Director Sammy Moynihan says Stages of Empathy is Rebus Theatre’s “most ambitious project to date”. Photo: Rebus Theatre.
Most playwrights would want the audience to stay in their seats during a show. Sammy Moynihan wants his audiences to do the exact opposite.
A member of Rebus Theatre’s management team, he is also the artistic director of Stages of Empathy.
The upcoming free interactive show – part “workplace training” and part chat about big topics – seeks to break down barriers preventing everyone from being involved in their communities.
“The show is all about how we can make community activities more accessible and inclusive for people with disabilities,” Sammy tells Region.
“A lot of people think accessibility is just about ramps, but it’s also about emotional accessibility, the way we speak to people and what we expect from people.”
From May 2025, the show will be touring through the ACT, as well as Victoria and NSW.
Stages of Empathy also stars a cast of disabled actors – including those with intellectual disabilities and neurodivergence – who have brought their own stories to life.
Sammy says the performers have been developing the production into “beautiful stories that really contain their DNA” throughout the rehearsal stage.
“It won’t be a usual process where they’re given a script, but they create the script, and the work becomes their own,” Sammy says.
“Everybody in the cast has experienced exclusion. It’s quite empowering for them to be in a room where they’re absolutely included.”
Multiple people have shared their stories to help develop the show, including in this Consultation Session. Photo: Claire Sams.
Once the actors arrive in a community, the show takes down the curtain and gets the audience in on the performance.
With the show inspired by the Theatre of the Oppressed, a theatrical theory that “gives the audience a voice”, Sammy says the audience can “come on stage and intervene and make things different and change things around” during the show.
“We’ll demonstrate that it’s not always as easy as it sounds [to be inclusive], but at the end, the people in the audience will have the opportunity to come on stage, replace the characters and show us how they’d work in a more inclusive way,” he says.
“We’re calling it workplace training but that sounds so boring because it’s such an interactive experience and very immersive. It gives people an opportunity to have a go.”
Sammy says Rebus is “exploring different types of community organisations” that can host the show in the coming weeks.
“We’re looking at things like arts organisations, theatre groups, and also things like scout groups and sporting groups. We’re really excited to perform the show in places where people don’t typically talk about theatre,” he says.
While he acknowledges that it can be “very daunting and unexpected” to step onto the stage, he says “it somehow manages to work” when people give it a go.
“[In Rebus’ past interactive shows] it was really cool because we totally got people out of their comfort zone” he says.
“We found that once the program got started, people really wanted to engage and were excited by the opportunity to get on stage, even if they’d never done it before.”
The show was made possible by grant funding from the Australian Government Department of Social Services.
Those interested in having Stages of Empathy visit their community are able to complete an expression of interest form online or contact Rebus Theatre at info@rebustheatre.com.
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