BEING HERE: The Refugee Project

Victoria, BC...From March 16 - 21, 2021, the Belfry Theatre will be streaming BEING HERE: The Refugee Project, a filmed version of a powerful verbatim play (documentary theatre) about refugees who have come to Canada and their sponsors. 

Directed by Michael Shamata, the film stars Ghazal Azarbad, Austin Eckert, Evan Frayne, Kayvon Khoshkam, Adrian Neblett, Monice Peter, and Celine Stubel.  

Playwright / journalist Joel Bernbaum travelled to Victoria, Qualicum Beach, Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal, Halifax, Charlottetown, and various towns in rural Nova Scotia, spending hundreds of hours interviewing refugees and their sponsors asking them to share their experiences in their own words.    

“You know, we’re an immigrant nation, and so this is actually the work of creating...Canadians.” Donald, 40’s, Canadian, Interviewed in Victoria  

We had originally planned to present the show with a small, socially distanced audience, while livestreaming each performance. Earlier this month, we announced we will be filming our three Spring 2021 productions, starting with BEING HERE: The Refugee Project, which we will be streaming online from March 16 – 21.  

 In 2014, Joel Bernbaum compiled and edited the interviews for Home Is A Beautiful Word — our powerful and acclaimed verbatim play about homelessness. 

Why I Chose This Play (Michael Shamata)  

Home Is A Beautiful Word was a remarkable experience to work on, and to present to our audiences. BEING HERE promises to be an equally satisfying piece of “documentary theatre.” Joel conducted interviews across Canada. The stories are wildly varied—but the hearts that beat at the centre of each of them are incredibly similar.  It is a privilege to present these voices on film—the voices of these refugees and the sponsors who wanted to help them.  

Creative Team 
Playwright - Joel Bernbaum
Director - Michael Shamata
Production Designer - Carole Klemm  
Lighting Designer - Sophie Tang
Costume Designer - Jeff Chief 
Composer & Sound Designer - Tobin Stokes
Videographer & Video Editor - Candelario Andrade
Stage Manager - Jennifer Swan
Assistant Stage Manager - Becca Jorgensen  

Ticket Information  

The play will be streaming online from March 16 – 21. Streaming tickets for BEING HERE: The Refugee Project are $25 and available at 250-385-6815 or online at tickets.belfry.bc.ca.  

Online Engagement  

To help you connect and engage with our work, we have created a host of live and digital experiences to give you a deeper understanding of our plays.

B4PLAY
Saturday, March 6 at 11 am 

Via Zoom (link posted to our Facebook page 1 week in advance)  

Free Event. A live talk show hosted by CBC Radio’s Gregor Craigie and featuring interviews with artists from the show and community guests.  

Talkback Thursday
Thursday, March 18 at 8:30 pm 

Via Zoom (link posted to our Facebook page 1 week in advance)  

Free Event. Join creator Joel Bernbaum and the actors from the show to answer questions and provide insight into the play.  

Afterplay
Wednesday, March 24 at 7:30 pm  

Via Zoom (link posted to our Facebook page 1 week in advance)  

Free Event. Facilitated discussions – audience member to audience member – a great opportunity to share your thoughts and hear fellow patrons’ reactions to the production and the ideas it presents.  

VocalEye
Sunday, March 21 from 11 am to 8 pm

Descriptive pre-show introduction for patrons with low or no vision. 

Podcast
Available March 10 

You can listen to and download the full audio interviews from B4Play at belfry.bc.ca/podcasts.  

Upstage
Available March 10  

Our online magazine, Upstage, gives you plenty of insight into the creation of the show and the Belfry Theatre - belfry.bc.ca/upstage.  

Show Sponsors  

BEING HERE: The Refugee Project is generously supported by TD Bank, Chateau Victoria and Used.ca.  

Season Sponsors  

The Belfry is generously supported by The Times Colonist and Helijet.

Public Funders  

The Belfry is funded by the Canada Council for the Arts, Canadian Heritage, the Province of BC, BC Arts Council, CRD Arts Development and the City of Victoria.  

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