What would you do if you saw a stranger die? In August 2000, Liza Balkan witnessed the beating death of a man during an altercation with the police in the west end of Toronto. Called to the witness stand, Balkan kept careful track of the aftermath, then turned verbatim court transcripts, audio, video and text derived from interviews with top lawyers from both sides of the bench, into Out the Window.

The result is a rousing theatrical forum investigating a highly charged and provocative subject that remains topical today.

Through the perspectives of journalists, activists, artists, police force members, a police psychologist, mental health experts, and members of the deceased’s family, the show poses important questions about law enforcement, the Special Investigations Unit, our mental-health care system, accountability, and the shifting nature of memory.

Previously staged in 2012 as a Resident Artist project at The Theatre Centre, Out the Window comes to life again in 2018 at Luminato as a further developed piece with an all-star team of local collaborators. It is the first production to be developed and presented as part of the Resident’s Project partnership between Luminato and The Theatre Centre. In November 2017 the company enjoyed an intensive residency in New York City at 3-Legged Dog, a world-renowned production facility that specializes in digital performance interface. Working with advanced technology, the creative team investigated solutions for presenting the wealth of data collected by Balkan about the trial and the related current issues.

Be sure to check out Same as it ever was: Thoughts beyond Out the Window for three post-show talks, including: Black Lives Matter, Policing People: Society and the Justice System, and Mentally Speaking: A Toronto Conversation

Interpreter provided by the Toronto Sign Language Intepreter Service