2022 PREMIERE
CIVILIZED
A NEW WORK written by Keir Cutler.
Performed by Metis actor, John D. Huston.
Directed by Paul Hopkins.
FIVE STARS - Winnipeg Free Press
CIVILIZED at 2022 Winnipeg Fringe Festival
"If you haven't already, put this performance on your must-see list.
Actor John D. Huston resurrects a government bureaucrat from
1907 -the Laurier era - for this hour-long performance that is a
far greater and more comprehensive history lesson than many of
us (past a certain age anyway) ever learned about Canada's
treatment of Indigenous people.
This drama is gripping, fascinating and extremely difficult at times.
Performing a script by fringe mainstay Keir Cutler (Teaching
Shakespeare), Huston's performance is bang-on. He will make
you believe that, yes, this is probably how the government
justified this dark part of Canadian history.
CIVILIZED brings to life parts of our past that we are still trying to
reconcile. It is based on true historical reports and writings, and
the way it's told is digestible and engaging. This play should be
shown in schools, workplaces, old folks' homes and anywhere
else people will see it"
by Shelley Cook
"CIVILIZED is a powerful and impactful show. . . Keir Cutler challenges the conceptualizaton of what it truly means to be "civilized," taking the audience through the history of Canada's residential schools. . . CIVILIZED may be one of the most important things you ever see on stage!" Apt613 review, Ottawa Fringe 2022
"CIVILIZED tries to understand the mentality that led to the horror of the residential school system and how supposedly 'good' men could continue on even as the atrocities started piling up. It's a harrowing exercise in national self-reflection, and John D. Huston's performance is nothing short of a tour-de-force. . . A crazily important and timely thing to watch... This show should be required viewing in this country." The Visitorium, Ottawa Fringe 2022.
"This is a great example of how to bring history to life -- a gret story with interesting characters . . . CIVILIZED is one of the best plays I've seen at this year's Fringe and is very timely given the cultural reckoning Canada is now undergoing. Go see it!" UMFM Radio review, Winnipeg Fringe Festival 2022
Trigger warnings: Themes discussed include violence, (physical, psychological, sexual), racism and xenophobia.
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