Shaver Bennett lives a solitary life as a logger up river in the remote woods of northern New Brunswick. So it comes as a surprise when he asks to stay with his estranged niece Bonnie and her wife Liv while he undergoes medical testing at the local hospital. After twenty years apart, their reunion is fraught; Shaver’s rustic straightforwardness seems miles away from Bonnie’s progressive, interracial lesbian relationship. But when he turns out to be more open-minded than the bigoted backwoodsman they anticipated, this family must delve deeper to build a bridge over troubled waters.
From Canada’s most-produced playwright, Norm Foster brings his signature warmth and wit to this endearing comedy about family, forgiveness, and finding common ground. With humour and heartbreak, Come Down From Up River tenderly tackles the assumptions that keep us apart, reminding us that those who seem furthest away may be closer than we think.
Genre: Drama
Cast size: 3 actors
Male roles: 1
Female roles: 2
“Come Down From Up River is a breath of fresh air—in more ways than one.”
- The Wellington Advertiser
“It’s a play that discusses the difficulties of living in a world that still seems split by traditional and progressive values. But how, despite all that, one can walk through it.”
- The East
“This fascinating interpersonal struggle shows what Norm Foster does so well when he’s at his best—and he’s at his best here. His writing is so persistently funny that you hardly notice the serious questions he’s grappling with—it’s the kind of play that will leave a smile playing about your lips but have you still thinking about the characters days later.”
- Orillia Matters
