Propel, Produce, Perform: Community Theatre and Mobile Architecture on Lake of the Woods

Abstract

Combining the cultural value of community theatre with the adaptability of mobile architecture, this thesis proposes the design of a floating theatre on Lake of the Woods, Ontario, Canada. A theatre, atop a barge, along with other production facilities brings theatre experience into the multiple communities living on the shores of the lake. Drawing from the tradition of alternative theatre, the barge provides a dynamic theatre experience rather than a conventional one. Theatre architecture, comprised of a “kit-of-parts”, allows remote communities to participate in the production and execution of their own theatre, thereby promoting local cultural identities. This mobile theatre not only serves as a shared cultural resource, but adapts to, and draws communities together in an initiative of education, participation and exposure to the process involved in the development of a theatrical performance.