ITSAZOO & Pacific Theatre Bring MEETING to Vancouver

ITSAZOO and Pacific Theatre will present a visceral, unflinching examination of group therapy in the world premiere of Meeting, taking place May 14 to June 7, 2025 in a real-life meeting room at the Chalmers Heritage Building (1440 W 12th Ave) – home to Pacific Theatre. Marking the playwriting debut of actor and writer Katherine Gauthier, Meeting invites audiences to join five participants of the support group, ‘Co-Dependents, Love and Sex Addicts Anonymous' in an immersive, fly-on-the-wall experience, as the group grapples with the dark corners of stigma, trauma, and trust.
 

“Meeting offers a peek behind the curtain at the challenging, nuanced, and, at times, horrifying, realities of people seeking therapy to deal with their sexual deviances,” says Sebastien Archibald, ITSAZOO's Co-Artistic Producer, who also plays group member Rob. “An exercise in extreme vulnerability and transparency, Meeting drops audiences into the deep end of community care, as a shocking revelation from one of the participants forces the group to question whether everyone is deserving of acceptance and healing.”

Adds Kaitlin Williams, Pacific Theatre's Artistic Director, who also plays group member Dawn: “A deeply personal exploration, Meeting is informed by Gauthier's studies in counselling psychology and experience as an advocate for sexual abuse survivors. We were immediately drawn to this script for its ability to delve deep into some of life's toughest questions with empathy and compassion, in an effort to expose and heal cycles of trauma for the benefit of all – from the oppressed to the oppressor.”

Directed by multi-award-winning director and Artistic Director of Neworld Theatre, Chelsea Haberlin, Meeting opens in an empty church activity room, where five people share their stories, struggling to connect in light of their wildly disparate experiences with love, sex, and desire. When the group's newest member exposes their most vulnerable revelation, the group must evaluate the limits of their tolerance, trust, and acceptance.
 

To safely and accurately reflect an authentic group therapy experience, Gauthier worked with three dramaturgical consultants in the creation of this work: Julie Lumsden, Métis artist/Indigenous advocate from Treaty 1 (Winnipeg), who consulted on the inclusion and creation of the Land Acknowledgement; Kimberley Rampersad, a Winnipeg-based theatre artist who consulted on the play through an IBPOC lens; and Dr. James Cantor, world-renowned psychologist and sex researcher who served as a psychological consultant. Gauthier also worked with two psychological consultants, Dr. Hillary McBride and Dr. Marla Buchanan, who vetted the script for accuracy from a psychological and neurological lens.

The production of Meeting will offer a series of trauma-informed practices in order to support and protect the cast and creative team, as well as audience members. These support practices include the engagement of Intimacy Director Aryn Mott, Canada's first certified Mental Health Coordinator working within film, television, and theatre; alongside a certified Mental Health First Aid Attendant being on-site at every performance to offer on-the-spot care to those needing support. A post-show ‘Talk Forward' series will take place throughout the entirety of the performance run, hosting facilitated discussions with guest speakers on topics such as sexual health, addiction, and trauma.

In partnership with the UBC Department of Theatre and Film, with funding from CUES (Community-University Engagement Support Fund), UBC researchers will observe and document ITSAZOO and Pacific Theatre's series of trauma-informed practices in order to better equip students, teachers, professionals, and leaders at UBC and within the broader Vancouver theatre community in creating safe spaces for actors to do their work in a culture of care.