About
the Book:
Canadian Mosaic II
is the second volume in a series of popular drama anthologies edited
by Aviva Ravel. The 6 plays in this anthology, written by
Canadian playwrights, are set in some of Canada's diverse ethnic
communities, including French, Irish, Chinese, Jewish, Trinidadian,
and Japanese playwrights. The works focus on minority cultures, their
customs and roots, and their concerns regarding the integration of
immigrants into their adopted country.
Canadian Mosaic II
includes:
Beautiful Deeds/De Beaux
Gestes is an autobiographical play by Marie-Lynn
Hammond; The story of the author's twin ancestry as viewed
through her two Canadian grandmothers, one a rebel from a wealthy
English family, the other a working-class French-Canadian mother of
10: each speaks her native tongue, but the audience does not need to
be bilingual to appreciate Hammond’s artistry. (Premiered in 1994
at Théâtre du P'tit Bonheur in Toronto and played across Canada;
Cast: 3 women)
Like the Sun is a
drama by Veralyn Warkentin
that recreates
the well-known struggles of her immigrant Irish ancestors. A
grandmother shares stories of The Great Potato Famine in 1840's
Ireland with her grand-daughter including travel aboard the coffin
ships and eventually landing of her ancestors at the quarantine
island of Grosse Ile. Fiercely proud of their endurance, she notes at
the end of the play that the descendants of the Irish in Canada
number 3.5 million. (Premiered in 1995 at the Irish Club Theatre in
Winnipeg; Cast: 3 women, 3 men)
Mom, Dad, I'm Living With a
White Girl is a comedy by Marty Chan; Traditional
Chinese parents are delivered their worst nightmare: their son wants
to live with a white girl! Gasoline and Zippo lighters meet when he
introduces his girlfriend to his horrified immigrant parents.
(Premiered in 1995 at Theatre Passe Muraille in Toronto, played
across Canada, and Off-Broadway; Cast: 2 women, 2 men)
Gently Down the Stream
is a comedy by Aviva Ravel; Two Jewish octogenarians Alex and
Moish witness a murder while a parade of characters fuse past and
present into a lifetime of experience, both real and fantastic.
(Premiered in 1989 at Centaur Theatre in Montréal; Cast: 2 men)
The House on Hermitage Road,
adapted by Dirk McLean from his Trinidadian childhood memoir
of the same name is the coming-of-age story of a Trinidadian boy.
While his mother left him for eight years in search of a better life,
Dirk was raised in a loving family, participating in strong cultural
traditions and bonding to his heritage. The writer brings with him to
his new home in Canada these traditions which he describes with pride
and pleasure. (Produced in 1991 as a radio play on CBC Morningside;
Cast: 7 women, 7 men)
The Golden Door is
a drama by W. Ray Towle that deals with racial discrimination,
unjust government policies, and the internment of Japanese-Canadians
during the Second World War. Although loyal to Canada, they are
treated as enemy aliens and are ousted from their homes in a country
they called home for forty years. This episode has left enduring
scars on the community which subsequent generations continue to bear.
The author relates historical events in detail while dramatically
portraying one family's plight, the dynamics of a community, and its
traditions. (Premiered in 1997 at Fort Calgary Theatre; Cast: 4
women, 5 men)
Supplementary information includes a glossary, biography of the
playwright, and details of first and subsequent productions. In
addition, the playwright and the editor provide some brief questions
for each play, which can be used in class or discussion groups to
stimulate debate and a deeper understanding of the themes.
About the Playwrights:
Aviva Ravel is an
award-winning Canadian playwright who has written several plays which
have been performed on television and stages across Canada. She also
taught English, Drama, and Canadian Literature at McGill University.