Talonbooks Drama Backlist 45
The Occupation of Heather Rose
Other Schools of Thought
Wendy Lill
Morris Panych
Young, naïve and inadequately trained nurse Heather Rose arrives in a remote Native community hoping to improve the lives of its residents, but ends up utterly disillusioned by the impotence of her interventions. Cast of 1 woman.
Dramas that encourage adults to reflect on their past and young people to reflect on their future: Life Science, 2B WUT UR and Cost of Living.
“An achingly honest reminder of the naïvely enthusiastic attempts that each of us has made to wade bravely into unfamiliar territory.” —Toronto Star
“Cost of Living is a brilliant play about growing up.” —Globe & Mail ISBN 978-0-88922-346-2; $17.95 CAD / $13.95 USD ©1994; 140 pp; b&w photos
ISBN 978-0-88922-593-0; $16.95 CAD / $16.95 USD ©2008; 64 pp; photos
Omniscience
Paradise by the River
Tim Carlson
Vittorio Rossi
The play begs the question of how many of our freedoms have been lost to the institutions engaged in surveillance “for our own protection.”Cast of 2 women and 3 men.
After Canada officially declares war with Italy, Romano, a recent immigrant, is arrested without charge in his own home. Cast of 2 women and 8 men.
“This assault on the modern media makes a clever stab at warning its audience of what’s to come on this crazy granite planet …” —Vancouver Sun
“Tale of imprisoned Italians delivers explosive, full throttle energy … he succeeds at giving authentic voice to a specific community.” —Montreal Gazette
“Never less than intelligently provocative …” —Georgia Straight
ISBN 978-0-88922-393-6; $17.95 CAD / $13.95 USD ©1998; 144 pp
ISBN 978-0-88922-562-6; $16.95 CAD / $16.95 USD © 2007; 96 pp; 2nd printing
On the Job
Past Perfect
David Fennario
Michel Tremblay
On Christmas Eve the workers in a Montreal shipping room get drunk and go on strike. Cast of 8 men.
Translated by Linda Gaboriau
Chalmers Award Winner for Best Canadian Play, 1976. “Vibrates with the rough and ready energy of a street fight.” —Quill & Quire ISBN 978-0-88922-102-4; $17.95 CAD / $17.95 USD ©1976; 112 pp; 5th printing
Unleashing the dark secret of her being, Albertine, one of Tremblay’s most unforgettable heroines, sets out to reconquer the beau she has lost to her younger sister. Cast of 3 women and 2 men. “The really scary, or beautiful, part is how much Albertine there is in every one of us.” —Globe & Mail ISBN 978-0-88922-493-3; $15.95 CAD / $11.95 USD ©2004; 96 pp
One Crack Out
Playing Bare
David French
Dominic Champagne
Charlie Evans, a pool shark, has two days to pay off a debt, or have his legs broken by a psychotic debt collector who is also having an affair with his wife. Cast of 2 women and 8 men.
Translated by Shelley Tepperman A mordant satire on the relation between theatre and life. Cast of 2 women and 4 men. Governor General’s Drama Award Finalist, 1994.
“A definite winner that will be around for a long time.” —Ottawa Citizen
“It celebrates theatre by paying tribute to Godot, one of its most brilliant gems.” —Vancouver Sun
ISBN 978-0-88922-488-9; $15.95 CAD / $11.95 USD ©2003; 96 pp
ISBN 978-0-88922-335-6; $16.95 CAD / $12.95 USD ©1993; 112 pp
Only Drunks and Children Tell the Truth
The Power Plays
Drew Hayden Taylor
George F. Walker
The emotional struggle of a Native woman who was adopted by a white family to acknowledge her birth family. Cast of 2 women and 2 men.
First published as a trilogy in 1986, The Power Plays contains Gossip (1977), Filthy Rich (1979) and The Art of War (1983). These three plays showcase the development and the culmination of Walker’s film noir style.
James Buller Award for Playwright of the Year, 1997. Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding New Play, Small Theatre Division, 1996. “This is not just a great Native production. This is a great production. Period.” —CBC ISBN 978-0-88922-384-4; $17.95 CAD / $17.95 USD ©1998; 112 pp; 7th printing
“Walker has an eye for the ridiculous and an imagination that packs his plays with action.” —New York Times ISBN 978-0-88922-414-8; $19.95 CAD / $15.95 USD ©1999; 208 pp