By Jennifer Higgs
The Broken English Theatre Company (BET) is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year with the Canadian premiere of The Lord of the Wings.
Dimitrije Stanisic-Keller, writer and director of the play, used two Siberian fairy tales to create his own story involving new characters.
He says the 60-minute play will attempt to provide children with a message about Mother Nature while exposing them to other cultures.
“The fairy tales are always about good and evil, about nice and bad, about how to behave in life . . . the new generation are always picking (up) that message very easy,” he says.
Stanisic-Keller teaches violin and piano lessons from his home studio and several photos of his past performances are on the wall.
The theatre company was founded by 10 people who met at an ESL (English as a second language) school.
According to BET’s website, the company is devoted to producing cross-cultural plays by adding to cultural life, while offering jobs to theatre professionals who are new in Canada.
Volunteers help the company with its events.
Stanisic-Keller says arts are a universal language. If a newcomer sees another newcomer on the stage, he says that person “doesn’t feel so lonely or rejected.”
Kirill Chour, BET’s general manager, says 22 actors auditioned for the play. He says usually they would expect more, but another theatre’s auditions were at the same time. The play has six cast members.
Chour says the company had some financial difficulty, and that Stanisic-Keller understands the purpose of the theatre.
“Last year they were really in some bad shape,” says Stanisic-Keller. “I decided to help them as much as I can.”
Chour says they will see how the production goes and may consider adding on school performances.
Stanisic-Keller says he hopes the theatre will survive and be able to have more productions during the year.
His wife, Vildana Stanisic-Keller, is the stage manager and costume designer for the play, and is a member of BET’s artistic committee.
The couple came to Canada in 1994, as refugees from Sarajevo.
The auditions were open to everyone, but Vildana Stanisic-Keller says the cast has different backgrounds and are from a variety of countries.
“I believe fairy tales don’t have an age limit,” she says. The play is advertised for children five to 105.
She says it has a Canadian touch in terms of nature, and “it’s also a very winter-ish tale.”
The first play BET produced, Culture Shock, was about newcomers first experiences in Canada.
The company has a couple performances a year and had a writing competition for first generation Canadians earlier this year.
Peter Honeywell, executive director of the Council for the Arts in Ottawa, says the Broken English Theatre gives new Canadians a voice they need.
Honeywell says there has been an increase in the multi-cultural community in the past 15 years.
“They have a vision for the theatre that has great potential,” he says.
The Lord of the Winds will be performed at Carleton University’s Alumni Theatre on Sunday Dec. 11 at 4 p.m. Tickets are $8 per person, and family and group rates also available.