ATTENTION ALL PLAYERS!

Join the action this BUY NOTHING DAY with a performance of "Death by Latté, A Tragedy" at local Starbucks outlets in the Montreal region.

PLAY AGAINST STARBUCKS THIS BUY NOTHING DAY!!!

OTL is continuing its proud tradition of staging Buy Nothing Day performances - this time it's a play by NYC theatre activist Reverend Billy called "Death by Latté" that exposes the unscrupulousness of Starbucks.

If you want to join us in this dramatic performance, here's what you need to know:

1) MEETING/REHEARSAL: Monday, November 22nd, 7:30 pm. REGGIES PUB, Hall Building, Concordia University. Metro Guy (Guy exit, turn right on Guy, turn right on de Maissoneuve, the Hall Building is one block down, across the street).

2) PERFORMANCE: Friday November 26th, meeting at 11am. Performances start at noon. Location TBA.

3) A message from the Artistic Facilitator, Jason C. McLean, appears below, with details on the performance and links to the script.

4) For those of you who wish to play, please RSVP by emailing opta...@excite.com, and I'll add your name to the list and keep you updated.

Please feel free to FWD & REPOST this message. The more players the merrier!!! Everyone is welcome!

Donovan King, Chaos Organizer, Death by Latté

Optative Theatrical Laboratories (www.optative.net)

"Art is not a mirror to reflect reality, but a hammer with which to shape it. " - Bertolt Brecht

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Buy Nothing Day 2004 - Death by Latté
Artistic Facilitator's Message:

Greetings everyone!

As the weather outside gets a little bit colder, the nights get longer and everyone's longing for the summer, its time once again for all of us to do our bit to promote peace, justice and rally against corporate greed and have a good time doing it.

Yes, I'm talking about Optative Theatrical Laboratories' annual culture-jam performance for Buy Nothing Day.

In the fine tradition of BNDs past, this November 26th, we will be reprising our performance of the Reverend Billy's Death By Latté that some of us took part in this past summer in Toronto.

Much like McDonalds and WalMart, this year's target is guilty of unfair business practises around the world (the use of genetically-modified milk, driving small enterprises out of business, buying unfairly-traded coffee plus more), but unlike McDonalds and WalMart, The Starbucks Corporation is generally seen as a friendly and trendy coffee house, instead of the corporate behemoth that it actually is.

This is where we come in...

Our mission is to expose the true face of Starbucks in a highly theatrical manner that will both entertain and get people talking. And just how, you may ask, are we going to accomplish this goal?

Well, first have a look at some of the problems with Starbucks. Here's a few helpful links:

http://www.nowtoronto.com/issues/2003-06-19/news_story6.php

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1568/is_8_34/ai_95541089

http://thelink.concordia.ca/article.pl?sid=04/09/21/1315252

I also recommend that you do your own research.

Next, check out Reverend Billy's script for inspiration:

http://revbilly.com/revsite/Writings/Death%20by%20Latte.pdf

and some of the other variations available on his website:

www.revbilly.com

Please note that our performance differs significantly than those examples. We enter in groups of two (someone who knows the truth about Starbucks and a non-believer) each dealing with a specific problem with Starbucks.

The discussions get louder as the doubters start believing. The whole scene erupts as the doubters die while spewing up the lattés.

We get up, bow and are hearded out as a cleaner comes in and mops up the stage. One (or maybe more) remains behind to hand out propaganda and explain why we just did what we did. Then we head off to the next Starbucks (we will be performing four times in total).

So, for the next week, I ask you to prepare and think about what angle of the Starbucks problem you would like to adress.

We'll be meeting at Reggie's Pub in Concordia's Hall Building (1455 de Maisonneuve West) next Monday (November 22nd) at 7:30pm and proceed from there to our first (and only) rehearsal.

Please get in touch with Donovan King, the project's Chaos Organizer by e-mail opta...@excite.com or phone (514) 583-FEST if you'd like to play. All are welcome!!!

So, here's hoping that we can help and have a good time doing it.

'till next time,

Jason C. McLean
Artistic Facilitator - Death by Latté (BND '04)
www.optative.net