About the Play:

Andrew's Tree is an extraordinary drama by Martha Brooks. The play, staged around a magical apple tree, is about a boy who loses his brother and turns to friends for comfort. Andrew's Tree deals with sibling relationships and the healing power of true friendship.

Andrew's Tree tells the story of a young boy coping with the loss of his brother. Four months ago Patrick Devereaux's little brother, Andrew, was struck down and killed by a car. Unable to express his grief, twelve-year-old Patrick is caught in a merry-go-round of guilt and denial. Then the eccentric Petersons move in next door. Twelve-year-old Gillian, a budding carpenter, is angry about leaving her best friend behind. Sarah, her nine-year-old sister, uses theatrics to deal with being in the middle. Their brother Neil, a lonely five year old, plays with imaginary buffaloes and a baby rabbit named Sparky. With dogged persistence, the Petersons set about to make hostile Patrick their new best friend. And Patrick begins, finally, to heal. Andrew's Tree is light and happy and reassuring. It helps children learn to cope with changes in their lives

Andrew's Tree has been praised by students and teachers alike. It was nominated for a Dora Mavor Moore Award as an Oustanding Production for young audiences, won the Chalmers Canadian Children's Play award, and has been extensively produced across Canada.

Cast: 2 female, 2 male

About the Playwright:

Martha Brooks is a critically acclaimed Canadian playwright, novelist and short fiction writer living in Winnipeg. Her book Paradise Café and Other Stories was a Governor General’s Award nominee and also received the Boston Globe Horn Book Award for distinguished children’s fiction. When not writing, she can be found performing in local jazz clubs.