PlayME

As a holiday gift, we're re-releasing the radio versions of some of our favourite shows this year. These plays have been edited for a general audience, and enriched with playwright interviews. Today: Nicolas Billon's "Butcher," a wildly unpredictable crime thriller set on Christmas Eve. Warning: it's anything but holly jolly.

As a holiday gift, we're re-releasing the radio versions of some of our favourite shows this year. These plays have been edited for a general audience, and enriched with playwright interviews. Today: Chloé Hung's ferocious comedy "Three Women of Swatow," about three generations of women linked by one fierce legacy.

As a holiday gift, we're re-releasing the radio versions of some of our favourite shows this year. These plays have been edited for a general audience, and enriched with playwright interviews. First up: Emil Sher's adaptation of "The Boy in the Moon" — Ian Brown's memoir exploring the "trials, tribulations and triumphs" of raising a child with a rare disability.

Laura talks to playwright and performer Jiv Parasram, who is currently quarantining at home in Vancouver and getting ready to take a play online. Parasram reflects on being the first in his family to grow up in Nova Scotia, his complicated feelings about identity plays, and why he made the bold request for some audience members to skip part of the story.

Jiv is Canadian. Jiv is Indian. And Hindu. And West Indian. And Trinidadian too. Or maybe he is just colonized. In order to explore all these hyphenated identities, he creates the first-ever Hindu-Caribbean-Canadian identity play — even though he hates identity plays. He starts with a brief history of indentured servitude in Trinidad, and his family.

Jiv is the first in his family to be born in Canada and raised in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Here some people call him black, while his own family calls him “white boy”. Jiv goes on a teenage quest to Trinidad to untangle his roots and become more legitimately “third world”. Things do not go as planned.

Jiv shapeshifts again to prove identity is pretty trippy. Maybe we are all “Jiv”. Maybe this is all an illusion. But then a memory from Junior High brings him crashing back down to earth. Disaster strikes on 9/11 and Jiv feels forced to choose an “identity raft”. He’s not proud of his choice. He asks certain “Jivs” to skip to the next episode.

We all meet again for one final thought from our multi-hyphenated hero. Here’s why it matters how we choose to define the divides between us, and within us.

Chris talks to Governor General Award-winning playwright David Yee, who is currently isolating from home and workshopping a new play over Zoom. Yee reflects on why “underused” actors of colour often resort to writing their own stories, and why he wanted “Carried away on the crest of a wave” to be too big for small theatres. He also shares where he was when he first heard about the devastating 2004 Tsunami, and why he felt compelled to write an anthological play about “the lives that it touched, brought together and destroyed."

In 2004, the deadliest tsunami in recorded history tore through over a dozen countries around the Indian Ocean. In a series of vignettes, David Yee imagines the people left behind in disaster’s wake. In Australia, a scientist notes that the planet got smaller the day of the disaster. In Malaysia, two brothers toss family treasures to save their house from descending into the sea. In India, a priest tries to prove that his parishioners were saved by divine intervention.

The tragedy travels all the way to Toronto where a radio DJ defies his bosses to perform a parody of Tears for Fears. In Sri Lanka, a man speaks frankly to a child orphaned by the tsunami. And in Thailand, a man mourns his beloved wife in the company of an highly-specialized escort.

The ripples extend far below the surface of the earth as two men endlessly fall down a hole. In Salt Lake City, an FBI agent questions a bereaved mother about the child she lost in the tsunami. And on a sandy beach in Ko Phi Phi Island, Thailand, two men sit together deciding who is responsible for the tragedy.

Laura talks to playwright and performer Karen Hines about her solo show Crawlspace. Hines explains how her play was inspired by her true-life experience of buying a home, how it fundamentally changed her as a person and redefined her concept of home.

Writer Karen Hines dreams of homeownership so when she discovers a lemon yellow coach house advertised as a “condo alternative,” she decides to invest her life savings. She adores the granite countertop and the walk-in closet and its lack of basement. But on move-in day, she sits on the window sill and it crumbles beneath her. She soon learns that she hasn’t bought a coach house. She’s just sunk everything she owns into a glorified car garage.

Karen learns that not only is her coach house actually a converted garage, but also that it’s encroaching on her neighbour’s property. And because her neighbour won’t sell her the land, she can’t sell the house. And because she spent all her money on the house, she can’t afford to do the repairs. She falls deeper into debt and despair, and then she notices a mysterious foul odour emanating from god knows where.

The stench pervading from somewhere is a mystery no one can solve. Karen incurs tens of thousands of dollars in credit card debt to find the problem and … deal with it. Karen’s coach house goes from bad investment to a health hazard. She must get out.

Chris talks to playwright Emil Sher and journalist Ian Brown about Ian’s bestselling book-turned-play, The Boy in the Moon. Both tell the story of Ian’s quest to connect with his son, Walker, who was born with a rare genetic disorder. The two writers discuss the challenge of portraying Ian’s family on stage; the guilt and shame associated with disability; and why Ian had to rethink the idea of love and where to find it.

An early delivery of their son catches Ian Brown and his wife Johanna Schneller by surprise. Their son Walker is born with a rare genetic disorder, which went undetected in the womb. His condition will impact everything from walking to talking to eating. And life changes, completely.

Walker is diagnosed with Cardiofaciocutaneous syndrome, a condition so rare only 300 people in the world have been diagnosed with it. Ian and his wife are faced with the task of raising a boy who can’t tell them anything, and soon find themselves imagining everything. They yearn to communicate with Walker and ask him questions. What do you dream at night? What do you think about? Why do you keep hitting yourself?

Ian reflects on the beautiful moments — the private language of tongue clicks and the joys of an echoing hallway. He also recalls the worst moments — his wife at the bottom of the darkness, and well-meaning friends who cannot help. The family makes a decision with a profound impact; a turning point with no turning back.

Laura talks to Governor General award-winning playwright Nicolas Billon about his play "BUTCHER", a dark political thriller set on Christmas Eve. Billon explains why he felt the need to invent a country, and a whole language, to tell the story he wanted to tell; how Hitchcock's thrillers inspire his writing; and what he thinks of the notion that "you can have peace or you can have justice, but you can't have both."

At first, it seems like a Christmas miracle. The Lavinian interpreter arrives to find the old man moaning in pain. Besides being fluent in his language, Elena is also a nurse with some timely advice. As the four wait for an ambulance to arrive, she quickly deduces a lot more about the man — from the hook that hung around his neck to the missing fingernails on his toes. But tensions rise as it becomes clear: the old man isn’t the only one in the room with secrets.

It’s Christmas Eve at a Toronto police station, and Inspector Lamb is no longer having a silent night. A drugged old man in a Santa hat and military uniform has been dropped on his doorstep. Around the man’s neck: a butcher’s hook spiked with a business card that reads “arrest me.” The cop makes two calls: to the lawyer on the card and an interpreter who speaks Lavinian. The lawyer arrives first.

“Revenge is the confession of pain … it wants you to feel what it feels.” We all know what it means to kill someone, but what does it mean to break them? No one in the room is playing the same role as when they entered it. No one will ever be the same again.

Laura and Chris revisit the perfect play for summer, Bunny by Hannah Moscovitch. The play explores taboos of female sexuality when Sorrel, a grown-up married woman, finds herself alone in a canoe with a much younger man. She is wrestling with whether to give into her desires, or stick to what society expects for her.

Chris talks to Governor General award-winning playwright Robert Chafe about his play "Between Breaths", a life-affirming look at the life of Dr. Jon Lien who was known as the "Whale Man of Newfoundland". They discuss how Robert's experience growing up as a gay man in Newfoundland and how the death of one of his main collaborators impacted this work.

By Robert Chafe. Between Breaths tells the story of Dr. Jon Lien, the "Whale man of Newfoundland," known for his pioneering efforts in freeing whales from fishing nets. Told in reverse chronological order, the play portrays his final moments when he finds himself trapped in his own body, much like the whales he worked to free. Note: this play includes coarse language.

By Robert Chafe. Between Breaths tells the story of Dr. Jon Lien, the "Whale man of Newfoundland," known for his pioneering efforts in freeing whales from fishing nets. Told in reverse chronological order, the play portrays his final moments when he finds himself trapped in his own body, much like the whales he worked to free. Note: This play contains coarse language.

By Robert Chafe. Between Breaths tells the story of Dr. Jon Lien, the "Whale man of Newfoundland," known for his pioneering efforts in freeing whales from fishing nets. Told in reverse chronological order, the play portrays his final moments when he finds himself trapped in his own body, much like the whales he worked to free. Note: This play contains coarse language.

Laura speaks with award-winning writer and performer Cliff Cardinal about his gut-wrenching play, Huff. He talks about the taboo subculture of Indigenous kids who abuse solvents and are at risk of suicide, how theatre saved him in high school, and what was like to grow up as the son of iconic actress Tantoo Cardinal.

By Cliff Cardinal. A gut-wrenching yet darkly humorous tale about Wind and his brothers, all caught in a cycle of solvent abuse following their mother's death. Wind's fantastic dream world bleeds into his haunting reality, as he's preyed on by Trickster. Please note: this play includes explicit language, difficult themes and graphic scenes depicting sexual violence, addiction and suicide. Listener discretion is strongly advised.

By Cliff Cardinal. A gut-wrenching yet darkly humorous tale about Wind and his brothers, all caught in a cycle of solvent abuse following their mother's death. Wind's fantastic dream world bleeds into his haunting reality, as he's preyed on by Trickster. Please note: this play includes explicit language, difficult themes and graphic scenes depicting sexual violence, addiction and suicide. Listener discretion is strongly advised.

By Cliff Cardinal. A gut-wrenching yet darkly humorous tale about Wind and his brothers, all caught in a cycle of solvent abuse following their mother's death. Wind's fantastic dream world bleeds into his haunting reality, as he's preyed on by Trickster. Please note: this play includes explicit language, difficult themes and graphic scenes depicting sexual violence, addiction and suicide. Listener discretion is strongly advised.

Chris talks to Dora award-winning playwright Anita Majumdar about her one-woman, multi-voice play The Fish Eyes Trilogy. They discuss consent, cultural relevance and coming of age as a South Asian teen in a small town.

By Anita Majumdar. Set in the hormone-filled halls of Port Moody Senior Secondary School, we meet Naznin. Her story is the first in three inter-woven Bollywood-meets-high school plays where cultures collide, women struggle for status, and heartbreak awaits at every corner.

By Anita Majumdar. Set in the hormone-filled halls of Port Moody Senior Secondary School, we meet Candice. Her story is the second in three inter-woven Bollywood-meets-high school plays where cultures collide, women struggle for status, and heartbreak awaits at every corner.

By Anita Majumdar. Set in the hormone-filled halls of Port Moody Senior Secondary School, we meet Meena (and her blunt auntie). Her story is the third in three inter-woven Bollywood-meets-high school plays where cultures collide, women struggle for status, and heartbreak awaits at every corner.

Who should be feared? Who should be grateful? And who should get to tell the story? These questions are as relevant today as they've ever been. As Black History Month winds down, the theatre-powered PlayME podcast resurfaces a work that connects past, present and future.

Laura talks to award-winning playwright, Hannah Moscovitch about her haunting play, What A Young Wife Ought To Know. They discuss the inspiration for the piece, the birth control movement of the 1920s, and why a play set 100 years ago is so relevant today.

By Hannah Moscovitch. Set in 1920s Canada, What a Young Wife Ought to Know tells the story of Sophie, a young working-class wife who has a lot to learn about love, sex, and birth control. The play is a brave and honest examination of fertility and family planning, inspired by real stories about young mothers during the early Canadian birth control movement.

By Hannah Moscovitch. Set in 1920s Canada, What a Young Wife Ought to Know tells the story of Sophie, a young working-class wife who has a lot to learn about love, sex, and birth control. The play is a brave and honest examination of fertility and family planning, inspired by real stories about young mothers during the early Canadian birth control movement.

By Hannah Moscovitch. Set in 1920s Canada, What a Young Wife Ought to Know tells the story of Sophie, a young working-class wife who has a lot to learn about love, sex, and birth control. The play is a brave and honest examination of fertility and family planning, inspired by real stories about young mothers during the early Canadian birth control movement.

In the midst of a severe stock market correction, PlayME revisits Iceland by Nicolas Billon. Set against the backdrop of the 2008 banking crisis, Iceland unearths greed, selfishness, and other ugly human impulses that help fuel the fires of raging capitalism.

Laura and Chris host conversations with some of Canada's most celebrated playwrights in front of a live audience. Together, they dive deep into their favourite monologues. d'bi young anitafrika talks about her monologue Mami Wata.

Laura and Chris host conversations with some of Canada's most celebrated playwrights in front of a live audience. Together, they dive deep into their favourite monologues. Judith Thompson talks about her monologue from Palace of The End.

Laura and Chris host conversations with some of Canada's most celebrated playwrights in front of a live audience. Together, they explore their favourite monologues. Keith Barker talks about his monologue from This is How We Got Here

Laura and Chris host conversations with some of Canada's most celebrated playwrights in front of a live audience. Together, they explore their favourite monologues. Daniel MacIvor talks about his monologue from Who Killed Spalding Gray.

Chris talks with Erica about the role of dramaturgy in playwriting. Erica walks us through what makes for a great play.

PlayME has joined CBC Podcasts. Coming soon: Prairie Nurse, What a young wife ought to know, Huff, Between Breaths, and The Fish Eyes Trilogy. Welcome to your Digital Theatre.