entire Jewish communities. As the pogroms became more frequent, millions of Jews were forced to leave their homes in search of safety. The Holocaust is often referred to as “The Last Pogrom”.

To find out more about Pogroms: www.myjewishlearning.com/article/what-were-pogromshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pogrom

Pier 2 was operational as an immigration shed and the main entrance into Halifax, Nova Scotia before Pier 21 was built. Nearly 2.7 million individuals immigrated to Canada through Pier 2, the vast majority coming from Europe via the Atlantic ocean.

History surrounding Pier 2 and potentially other piers in Halifax (Nova Scotia) is largely unknown, as records only date back to 1880. The earliest record comes from 4th edition of “Journal of Remarkable Occurrences from 1880-81,” where it is noted that the “deep water terminus of the Intercolonial Railway at Halifax (Nova Scotia) NS is completed by Mr. James G Kennedy, contractor”. In this same year Halifax (Nova Scotia) was officially declared by Ottawa to be a “port of entry”, although it had been running an immigration office since 1865, under the Canada Immigration Act.

In May 1895, a fire caused severe damage, believed to have been caused by arson. The wharf was rebuilt and from 1915 Pier 2 was used as point of departure for troops heading overseas to fight in WWI and a hospital was put on the top floor to treat the sick and wounded. In 1917, disaster struck again, when the entire north end of Halifax was left in ruins from what would remain the greatest man-made explosion until the 1945 destruction of Hiroshima. In 1928Pier 21 officially became the new port of entry to Canada.

Remembering Pier 2: Halifax’s Other Immigrant Gateway By Craig Dodgehttps://pier21.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/files/research_remembering_pier2.pdf

Pier 21 was built as one of four adjoining waterfront sheds, the key transit areas of Halifax’s South End Ocean Terminals.

Today one in five Canadians can trace their roots to Pier 21 as it was an entry point for more than a million people between 1928 and 1971.

The Canadian Museum of Immigration is based at Pier 21 for more information visit their website:https://pier21.ca/research/pier21/historic-pier-21

Refuge CanadaBy World War I, Canada’s Jewish population was over 100,000. While Canada was a new home, many Jewish refugees were met with antisemitism and continued marginalisation.

Over the next hundred years Canada would accept thousands of refugees escaping war and persecution from places such as Hungary, Chile, Uganda, Vietnam, and the former Yugoslavia.

Today, Canada is settling refugees from conflict zones including the Middle East and North Africa. Unfortunately, Islamophobia and xenophobic attitudes to refugees the world over makes the transition even more difficult for refugees from these areas.

No one wants to be a refugee. Anyone can become one.https://pier21.ca/temporary-exhibits/refuge-canada

Pro-democracy demonstrations erupted in the southern city of Deraa, inspired by the “Arab Spring” in neighbouring countries.

BBC: Why is there a war in Syria? www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-35806229

Alan KurdiShocking images of drowned Syrian boy show tragic plight of refugees. Turkish media identified the boy as three-year-old Alan Kurdi and reported that his five-year-old brother had also met a similar death.

The Guardian: Shocking images of drowned Syrian boy show tragic plight of refugeeswww.theguardian.com/world/2015/sep/02/shocking-image-of-drowned-syrian-boy-shows-tragic-plight-of-refugees

(continues overleaf)

1881+

1881 – 1928

1928 – 1971

2011

2015

10Discovering Old Stock: A Guide

HISTORICAL & POLITICAL CONTEXT (continued...)

11Discovering Old Stock: A Guide

Old Stock — what does this mean?

Stephen Harper : Leader of the Conservative Party in Canada, used this term at a Globe Leaders debate in Sept 2015 stating that “new and existing and old-stock Canadians” agreed with his policy on refugee health care.

The Globe and Mail: Harper on defensive over ‘old stock’ comment, niqab case https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/harper-on-defensive-over-old-stock-comment-niqab-case/article26431318/

CBC: Stephen Harper’s ‘old-stock Canadians’: Politics of division or simple slip?http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/old-stock-canadians-stephen-harper-identity-politics-1.3234386

Stephen Harper has clarified his debate remarks, saying his ‘old stock’ comment referred to ‘Canadians who have been the descendants of immigrants for one or more generations.’

Conservative Leader Stephen Harper’s use this week of the term “old stock Canadians” in response to a question on support for reduced health coverage for refugees drew swift condemnation on social media, where many suggestedthe term has racist implications. The Star asked several Canadians with deep roots in this country for their reactions.

The Star: Who are ‘old stock Canadians’?https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2015/09/18/who-are-old-stock-canadians.html

The binary of “Old Stock Canadians” and new immigrants and refugees completely dismissed the existence of Indigenous peoples, African slaves etc. who have been in Canada for far longer.

‘This is a process of othering. To mark this difference is to have a very narrow view of history’ Ben Caplan

January – Migrant crisis: What is the UK doing to help?https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-34139960

June – Brexit Referendum https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brexit

November – Donald Trump Elected Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) – TwitterFollowing 46. Followers 52.5M

Canadian Values & Kellie Leitch

Kellie Leitch, a medical doctor and Member of Parliament for Simcoe-Grey, says she speaks for the average Canadian, and that she wants to bring Donald Trump’s anti-elite message to this country. Her views on Canadian values cause uproar in the Canadian media.

CBC: Kellie Leitch takes a few pages from Donald Trump’s playbookhttp://www.cbc.ca/radio/thesundayedition/kellie-leitch-wants-all-immigrants-screened-for-canadian-values-1.3854030/kellie-leitch-takes-a-few-pages-from-donald-trump-s-playbook-1.3854032

CityNews: Kellie Leitch’s video on Canadian values causes uproar on social mediahttp://toronto.citynews.ca/video/2017/02/27/video-kellie-leitchs-video-on-canadian-values-causes-uproar-on-social-media/

The Globe & Mail: Kellie Leitch misses the point about immigrationhttps://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/kellie-leitch-misses-the-point-about-immigration/article32804170/

CPC Leadership: The Canadian Values Test with Murad Hemmadihttps://www.macleans.ca/politics/cpc-leadership-the-canadian-values-test-with-murad-hemmadi/

8,500 people lost in Mediterranean since death of three-year-old Alan Kurdi https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/sep/01/alan-kurdi-khaled-hosseini-mediterranean-refugees-sea-prayer

Facts on What Brexit means — Full Fact.orghttps://fullfact.org/europe/brexit-options/

2015 (cont...)

2016

2017

2018

CREATIVE, RESEARCH AND DISCUSSION ACTIVITIES

Creative

1. Re-enactmentWhat is the role and responsibility of the director?What is the role and responsibility of the performer? In groups of 3, divide up the roles of director, Chaya, and Chaim. Using your knowledge of the play and the excerpt

from the script (pages 15 – 17) answer the following questions:

How do they each feel about the other? What do each of them want? What obstacles are in their way? How do they try to achieve what they want? What are they thinking (or not saying aloud) during the scene?

In your designated role, work as a team to recreate the scene from the play as you remember it and understand it.

Think about all the physical and vocal choices that the actors made to communicate to their thoughts, feelings,

intentions, and desires.

Think about how the actors move, use the space, and interact with the set and each other on stage.

Curriculum Links: Drama, English

2. Theatre ReviewWhat is the purpose of a theatre review?

A theatre review is an opinion piece that requires thoughtful analysis.

Make a list of what you felt were strengths and weaknesses in the production and choose 3 to provide evidence to

support.

Before you begin writing, identify where your review will be published (i.e. online blog, arts magazine, national newspaper) and who your audience is (i.e. theatre goers, teens, academics). Why are you writing this review? What is your objective?

Read the following reviews of Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story.

Identify what the purpose of the review is: to inform, to persuade, to advise, to explain, to describe, to argue. Analyse

the reviewer’s choice of language and what impact it has on the reader. Explain why you agree or disagree with the

reviewer’s points.

New York Timeshttp://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/19/theater/review-old-stock-hannah-moscovitch.html

Time Outhttps://www.timeout.com/newyork/theater/old-stock-a-refugee-love-story

Ottawa Citizen Review & Interviewhttp://ottawacitizen.com/entertainment/local-arts/theatre-review-ben-caplan-compelling-in-refugees-tale-old-stock

Broadway Baby Reviewhttp://broadwaybaby.com/shows/old-stock-a-refugee-love-story/720777

Herald Scotlandhttp://www.heraldscotland.com/arts_ents/15477694.Fringe_Theatre_reviews__Old_Stock__A_Refugee_Love_Story__King__39_s_Hall__

Lilith__The_Jungle_Queen__Traverse_Theatre__Foley_Explosion__Cameo_Cinema/

Using the same criteria, inspect your own work and make any changes to strengthen your theatre review.

Curriculum Links: English, Drama

12Discovering Old Stock: A Guide

CREATIVE, RESEARCH AND DISCUSSION ACTIVITIES (continued...)

Research

1. UK Refugee Policy & PracticeWhat is the process for refugees and immigrants coming to the UK today?

Using a diverse range of resources, research the policies and practices in the UK regarding refugees and immigration. To

help focus your research, some questions have been provided below.

Who is eligible for refugee status?

What do immigration officers do? How are they trained?

What is a ‘screening’ and what are they ‘screening’ for? How are they evaluated?

What are the requirements for seeking asylum? What are some obstacles that people wishing to seek refuge face with these requirements?

What advice is being offered online to help with the interview and/or screening process?

What rights do refugees have in the UK?

What do politicians say about refugees and immigrants in the UK?

What do non-profit organisations say about refugees and immigration in the UK?

What is the press saying about refugees and immigration in the UK?

What are some facts to support the UK’s current (last 5 years) response to refugees?

Library Of Congress: Refugee Law & Policywww.loc.gov/law/help/refugee-law/unitedkingdom.php

UK Government: Visas & Immigrationwww.gov.uk/claim-asylum

Refugee Council: Facts About Refugeeswww.refugeecouncil.org.uk/20facts

Based upon your research, what are some challenges that people face when seeking asylum or refuge in the UK?

Why is it important for us to know about the policies and practices of our government regarding refugees and

immigration?

Curriculum Links: Citizenship; British Values; Drama

2. Brechtian & Epic TheatreWhat is Brechtian and Epic Theatre?

Using a variety of resources, research the origins of Brechtian and Epic Theatre. Describe what makes them unique from

other forms of theatre.

How is the role of the spectator different in Epic Theatre? Explain their purpose and why it is still relevant today?

What are the key questions that Brecht was challenging his audience to consider?

How did Brecht use time and place in his plays?

What is Brecht’s alienation effect and what is its purpose?

Provide examples of how Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story uses Brechtian techniques?

Curriculum Links: Drama

13Discovering Old Stock: A Guide

CREATIVE, RESEARCH AND DISCUSSION ACTIVITIES (continued...)

Discussion

1. A Refugee TragedyThis topic is sensitive and can make students feel discomfort or trigger emotions. Please prepare students and discuss

the subject matter with great care. Emotional responses to difficult subject matter can be important for empathy and

change, however, we do not wish to cause emotional harm to any one individual.

Show the photo of Alan Kurdi. Invite students to share their feelings about what they see.

In small groups, have students read two news articles about Alan Kurdi from two different countries: Guardian,

Time, Independent, New York Times, The Star

What are your initial thoughts and feelings about what you have read?

What are the key points in the article?

What is the tone of the article? Give reasons to support your argument.

As a class discuss the impact of the image for the show’s creation as well as its impact on a global scale.

How does Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story put a human face to the refugee crisis?

Life After RefugeRemember that when people arrive in a new country, their journey is not over. What are some challenges that a person

may continue to face on a daily basis?

• Adjusting to a new life after having left everything behind

• Being apart from family and loved ones

• Finding work

• Facing possible racism and discrimination

• Language barriers

• Cultural differences

If students have moments of discomfort or feel upset about the information that they will be encountering, it is okay to

feel this way. Discomfort can indicate that someone’s understanding of the world is being challenged or shifted and this

can be difficult to accept. Encourage students to be curious and open when learning and processing new concepts.

See page 18 for links to organisations working internationally and the UK with refugees.

Curriculum Links: Year 9, 10, 11 English, Media, Citizenship, British Values

2. Would you open the door?Unpack the meaning behind The Wanderer’s story about the knock at the door.

Why was this story included in the play?

What impact did this story have on you?

What did you think or feel during the telling of this story?

Referring to both the literal and figurative meanings in this story, what would you do?

Would you open the door?

Curriculum Links: Citizenship

3. A Love Story

What makes this play a love story?

How is this love story different from what you often see?

Use specific examples from the play to explain your responses.

Curriculum Links: English

14Discovering Old Stock: A Guide

1. Chaya & Chaim

1908.Montreal.An ornate brass samovar.Heavy air.As unsexy an atmosphere as is possible.CHAYA is alone. A sense of tension in her, of waiting.CHAIM enters, sees CHAYA.

CHAIM: You—you’re very—you’re how I remember you.He remembers himself, and turns and kisses his hand and holds his hand to the Mezuzah on the door.

CHAYA gets up, and goes to the samovar. She pours CHAIMa glass of tea from a samovar. She sits down slowly.

CHAIM: Do you remember me?

Simultaneous:

CHAYA: Chaim—CHAIM: Chaim Moscovitch—yes! I was at shul, I heard your father’s name, I said: “Yankel Yankovitch witha daughter Chaya?” I said “What are the chances! I’ve met your daughter: she was the first thing I sawin Canada!”Beat.

CHAIM: Thank you for agreeing to this meeting with me.

CHAYA: You’re in good health?

CHAIM: (nodding) And you? Your cough…?

CHAYA coughs.

CHAIM: How do you like Montreal?

CHAYA shrugs.

CHAYA: Not Romania.

CHAIM: No, not Romania! But cold like Romania.My landlady, she asked me: “You’re from a Northern country: how did you keep warm?”

CHAIM shrugs.

CHAIM: I said: “Vodka”.Beat. Then in a lower voice, a more serious tone...

CHAIM: We didn’t keep warm, is the truth.

CHAYA: What kind of a wife are you looking for?Beat.

CHAIM: You.Beat.

CHAYA: What’s your work?

CHAIM: I’d like other work. On the railway…? I have factory work.

CHAYA: Anh. Factory. How old are you?

CHAIM: Nineteen. You’re older?

CHAYA: Twenty-four.

CHAYA shakes her head.

CHAYA: You should find a young bride: you’re a good looking boy—

CHAIM: I could, but… I don’t know why, but…I think this is right.Beat: they both blush.

15Discovering Old Stock: A Guide

EXCERPTS OF THE SCRIPT

CHAYA: I went hungry for a year and my skin sagged, and I‘ve a couple of broken teeth, on the bottom. I take a lot of sugar in my tea, so much you’ll say: “Chaya that’s not tea it’s sludge!!!” but that’s how I like it. My father will have told you what a good wife I am, but I have bad qualities. I have a temper, and my cooking’s not so good—you’re nodding, why are you nodding?

CHAIM: Your father told me about the cooking.

CHAYA: (surprised) He did?

CHAIM: Too much salt.

CHAYA: (bristling) He said that?!They’re getting distracted so CHAIM quickly pivots:

CHAIM: I—please—I shouldn’t have told you that because—…do you want to marry me?Beat.

CHAYA: My father likes you.

CHAIM: Your father likes me: good, good. Do you like me?Beat.

CHAIM: I’m young.

CHAYA: (with some humour and sexuality to it:) This I don’t mind.Pause: they look at each other. There’s a sexual charge. But then CHAYA looks down or away.

CHAYA: (formal) On the question of our marriage I will be guided by my father.

CHAYA looks at him, hesitates, then looks the floor.

CHAIM looks at her for a long moment, considering. Then he shakes his head.

CHAIM: (almost to himself, a decision) It’s not enough.Then he downs his tea, and stands.

CHAIM: You’ll tell your father it won’t work out between us?

CHAYA thinks for a second, gazing at him. Then stands. But she doesn’t usher him to the door. She goes to the samovar and pours

CHAIM more tea. Sets it in front of him. He doesn’t move. He keeps looking at her.

CHAYA: Sit. Drink.

16Discovering Old Stock: A Guide

EXCERPTS OF THE SCRIPT (continued...)

EXCERPTS OF THE SCRIPT (continued...)

2. The Wanderer

WANDERER: (speaks to the audience) When Chaim goes to a cinema with some friends from synagogue they’re told “Gentiles only”And of course of course they sound Romanian andof course with more pogroms there are more Jews fleeing to CanadaHe sees it in the newspaperIn the Montreal Herald this morning

“Old Stock Canadians soon to be overrun by Semitic Hordes!”Standing outside the cinema Chaim thinks to himselfThis big cold country doesn’t want him to see a movie?Okay so: no movieAnd then a crack opens upAnd from so many miles away he can see the smokeHe gets off the train at BrasovSnow’s fallingThere’s no commotion it must have happened hours ago…The butcher’s shop is burned and on one of the hooks hangs the butcher’s sonAlong a side street a child lies face down in the snowIn the town square corpses are being laid outChaim vomits a couple of times then starts to runHe sees the synagogue its blackened beams have fallen inWindows on his street are shattered andThe front door of his house stands openIn the front room he finds his mother and two of his brothersStop.

WANDERER: In the kitchen he finds his fatherStop.

The back door is openHe goes towards it butStop.

He hears a sound and turns andIt’s his father movingChaim runs back and pulls his father upWipes his mouthWatches as his father points to the back door and says “your brother”Outside Chaim finds his smallest brotherFour years oldCurled up in the snowHis head isStop.

Chaim kneels down andHe’s still warmBeat.

Perhaps by now CHAIM’S holding his hands up as though there’s a child in them.

WANDERER: Chaim picks him up, turns and looks into the eyes of God

Both WANDERER and CHAIM turn and look at each other directly, in the eyes.A charismatic moment.CHAIM lowers his arms, looks around him.Lighting shift.

WANDERER: Chaim blinksThe sun’s brightHe looks aroundHe’s standing on the sidewalk outside a cinema in Montreal.

17Discovering Old Stock: A Guide

WIDER LINKS & RESEARCH

Amnesty InternationalAmnesty International is a non-governmental organization

with a focus on human rights.

https://www.amnesty.org/en/

British FutureBritish Future is an independent, non-partisan thinktank

seeking to involve people in an open conversation, which

addresses people’s hopes and fears about identity and

integration, migration and opportunity, so that we feel

confident about Britain’s Future.

http://www.britishfuture.org/

City of SanctuaryCity of Sanctuary holds the vision that the UK will be a

welcoming place of safety for all and proud to offer

sanctuary to people fleeing violence and persecution.

City of Sanctuary UK supports a network of groups across

the UK, working together to welcome people seeking

sanctuary.

https://cityofsanctuary.org/

Counterpoint ArtsSupports, produces and promotes the arts by and about

migrants and refugees

http://counterpointsarts.org.uk/work/

Doctors Without BordersDoctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)

helps people worldwide where the need is greatest,

delivering emergency medical aid to people affected by

conflict, epidemics, disasters, or exclusion from health care.

https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/

International Organization for Migration

The IOM is an intergovernmental organisation which provides

services and support to governments and migrants.

https://unitedkingdom.iom.int/

Introduction to Judaismwww.bbc.co.uk/schools/religion/judaism/index.shtml

Kent Refugee Action Network [KRAN]KRAN’s vision is for young people seeking asylum and as

refugees in the UK to be safe, belong and build hope for

a better future.

https://kran.org.uk/

OxfamOxfam is an international confederation of 17 organisations

working around the world to find solutions to poverty and

support human rights.

www.oxfam.org.uk

Primo LeviA prominent Holocaust survivor and award-winning author

who lost the will to survive

https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/primo-levi/

Platforma

Platforma arts and refugee network supports and develops

arts by, about and with refugees and migrants from

marginalised communities.

www.platforma.org.uk/about

Refugee ActionRefugee Action’s vision is that refugees and asylum seekers

will be welcome in the UK. They will get justice, live free

of poverty and be able to successfully rebuild their lives.

https://www.refugee-action.org.uk/

Refugee WeekRefugee Week is a nationwide programme of arts, cultural

and educational events that celebrate the contribution of

refugees to the UK, and encourages a better

understanding between communities.

http://refugeeweek.org.uk/refugee-week-2018-celebrating-20-years/

Refugee TalesRefugee Tales is an outreach project of Gatwick Detainees

Welfare Group inspired by the experiences of men held in

immigration detention at Gatwick and the work of the

Group in 20 years of visiting.

http://refugeetales.org/

United Nations Refugee AgencyThe UNHCR coordinates UN refugee responses, including

support for host countries providing assistance for refugees.

http://www.unhcr.org.uk

Unicef The United Nations Children’s Fund is a child-focused

humanitarian organisation operating in 192 countries.

https://www.unicef.org.uk/

18Discovering Old Stock: A Guide

SUPPORTING INFORMATION UK TOUR 2018

19

Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry Tuesday 9 & Wednesday 10 October

warwickartscentre.co.uk

024 7652 4524

artsdepot, London Friday 12 & Saturday 13 October

artsdepot.co.uk

020 8369 5454

Hertford Theatre

Tuesday 16 October

hertfordtheatre.com

01992 531500

Gulbenkian, Canterbury

Friday 19 & Saturday 20 October

thegulbenkian.co.uk

01227 769075

The Old Market, Brighton

Tuesday 23 – Saturday 27 October

theoldmarket.com

01273 201 801

The Lowry, Salford Tuesday 30 & Wednesday 31 October

thelowry.com/drama

0843 208 6010

Oxford Playhouse

Monday 5 & Tuesday 6 November

oxfordplayhouse.com

01865 305305

Cast, Doncaster Thursday 8 & Friday 9 November

castindoncaster.com

01302 303959

Running time 85 minuteswith no interval

Age Guidance: Please note that the production includes some swearing and sexual references, plus language describing violent acts. For these reasons we suggest that the production is most appropriate for audiences aged 14 years +

For online booking links go to:

www.oldstocktour.co.uk

Twitter: @dtptoursFacebook: www.facebook.com/DTPtours

Get involvedFree Talkback Q & As are taking place at each venue,

check when booking for further details

Company led workshops are also available – for further

information contact your local venue or:

education@dtptours.co.uk

Credits & Acknowledgements2b theatre company teamArtistic Co-Directors: Christian Barry & Anthony Black

Director of Production: Louisa Adamson

Managing Director: Colleen MacIsaac

Producer: Karen Gross

Tour Producer: Rebecca Desmarais

2b engages consultants through Strategic Arts Management 2b is represented by touring agent Menno Plukker(Menno Plukker Theatre Agent Inc.) menno@mennoplukker.com

For more information about other tours and projects:

www.2btheatre.com

dtp team Auditors: Clark Brownscombe

Design: Up For Grabs

Finance: Steve Early & Jenna Matthews

Marketing: Tiffany Evans

Outreach & Audience Engagement: Emma Turner

PR: Michael Eppy

Technical: Steve Wald

Travel Arrangements: Production Touring Ltd

UK Tour Producer: Claire Soper

Website, Film & Social Media Management: HdK Associates

dtp member venues: Brighton Dome; Cast, Doncaster; Grand Theatre, Blackpool; Gulbenkian, Canterbury; Hall for Cornwall, Truro; Lighthouse, Poole; The Lowry, Salford; Northern Stage, Newcastle; Nottingham Playhouse; Oxford Playhouse; Warwick Arts Centre

Register for updates, receive reminders about performances by visiting http://www.dtptours.co.uk

Funders and supporters 2b theatre company receives operating support from the Canada Council for the Arts, Arts Nova Scotia, and the city of Halifax (Nova Scotia).

Thanks to the Nova Scotia Department of Communities, Culture, and Heritage for their support of this show and of arts and culture in Nova Scotia.

2b theatre company is a member of the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres and engages, under the terms of the Canadian Theatre Agreement, professional artists who are members of Canadian Actors’ Equity Association.

Thanks to The Citadel Theatre and the Theatre Arts Residency program at Banff Centre for their contributions to the development of Old Stock, and to our development partners at the National Arts Centre.

2b theatre company is supported by the Canada Council for the Arts, Arts Nova Scotia, and the city of Halifax (Nova Scotia). Thanks to the Nova Scotia Department of Communities, Culture, and Heritage for their support of this show and of arts and culture in Nova Scotia. Thanks to The Citadel Theatre and the Theatre Arts Residency program at Banff Centre for their contributions to the development of Old Stock, and to our co-production partners at the National Arts Centre.

Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story UK tour, autumn 2018 is funded by the National Lottery through Arts Council England and Canada Council for the Arts, with support from the High Commission of Canada and produced by DTP.

Discovering Old Stock: A Guide written by 2b theatre company with contributions from dtp

Photography: Stoo Metz

Design: Up for Grabs, June 2018

Discovering Old Stock: A Guide