(Guest writer Albert Mastromartino)
By blending performance with voluntary audience participation, Michael Sachter Projects has created a work that sits at the intersection of mental health awareness and compelling theatre. Created by first-time playwright and social impact artist Michael Sachter and sensitively directed by Damon Bradley Jang, this 60-minute Toronto Fringe premiere reminds us that our private thoughts are often far more universal than we imagine.
The production begins with the cast warmly welcoming audiences and sharing the remarkable journey behind the piece. Originating as an interactive art installation that travelled from the Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival to the Toronto City Hall Rotunda, the project collected more than 800 anonymous writings and candid conversations from over 5,000 participants. Those authentic reflections now form the emotional backbone of this performance.
Presented in an intimate theatre-in-the-round configuration, the staging cleverly places the audience inside the experience rather than observing from a distance. Four sensitive and compelling actors, Irena Hulijak, Jajube Mandiela, Kaitlin Condie, and N.L. Lee imaginatively and seamlessly embody 99 distinct characters. Sound and lighting elegantly distinguish between external reality and the rich inner worlds each vignette explores, creating a fluid rhythm between spoken confession and internal dialogue centred around themes of regret, love, wishes, wants, and goals.
Among the performance’s most unforgettable moments is the portrayal of a homeless man whose competing inner voices are physically embodied by the surrounding cast as they circle him—a striking theatrical image that captures the complexity of mental health with compassion rather than judgement. Equally affecting is the integration of voluntary audience submissions alongside the original installation writings, reinforcing the production’s central message that every performance becomes a living continuation of the project itself.
The show’s content warning is thoughtfully handled, acknowledging themes including suicidality, chronic illness, grief, and sexual assault while providing a reflection space for those who may need it.
Thought-provoking, touching, interactive, and ultimately heartwarming, A Conversation With Myself offers something increasingly rare: a deeply meaningful theatrical experience that doesn’t simply entertain but genuinely invites audiences to reconnect—with themselves and with each other.
A Conversation With Myself runs until July 12th at the B Street Collaborative, 1100 Bathurst Street, Toronto. Tickets available at: https://fringetoronto.com/fringe/show/conversation-myself
