Mass for Shut-Outs: Dartmouth

Mass for Shut-Outs is a multidisciplinary performance that plays with the shape of a Catholic mass to ask new questions, challenge old stories, and dismantle the gatekeepers’ fortress. Written and performed by Tanya Davis, with musical support from Carlie Howell, Mass for Shut-Outs is a rousing and poetic take on Sunday service, with orature, music, and opportunities for play and communion.

It features verse dressed as prayer, monologue mimicking homily, joyful singalong, and sombre reflection. It is designed for those of us on the spiritual fringes, who also seek meaning and connection, even while being historically shut out of—or disinterested in—traditional communities of faith, their liturgy, and their institutions.

Mass for Shut-Outs is a shout out to anyone grappling with the complexity of faith, the inconsistency of awe, and the politics of organized religion. It is for atheists seeking connection, agnostics asking questions, and believers kindly curious about other people’s gods.

About Eastern Front Theatre
​Over the past 30 years, EFT has championed and supported countless Atlantic Canadian artists through commissions, workshops, our annual STAGES and EARLY STAGES Theatre Festivals; and development efforts like our Design Mentorship Program, Playwrights Unit, Study Groups, MACRO/micro Creation Series and The Accessibility Project. EFT has produced or presented over 200 original Canadian plays, 32 of which were World Premieres, and has four Governor General Award nominations, one Nova Scotia Masterworks nomination, and 19 Robert Merritt Awards (out of 79 nominations).