Abstract

On May 24 th , 2007, a disparate group of people gathered on the mountain, otherwise known as Mount Royal Park, to share their "mountain stories" through the form of Playback theatre. The present study is a phenomenological inquiry into the sense of connection participants experienced towards the mountain in response to this Playback event. Following the event, titled Mountain Stories, five people were interviewed, ranging in age, gender, and first-language, to arrive at essential themes and structures reflecting the meaning of the event in relation to their sense of connection to the mountain. The interviews were analyzed in accordance with the tenets of phenomenological methodology, as described by Clark Moustakas (1994). The findings indicate that the co-researchers felt that their sense of connection to the mountain was related to their sense of connection to the other people in attendance at the event. The community gathered at the event co-created the meaning of the mountain, which was enriched by the physical location, by the journey to and from the event, and by the talented actors and musicians who interpreted the stories. The implication for this study is that connection to natural spaces includes connection to other people, and that this dynamic can be meaningfully enhanced through Playback theatre.