From March 16-19 – and again on March 23rd – the Theatre and Performance department of the University of Waterloo is performing its biannual production, “Unconscious Curriculum: Rape Culture on Campus”. Over the last three years, students and staff have been researching this topic in a collaborative manner. Over the past two terms they have created this current production about rape culture on the University of Waterloo campus.
Tackling this subject was no easy task, but all students and staff involved with the project believed that it was necessary to bring the subject of rape culture to light. After the show, one student shared that the benefit of addressing this subject in the theatre was the interaction between the cast and the audience, and for that reason, it is not something that can easily be recreated. Expressions are genuine and in the moment. There is no rewind or replay button which offers raw and genuine insight into this subject, and delivers authenticity to the audience.
The show is about two filmmakers who are creating a documentary about rape culture on campus. They are producing the story of a course on campus whose focus was to explore what rape culture is, and how it is relevant to the University of Waterloo campus. The professor of this course has gone away for the term, so he has two TA’s fill in for him to work with a group of 8 students. Each student has a different story related to rape culture which they bring to the course. More and more about their story is unveiled as the course goes on throughout the term. The show follows the development of these storylines over the entire course of the term and the student’s share their stories, and express how they feel about the subject of rape culture on campus.
The show addresses the distinction between our perception of rape and how rape feels for the person who is subject to it. Do we call them a victim or are they a survivor? Additionally, there are several gender roles, social norms, and stereotypes that accompany this topic, but the show highlights how things actually are different from the norm. Our perception of rape is distorted, and unfortunately many stories are left unheard and untouched. This show helps bring many of these often-silenced stories to light and provides the audience with information to start a conversation about rape culture not only on our campus, but also in our society.
I want to give a major round of applause to everyone who worked on this show. I found myself sitting in my seat, in awe of what I was seeing in front of me. These stories shared on stage are based on real ones out in the world and I was captivated the entire show.
If you haven’t had the chance to go see the show yet, there’s one final performance March 23rd at 7pm in the Theatre of the Arts, located inside the Modern Languages (ML) building.