1939

It’s 1939, the year of King George’s first Royal Tour of Canada, and rumour has it that a Residential School in Northern Ontario is on the itinerary. As the Welsh English-teacher rehearses her students for a performance of All’s Well That Ends Well for the King, the Indigenous actors discover surprising parallels between their various cultures and Shakespeare’s script—and set out to make his bittersweet comedy their own. Jani Lauzon and Kaitlyn Riordan have crafted a play full of empathy and humour. They have found a way of addressing the tragedy of Residential Schools that gives the Indigenous students agency and pride. And I love the surprising way in which Shakespeare—the ultimate colonial icon—is given new vitality and significance. Initially produced at the Stratford Festival in 2022, 1939 was born of both family legacy and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action and has been guided by Indigenous Elders, Survivors, and ceremony throughout its development.