Health Education: Exploring Patient Identities Through Theatre: Part 1
Tracks
Track 1
| Monday, April 20, 2026 |
| 12:15 PM - 1:35 PM |
| 50 Sussex, Alex Trebeck Theatre (Lower Level) |
Overview
Ms. Aimee Bouchard, Dr. Alan Ng, Dr. Denice Lewis and Dr. Leonard Bloom, Featuring a performance of the Dead Siblings Society Created by Murph Hickey & Nick Maillet and Produced by Wildland Co.
Details
Effective healthcare requires more than clinical knowledge—it depends on the ability of providers to engage with patients as whole people, each with a unique story. Patient-centered interviewing is rooted in understanding these narratives, fostering empathy, communication, and trust. Theatre, as an art form grounded in human experience, provides a powerful medium for exploring and embodying these stories.
This workshop leverages theatrical techniques to enhance clinicians’ ability to listen, interpret, and respond to patient narratives. By engaging with the human stories at the heart of illness and care, participants will gain deeper insight into both the patient and provider experience. Theatre invites reflection on how our personal and professional identities intersect, helping clinicians reconnect with the narrative core of healthcare practice.
https://ottawafringe.com/show/dead-siblings-society/
In this workshop, the intersection of theatre and the doctor patient encounter will take centre stage. Participants will experience a live theatre production and journey with the characters to see the doctor. Post play discussion and a reflective exercise will anchor this session.
Learning Objectives:
Discuss and make use of the medium of theatre as a tool in health education; List the key features and activities involved in a theatre-driven health educational session; Identified local theatre offerings in their own environments
Speaker
Shauna Akkermans
Dead Siblings Society
Dead Siblings Society
Abstract
Dead Siblings Society is an exploration of grief, nostalgia and personal growth. Throughout the show two characters navigate the various struggles associated with mourning late siblings, eventually managing to celebrate the lives of their loved ones and help one another heal. Interspliced during the story are a series of flashbacks to beloved and relatable childhood memories. This one-act play has been described as a love letter to all those who have lost a family member. The show has received critical acclaim and has already won four awards for its premiere run at the 2025 Ottawa Fringe Festival.
Biography
Shauna is a director, stage manager, clown and performer. She studied theatre at Bishop's University and has completed Baby Clown at One North Clown and Creation. Shauna has recently worked as stage manager/co-director for 9th-hours «The hunchback of Notre Dame" and Stage Manager for "Silent Sky" with Three Sisters. She lives with her three cats in centretown, where she plays DnD and moonlights as an HR Generalist.
COI Disclosure: I do not have an affiliation (financial or otherwise) with any for-profit or not-for-profit organizations
COI Disclosure: I do not have an affiliation (financial or otherwise) with any for-profit or not-for-profit organizations
Murph Hickey
Dead Siblings Society
Dead Siblings Society
Abstract
Dead Siblings Society is an exploration of grief, nostalgia and personal growth. Throughout the show two characters navigate the various struggles associated with mourning late siblings, eventually managing to celebrate the lives of their loved ones and help one another heal. Interspliced during the story are a series of flashbacks to beloved and relatable childhood memories. This one-act play has been described as a love letter to all those who have lost a family member. The show has received critical acclaim and has already won four awards for its premiere run at the 2025 Ottawa Fringe Festival.
Biography
Murph Hickey is an award-winning actor, producer, and stunt performer based in Ottawa, with both an undergraduate and a master's degree in acting. As a performer she has been in projects such as Thanks for the Room, The UnBelievable with Dan Aykroyd, Slasher Film, The Byward Heights and the Butchers franchise. Murph also wrote and co-produced Dead Siblings Society, the webseries High and Lows, and several short films. She is the president of Fable for Five Films Inc, an all-female company that makes epic, yet heartwarming, films. In her down time Murph can be found teaching acting at the Ottawa Acting Studio and being an all-around goofball. For bookings please contact The Meus.
COI Disclosure: I do not have an affiliation (financial or otherwise) with any for-profit or not-for-profit organizations
COI Disclosure: I do not have an affiliation (financial or otherwise) with any for-profit or not-for-profit organizations
Nicholas Maillet
Dead Siblings Society
Dead Siblings Society
Abstract
Dead Siblings Society is an exploration of grief, nostalgia and personal growth. Throughout the show two characters navigate the various struggles associated with mourning late siblings, eventually managing to celebrate the lives of their loved ones and help one another heal. Interspliced during the story are a series of flashbacks to beloved and relatable childhood memories. This one-act play has been described as a love letter to all those who have lost a family member. The show has received critical acclaim and has already won four awards for its premiere run at the 2025 Ottawa Fringe Festival.
Biography
Nicholas Maillet is a versatile actor, with a passion to make people laugh! A graduate of Humber College's Theatre program, Nicholas has graced the stages of esteemed productions such as 9th Hour's "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" as Clopin and Kanata Theatre's "Twelfth Night" as Sebastian. As a creative, he co-created and performed in the innovative show "I Forced A Bot To Watch 1000 Hours Of..," which toured to the Fundy Fringe Fest in 2019 which won many festival awards! When not bringing characters to life, Nick can often be found quoting Star Wars lines in his car. May the Force be with you.
COI Disclosure: I do not have an affiliation (financial or otherwise) with any for-profit or not-for-profit organizations
COI Disclosure: I do not have an affiliation (financial or otherwise) with any for-profit or not-for-profit organizations
