PORT TOWNSEND — Take your pick:
“I’m just one person. I can’t make a difference.”
“I feel overwhelmed by it all. I don’t know where to begin.”
“I’m too busy.”
“I’m not an ‘activist.’”
Such thoughts keep people from seeing themselves as change-makers, says Marc Weinblatt. He’s a member of the Poetic Justice Theatre Ensemble, the troupe about to present an interactive performance titled “Activism? Why Bother!” this Tuesday.
That’s Election Day, fittingly, and Poetic Justice will use its 4 p.m. event to explore the ways citizens do or don’t get involved in community life. This single public performance will take place at St. Paul’s Parish Hall, 1020 Jefferson St. uptown, with admission on a pay-what-you-can basis. The suggested donation is $10 to support the nonprofit troupe, but no one will be turned away.
“Activism? Why Bother!” is also a chance for dialogue, Weinblatt said, as audience members will be invited to share their own stories, experiences, struggles, and dreams around the topic.
Poetic Justice ensemble actors will use physical imagery and improvisation, and even invite audience members onto the stage. Then the “spect-actors” can explore the questions that have come up; this interaction can be a kind of rehearsal for the future, said Weinblatt.
“Come participate actively or simply witness the process,” he added.
Now in its 13th season, the Poetic Justice Theatre Ensemble is a troupe of local actors and activists — from teenagers to seniors — who use interactive theater as a tool for awareness and social change. A program of the Mandala Center for Change, the Poetic Justice ensemble aims to be a community resource, Weinblatt said. Its mission can be summed up as “Change the world and have a good time doing it.”
For more information on Tuesday’s event and to share ideas for how Poetic Justice can serve the community, contact the Mandala Center for Change at 360-344-3435 or see www.mandalaforchange.com.
