198:
examines what it means to be Black in Canada and focusses on how its characters shift their identities to suit their environments. The character of
Lawrence embodies the traditional image of an immigrant parent trying to make the best life for their children while also trying to educate them about
222:
The character of Precy acts as a model for Lee's
Calpurnia, in that she serves Lawrence and his children the same way Calpurnia serves the Finch family. Dwyer was interested in using Precy to examine how different racial minorities interact with each other as well as to examine the concept of
243:
as part of their playwriting unit. During the time between the play's 2018 premiere and this staging, Dwyer made several changes to the script and the play underwent dramaturgy from Sarah Garton
Stanley. Of the 2018 and 2022 productions, Dwyer said "this definitely is not the same play."
139:. Julie's brother, Mark, is an up-and-coming lawyer struggling to live up to his father's expectations. Julie's research on racial prejudice spark debates between her and her brother as Mark feels Julie is "not Black enough". Julie asks the family's
187:. The 2022 production was directed by Sarah Garton Stanley and starred Emerjade Simms as Julie. The play featured Kwaku Adu-Poku as Mark, Ellie Ellwand as Christine, Rochelle Kives as Precy, Arne MacPherson as James, and Ray Strachan as Lawrence.
461:
210:
is Mark's favourite book and he does not feel as though it needs any retelling. He also feels that Julie, a rich woman living in
Toronto with no Black friends, does not know any more about being African-American in
175:
as Precy, Matthew Brown as Mark, Andrew Moodie as
Lawrence, Don Allison as James, and Natasha Greenblatt as Christine. Anna Treusch designed the set which stadium-style seating on either side of the stage.
143:
housekeeper, Precy, about her life to further her research while Precy cooks dinner for
Lawrence and his friend James. Mark's white girlfriend, Christine, also attends the dinner and sparks discussions of
298:
355:
265:
206:
Julie and Mark engage in several conversations about the usefulness and worth of updating canonical texts as well as who has a right to tell what stories.
588:
381:
490:
517:""Race, Allyship & How the Past Informs the Present" In Conversation with Audrey Dwyer, playwright & director of CALPURNIA"
410:
356:"Should theatres re-open this fall - or this winter? Manitoba Theatre Centre and Tarragon Theatre seasons show different paths"
593:
184:
598:
329:
542:
573:
149:
129:
centres around Julie, a twenty-something Black woman living with her father, an Afro-Caribbean judge, in
583:
436:
135:
114:
164:
71:
578:
462:"Audrey Dwyer and Catherine Hernandez on the intentional awkwardness of their new play Calpurnia"
303:
516:
168:
240:
215:
in the 1930s than Harper Lee did. Julie, on the other hand, faults
Atticus Finch for his "
200:
145:
133:. She is a screenwriter attempting to write a film about Calpurnia, the Finches' maid in
411:"Topical, timely comedy addresses uncomfortable questions of race, privilege and class"
567:
270:
216:
105:
32:
203:
to his children, indicating his attempt to make his children "more
Canadian".
172:
109:
140:
491:"REVIEW: Labour Politics in Audrey Dwyer's Calpurnia Problematize Allyship"
330:"Calpurnia will make you laugh, think and shift uncomfortably in your seat"
299:"Review: Calpurnia's inconsistent characters undermine a play with promise"
224:
212:
130:
75:
466:
239:
in 2012 after playing a maid in a show. She developed the play with
167:
in
Toronto. The premiere was directed by Dwyer and co-produced by
219:" and refusing to call out the prejudice of white jury members.
171:
and Sulong
Theatre. The premiere starred Meghan Swaby as Julie,
266:"Racial drama Calpurnia is smart and important — but imperfect"
382:"Arts institutions work to better represent city's diversity"
89:
81:
67:
38:
28:
23:
199:their culture. However, Laurence does not speak
108:. It is named after Calpurnia, a character in
8:
543:"Calpurnia and The Quest to Write the Truth"
20:
297:Nestruck, J. Kelly (January 18, 2018).
253:
104:is a 2018 play by Canadian playwright
489:Liebembuk, Shelley (April 12, 2018).
7:
404:
402:
323:
321:
292:
290:
288:
259:
257:
354:Nestruck, J. Kelly (May 18, 2021).
264:Fricker, Karen (January 22, 2018).
541:Dwyer, Audrey (February 9, 2018).
515:Green, Bailey (January 19, 2018).
14:
435:Brown, Brandon (March 2, 2018).
409:King, Randall (March 22, 2022).
328:Sumi, Glenn (January 19, 2018).
380:Zoratti, Jen (March 18, 2022).
589:Plays about race and ethnicity
1:
437:"Calpurnia's Class Conundrum"
185:Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre
615:
150:respectability politics
594:Plays based on novels
208:To Kill A Mockingbird
183:was performed at the
163:premiered in 2018 at
136:To Kill A Mockingbird
115:To Kill A Mockingbird
235:Dwyer began writing
165:Buddies in Bad Times
72:Buddies in Bad Times
599:Plays set in Canada
415:Winnipeg Free Press
386:Winnipeg Free Press
547:Shameless Magazine
470:. January 25, 2018
360:The Globe and Mail
304:The Globe and Mail
521:In The Green Room
169:Nightwood Theatre
97:
96:
82:Original language
606:
558:
557:
555:
553:
538:
532:
531:
529:
527:
512:
506:
505:
503:
501:
486:
480:
479:
477:
475:
458:
452:
451:
449:
447:
432:
426:
425:
423:
421:
406:
397:
396:
394:
392:
377:
371:
370:
368:
366:
351:
345:
344:
342:
340:
325:
316:
315:
313:
311:
294:
283:
282:
280:
278:
261:
241:Obsidian Theatre
21:
614:
613:
609:
608:
607:
605:
604:
603:
564:
563:
562:
561:
551:
549:
540:
539:
535:
525:
523:
514:
513:
509:
499:
497:
488:
487:
483:
473:
471:
460:
459:
455:
445:
443:
434:
433:
429:
419:
417:
408:
407:
400:
390:
388:
379:
378:
374:
364:
362:
353:
352:
348:
338:
336:
327:
326:
319:
309:
307:
296:
295:
286:
276:
274:
263:
262:
255:
250:
233:
193:
179:In March 2022,
158:
146:white privilege
124:
68:Place premiered
63:
17:
12:
11:
5:
612:
610:
602:
601:
596:
591:
586:
581:
576:
574:Canadian plays
566:
565:
560:
559:
533:
507:
481:
453:
441:Bashy Magazine
427:
398:
372:
346:
317:
284:
252:
251:
249:
246:
232:
229:
192:
189:
157:
154:
123:
120:
95:
94:
91:
87:
86:
83:
79:
78:
69:
65:
64:
62:
61:
58:
55:
52:
49:
46:
42:
40:
36:
35:
30:
26:
25:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
611:
600:
597:
595:
592:
590:
587:
585:
582:
580:
577:
575:
572:
571:
569:
548:
544:
537:
534:
522:
518:
511:
508:
496:
492:
485:
482:
469:
468:
463:
457:
454:
442:
438:
431:
428:
416:
412:
405:
403:
399:
387:
383:
376:
373:
361:
357:
350:
347:
335:
331:
324:
322:
318:
306:
305:
300:
293:
291:
289:
285:
273:
272:
267:
260:
258:
254:
247:
245:
242:
238:
230:
228:
226:
220:
218:
214:
209:
204:
202:
197:
190:
188:
186:
182:
177:
174:
170:
166:
162:
155:
153:
151:
147:
142:
138:
137:
132:
128:
121:
119:
117:
116:
111:
107:
103:
102:
92:
88:
84:
80:
77:
73:
70:
66:
59:
56:
53:
50:
47:
44:
43:
41:
37:
34:
31:
27:
22:
19:
584:Comedy plays
550:. Retrieved
546:
536:
524:. Retrieved
520:
510:
498:. Retrieved
494:
484:
472:. Retrieved
465:
456:
444:. Retrieved
440:
430:
418:. Retrieved
414:
389:. Retrieved
385:
375:
363:. Retrieved
359:
349:
337:. Retrieved
334:NOW Magazine
333:
308:. Retrieved
302:
275:. Retrieved
271:Toronto Star
269:
236:
234:
221:
217:slut-shaming
207:
205:
195:
194:
180:
178:
160:
159:
134:
126:
125:
113:
106:Audrey Dwyer
100:
99:
98:
33:Audrey Dwyer
18:
495:alt.theatre
231:Development
156:Productions
579:2018 plays
568:Categories
552:October 7,
526:October 7,
500:October 8,
474:October 7,
446:October 7,
339:October 7,
310:October 7,
277:October 7,
248:References
173:Carolyn Fe
110:Harper Lee
39:Characters
29:Written by
420:March 25,
391:March 25,
237:Calpurnia
196:Calpurnia
181:Calpurnia
161:Calpurnia
127:Calpurnia
101:Calpurnia
60:Christine
24:Calpurnia
16:2018 play
365:June 22,
225:allyship
191:Analysis
141:Filipina
122:Synopsis
48:Lawrence
213:Alabama
131:Toronto
85:English
76:Toronto
201:Patois
93:Comedy
90:Genre
57:Precy
54:James
45:Julie
554:2020
528:2020
502:2020
476:2020
448:2020
422:2022
393:2022
367:2021
341:2020
312:2020
279:2020
148:and
51:Mark
467:CBC
112:'s
570::
545:.
519:.
493:.
464:.
439:.
413:.
401:^
384:.
358:.
332:.
320:^
301:.
287:^
268:.
256:^
227:.
152:.
118:.
74:,
556:.
530:.
504:.
478:.
450:.
424:.
395:.
369:.
343:.
314:.
281:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.