Deb and I saw the play 1939 at Canadian Stage last weekend.

Wow.

Written by Jani Lauzon and Kaitlyn Riordan. It’s about some Indigenous kids at a Residential school in Northern Ontario. Their teacher wants them to put on a production of Shakespeare’s All’s Well That Ends Well.

The play follows the five students as they go through rehearsals and ultimately put on the show.

It’s funny. It’s sad. It’s provocative.

And I highly recommend going to see it.

I don’t want to say too much because I think it’s better to experience the play without any preconceptions.

I wasn’t sure what to expect.

The Residential School system was a terrible institution. Children were stolen from their families. With the sole purpose of indoctrinating them into Canadian culture. And destroying any traces of their indigenous culture and language.

Many didn’t survive. Many were abused. Many were broken.

But this story has hope and love. It was much lighter than I was expecting.

After each performance at Canadian Stage, they are hosting a Reflection Space. It takes the form of a conversation facilitated with an Indigenous Facilitator.

It’s playing at Canadian Stage until October 12. Go see it!