They may not be scientists or wear long white coats, but members of the Barrie Theatre Lab don't mind getting their hands dirty while dissecting scripts and looking for ways to make them better.
On Monday night, in the Angus Room at the downtown Barrie Public Library branch, Theatre by the Bay artistic director Iain Moggach re-enters the room after an interview with BarrieToday only to learn his part in tonight's reading.
"Iain, you're Jesus!" exclaims one of the 14 people in the room to a course of laughter.
"OK, great! Halleljuah!"
The comedic script that members of the Barrie Theatre Lab are going over on this night includes the roles of God, Jesus and Donald Trump, among others, in a modern-day circumstance. The multi-act story touches on topics such as same-sex marriage and immigration, through the prism of politics and religion.
Barrie Theatre Lab is a way for aspiring playwrights and actors to get together and work out any kinks, or just plain hearing characters come to life through multiple voices.
They meet once a month where they have new scenes and plays read out loud. The three-hour meetings, which are held the first Monday of each month, start at 6 p.m.
The theatre lab project has been running for two and a half years.
"Every month, a group of actors and people from the community, including writers and people involved in the local theatre scene, get together and workshop plays in development, typically by local writers," said Moggach, adding they recently passed the 80th script mark.
"Out of those 80 scripts, about 10 have gone onto have productions or to have a second life beyond this as a result of the workshopping experience they had at the lab," he added.
The scripts presented over the years have had wide-ranging topics and themes.
"We get everything," Moggach said. "We've had dramas. We've had works by local high school students about mental health that they want to go on to the Sears (Drama) Festival. We've gotten musicials, we've gotten film scripts, all sorts of stuff.
"What I like about it is that it's so eclectic and that it's so open-ended as a series and it can really be what the writers bring to it each month," he added.
On average, around 30 people of all ages and backgrounds show up each month for the lab.
"We get new people all the time, but we get a lot of the same people out because they love it and it's part of their monthly life," Moggach said.
To submit a script to the group, email [email protected].
"Based on that, we're looking for some variety and I'll slot it into either this month or the next month," Moggach said.
When people arrive, copies of the script are laid out on the table, waiting to come to life.
"You'd tell us a little bit about the show and where it's at in its life, what you hope to achieve," Moggach said. "And then we cast and read it out loud. Often, writers really appreciate hearing it out loud by new voices, because that will reveal stuff and you'll fantastic feedback afterward that will give it that extra life and bring it to the next level.
"Part of the organic nature of the lab is that it's a safe space for the artists who are venturing into writing for their first time, but also for experienced writers to get that free feedback," he added.
Theatre by the Bay has produced a half-dozen works that have come out of the lab, including last year's Northern Lights, which was based on the infamous 2004 marijuana grow-up bust at the old Molson brewery in the city's south end.
Other tales that have grown from the theatre lab's proverbial petri dish include Mary of Shanty Bay and The Five Points.
Another company in Collingwood, Quarter Century Theatre, workshopped a script in Barrie that went on to be produced.
Moggach said it's a model that is tried, tested and works.
"Other companies across Ontario have learned from what we've done and tried to emulate it and put a spin on it, but it never holds because it doesn't have that organic feeling, which is why the Barrie Theatre Lab has run for as long as it has and been successful as it has been," he said.
