McElvany heals youth with theater
Campus Times
March 20, 1998
For more than two years, Scot McElvany has been using his theater
experience helping young people in war-torn areas of Bosnia-Herzegovina
and Croatia. Setting up workshops and teaching young people to express themselves
through acting and performing, McElvany has presented his performing groups
to the western countries of Europe. The ULV graduate is visiting California
for two months before returning to his work.
Upon graduating, many students of the University of La Verne land jobs
close to home or near the University; however, there is always an exception.
Meet Scot McElvany.
Graduating in 1995 as a theater arts major, McElvany has traveled halfway
around the world to foreign countries such as England, Germany and, most
recently, to the war-torn area of Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Having devoted a part of his life to the Brethren Volunteer Service
(BVS), McElvany lived in Mostar, Bosnia throughout most of his experience.
As he has dedicated himself to pursuing the craft of theater, McElvany's
journey has also allowed him the chance to make a difference in the lives
of the people around him.
As a member of the theater community, McElvany has presented the ideas
of peace and unity among people through theater, allowing Serbs, Muslims
and Croatians the opportunity to interact and work to a common goal.
"Then all of the sudden they meet and they realize that most of
what they've heard about the other guy, the other side is mostly propaganda
anyway," said McElvany, describing the intimate peace process.
He characterizes the settings for most of his productions as unconventional
sites, such as village streets, old buildings and people's homes, as opposed
to the typical production setting of a stage or theater.
McElvany arrived in Bosnia-Herzegovina in January of 1996. Upon arriving,
he said an adjustment needed to be made to not only a different culture,
but to the everyday trials of living around a war.
He remembers the first time he first saw the theater company's dog chase
an army tank.
"The only hitch was that whole idea that I didn't know a thing
about what had gone on in that city," he said.
In getting familiar and accustomed to the environment and his mission
of service, McElvaney began working intensely with the company, directing
several productions for some, and writing others. In addition, he started
his own company, Crane-Made Produc-tions, which involved theater in Bosnia-Herzegovina
which he believes is primarily about "physicalizing the contradictions
of our world."
"I was working with people that actually went off to war -- off
to the front lines -- after I worked with them," he said.
McElvany views theater as an interpretative tool toward the world and
as a way of "processing history, processing social problems and processing
relationships."
Of his endeavors, one of the greatest was writing and producing "Letters,
Where Does the Postman Go When the Street Names Change?"
In this production, McElvaney further examined more of the problems
and possible solutions to the war, as it would appear through the eyes of
a postman.
Reflecting upon his life and future, McElvany knows he will return to
Bosnia-Herzegovina. His recent stay in La Verne was only a vacation. He
plans to continue providing theater and service to the people of Bosnia-Herzegovina
until September of this year.
From that point, McElvaney anticipates travelling to Berlin in order
to continue his study and production of theater.
He still questions his future, however, remembering the same questions
he asked himself back in Bosnia: "Am I getting involved in the arts
to teach this stuff? Or, you know, what am I doing as a writer, theater
artist?"
Still, the solid tool of theater in the lives of the Serbs, Croatians
and Muslims has, at the least, given him an idea of what he wants to do
with his passion and his talent.
"Really my whole thing with theater has much less to do with the
craft of acting or the craft of directing and has much more to do with theater,
as an interpretative tool toward the world around us," he said.
