About the Play:

A Map of the Senses is a collection of plays from twelve members of the Manitoba Association of Playwrights (MAP). Most of the plays in this volume (many of which are in print for the first time) were originally viewed by audiences at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival or produced by out-of-the-mainstream groups such as Popular Theatre Alliance or Red Roots.

Zac and Speth is a one-act gem by Rick Chafe: He's in love, not her. She's pregnant, by an ex-boyfriend. They're both 17 and want to get the hell out of Winnipeg and hitch-hike to Vancouver. But now it's 10 years later. A nostalgic romantic comedy about two young Canadian political activists, love, Chinese take-out, hopeless protest, future Canadian history, and the American annexation of Canada. (Premiered in 1992 during the Winnipeg Fringe Festival; Cast: 1 woman, 1 man) "If you've ever questioned for a second, the right you have to your comfortable lifestyle or the terrific luck you had to be born a Canadian, Rick Chafe's intricately constructed one-act will have you cheering and maybe even tearing up." — The Edmonton Journal

Inquest by William Harrar: This drama takes its topic from Winnipeg headlines and shows the Winnipeg police disintegrating after the fatal shooting of Aboriginal leader J. J. Harper, a member of the Wasagamack First Nation. It quietly lays out the racism and police sloppiness which brought the tragedy on in character-filled detail. (Premiered in 1994 at the Prairie Theatre Exchange in Winnipeg; Cast: 1 woman, 3 men)

Footprints on the Moon by Maureen Hunter: A woman's attempt to prevent her teenage daughter from leaving home, escalating into a struggle to understand the loves and losses that have shaped her life. (Premiered in 1988 at the Gas Station Theatre in Winnipeg; Cast: 3 women, 2 men)

Calenture by Bruce McManus: The play focuses on one man who decides to fight his fate after losing a job and his faith that he can flourish under any economic system. A biting attack on the economic rules followed by most governments in Canada, if not the world. (Premiered in 1993 at the Gas Station Theatre in Winnipeg; Cast: 3 women, 3 men)

Washing Spider Out by Ross McMillan: The play reflects upon David Milgaard's wrongful imprisonment for a murder he did not commit. (Premiered in 1995 at the Prairie Theatre Exchange in Winnipeg; Cast: 3 women, 2 men)

Live With It by Elise Moore: Written when its author was all of 16, this 1960s drama traces the stormy relationship between British playwright Joe Orton and his lover Kenneth Halliwell. (Premiered in 1994 at the Prairie Theatre Exchange in Winnipeg; Cast: 2 men )

Blade by Yvette Nolan: Angela was a young university student who was killed by a 'hooker-killer'; the media is painting her as a prostitute, over the protests of her friends and family. Now Angela wants to tell her story. (Premiered in 1990 during the Winnipeg Fringe Festival; Cast: 3 women, 1 man)

Worm Moon by Deborah O’Neil: A family story set in a future place of ice and death. (Premiered in 1990 during the Winnipeg Fringe Festival; Cast: 3 women)

Between Then and Now by Harry Rintoul: A writer shows his girlfriend his new play. She notices it's about them. He denies it. A play within a play. How much of life can you include in your work and call it art. (Premiered in 1993 during the Winnipeg Fringe Festival; Cast: 3 women, 1 man)

Heart of a Distant Tribe by Ian Ross: Aboriginal group of people make their way in modern day Winnipeg. (Premiered in 1996 at the Aboriginal Centre in Winnipeg; Cast: 4 women, 2 men)

Thimblerig by Alf Silver: A social urban realism play. (Premiered in 1982 at Manitoba Theatre Centre, Winnipeg, MB; Cast: 2 women, 4 men)

Better Looking Boys by Dennis Trochim: The story of four gay men negotiating their complicated relationships explores universal themes of love and interconnectedness, but also questions of what it is to be a gay man in the modern world. (Premiered in 1997 at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival; Cast: 4 men)

What people say:

"[Rory Runnels] has held the organization together through all the vicissitudes that voluntary groups are subject to and has negotiated the complex politics of the local arts scene with surprising diplomatic finesse … He has nurtured playwriting talent wherever he found it, and has always been especially welcoming to new writers." — from the introduction by Doug Arrell

About the Editor:

Rory Runnels was the helm of the Manitoba Association of Playwrights (MAP) for most of its existence as an organization. From its founding in 1979, until he stepped down 34 years later, he was MAP's coordinator and artistic director providing support to playwrights through workshops, mentorship, seminars, readings, and exchanges. In addition to being an arts administrator, he also works as a writer, editor, and independent theatre producer.