By Ritu Lamba
Ross Long had a troubled youth. At 13, he was so aggressive that his parents could no longer deal with him and he became a ward of the Children’s Aid Society.
Fortunately, he found theatre and his life turned around.
He understands the challenges young people in the care of the Children’s Aid Society face. Now a foster parent himself, Long, 30, also recognizes the benefits theatre can have on these adolescents.
That’s why he has founded Theatre Ottawa, a new theatre group that welcomes teens who have personal difficulties, such as unstable family situations, that affect their physical and mental well-being.
Long explains these kids often feel inferior to the rest of society.
But theatre can show them their value by offering them a chance to use the skills they develop through their experiences, he says. “They have survival instincts and they have imagination. They move from home to home and they are acting all the time . . . because they are afraid of being themselves. Instead of using this negatively, they can use this to create characters, to create a different world, and get a positive response from it,” he says.
He hopes the experience will expand their minds and strengthen their imaginations in the long-term.
And the short-term benefits are important too, says Long.
“[These kids] will learn what it’s like to do a play and how much fun it is and how much energy there is in the theatre. That’s a small thing . . . but they will always remember it.”
Fifteen-year-old Bob, whose real name cannot be published, is one of five youths who have volunteered to bring Theatre Ottawa’s inaugural production, Pvt. Wars, currently playing at the Orleans Theatre, to the stage.
Pvt. Wars has a cast of three and there are no opportunities for young people to act in it. But Bob and another teen are participating as assistant stage managers, while the other three youths are at the front desk greeting patrons, ripping tickets and operating the concession.
Bob’s jobs include setting up props on stage between scenes, making sure actors are in the right places, and helping them with their lines.
Bob says he originally offered to help because Long, the director of Pvt. Wars, is his foster parent, but he adds that he takes drama at school and thought it would be “cool” to get involved in a real play.
He says he is having fun and will do more theatre in the future if he gets the chance.
He thinks the experience will one day benefit him.
Mike Athey, another former ward of the Children’s Aid Society and an actor in Pvt. Wars, says it’s important to support the kids, but he thinks people should see this play based on its own merit.
Pvt. Wars, which follows three Vietnam veterans as they are forced to live together in a military hospital, is packed with humor, he says.
Besides its comedic aspect, “[The play] talks about the impact of war in a real way,” says Long.
“It’s sensitive to how people feel and that’s very timely right now with what’s going on around the world.”
Issues in the play also tie in with the youth themselves. Pvt. Wars deals with abandonment and fear of society for example, and looks at how people help each other.
The soldiers are dealing with stuff they weren’t prepared for, just like these kids, says Long.
Pvt. Wars runs until Nov. 1 at Orleans Theatre. Tickets are $8 for students and $12 for adults. For reservations, call 567-6403.