riod include the importance of education and knowledge, survival, determination, and hard work. All of these are important to the farmers. They have felt the struggle of starting new lives and fighting the injustice of the elevator agents. They have worked hard to build their farms and cultivate their lands. These themes are of interest to the target audience of Paper Wheat.The message of Paper Wheat becomes quite evident as the play progresses. The play begins by telling a story. A group of people move to Canada for various reasons, basically to begin new lives. They become wheat farmers in order to provide for themselves. As the play continues we realize that individually, these people are not able to survive on their own. They are faced with seasons of bad weather, the loneliness of being out in the middle of nowhere far from home, and powerful corporate businessmen who attempt to take advantage of them. Together, by pooling their knowledge and resources, they are able to overcome, and accomplish greater things. This is a very powerful message for the audience. They have lived through the hard times depicted in the play and have learned the hard way. Therefore, the message has meaning for them and will keep them interested in the performance.The role of spectacle elements, such as song and dance, also play an important role in engaging the audience. The Wheat Pool song is used in the play as a means of setting the mood, and capturing the audiences attention. As the song was written in 1926, it is used to arouse memories in the minds of the audience members. Other songs such as The Prairie Winds, and Homesick Blues, are used sporadically throughout the play to keep the audience interested and alert. The director of the play, Guy Sprung, also chose to use a well-known local fiddler, Bill Prokopchuk, for the musical sequences. Audience members are able to relate to the music as well as the musician.Dance is another eleme...
