February in Canada is “I Love to Read” month. To start off the month right, Niverville Elementary School’s Literacy Committee invited the crew from the Manitoba Theatre for Young People (MTYP) to perform for the students.
The MTYP is touring schools across Manitoba from February 6 until May 5 this year. The play they’re performing, Dib and Dob: The Journey Home, has won the Chalmers New Play Award, as well as the Dora Mavor Moore Award. It’s about two brothers who have gotten lost for so long that they’ve made up their own language. They work together to find their way home.
“It was enjoyed! We really appreciated the question and conversation time at the end,” says Leslie Bardal, a teacher at NES who sat in on the play. “Students were able to share their thoughts about the physical drama and use of creative language.”
The crew came to the school on February 9 and performed in the morning. “With NES having a large population, we were limited to an audience of 300 students,” says Bardal, who adds that only Grades Two to Four were able to attend. The younger classes were treated to dramatic readings by people in the community.
