With Leaving Home, Coming Home, they have done just that.

Starting last fall, the production team (led by the Raes and Marie Franek, Lana Borsellino as co-directors and co-producers Sandra Strauss and Susan Greer) put the call out to local residents, asking them to share their families' immigration stories. More than 40 people responded, contributing tales of arriving from countries as diverse as Poland, Mexico, The Netherlands, England, Pakistan, Honduras Somalia and points in between.

Next came the task of weaving a narrative that, like Canada's, represents a vibrant mosaic of who we are.

Using techniques as diverse as the stories themselves, Leaving Home, Coming Home combines poetry, dance, various musical forms, performance art and even silent movie slapstick to convey the complex and often entangled emotions of fear, joy, relief, confusion and, ultimately, belonging faced by new immigrants.

Divided into two parts, the two-hour-plus presentation first focuses on the stories of leaving. From heartbreaking to humourous - local resident David Jones turns in a scene-stealing performance in his VT debut - the material is a fascinating microcosm of world history. From the war-torn countries of Eastern Europe during the Second World War, Lebanon and Bosnia, the stories come to life through words, music and dance. Each scene is intricately choreographed by Liz Bates, demanding that the actors use their bodies as instruments, props and even as set pieces as their characters make their way through rape, abuse and persecution to, ultimately, safety.

The second half of the production, coming home, evokes the sense of discovery, uncertainty, joy and heartache that comes with leaving behind one home for another. The changing of the seasons, a little girl's discovery of wild blueberries, the boisterous reminiscences of a close-knit Hamilton-Italian family all capture the unique flavour of life as we know it in southern Ontario. Capping off the production is the made-in-Flamborough success story of the Vanderkruk family, who arrived from The Netherlands to weather the prejudices, challenges and stereotypes of the age and carve out their own brand of success as pillars of the local community.

The ensemble cast is comprised of 20 VT veterans and newcomers to the stage. Borsellino, Elwira Rabiej, Martina Aswani and Judy Jones (a longtime performer with the Rockton Dinner Theatre) add their considerable vocal talents to the mix, which also includes the comic inspiration of Dan Bulmer, Kyla McCall and Jennifer Graham. Franek, Allanah Bellai, Margo Olivieri, the Rocchi family (Frank, Daniel and Julia), Shirley Routliffe, Justine Kitteringham, Leigh Celeste, Tanis McArthur, Jessica Lee Bradbury and first-time actor Chrisitian Borsellino round out the cast.

For this outing, the Memorial Hall set is a simple construction, relying on screen projection panels to convey time and place. As well, the costumes are simple; a shawl, a snippet of tartan, a wisp of autumn coloured organza often the only adornment. The pared-down approach works: the focus here is on the stories - our stories - and they are stunning.

Leaving Home, Coming Home continues its run at Memorial Hall in Waterdown (317 Dundas Street East) this weekend (May 1, 2 and 3) and next (May 9 and 10), with a special benefit performance for the Weekend to End Breast Cancer on May 8. Show times are 8 p.m. Tickets are available by calling 905-690-7889, visiting the Jitterbug Java Café on Main Street North in Waterdown or visiting www.villagetheatre.ca.