A haunting, poetic play about four characters struggling to find grace and humanity, Paradise explores trauma, mental illness, addiction, and the lengths we’ll go to for personal freedom.
Paradise is about an unemployed logger and his beloved dog, a young Canadian accused of terrorism, a family doctor and a spirited young woman questioning her place in the world. Each yearns to connect – like all of us – in this visceral and moving exploration of the human spirit.
The play’s premiere production (Gwaandak Theatre/MT Space), directed by Majdi Bou-Matar, toured nationally including to IMPACT 15, PlaySmelter 2018 and Expanse Festival.
Keywords: dogs, birds, human rights, addiction, trauma, mental health, mental illness, gender, war on terror, gender-based violence, Yukon
Genre: Drama
Acts: 1
Run time: 90 minutes
Content notes: Paradise explores traumatic human experiences including sexualized assault, physical assault, mental illness, substance use, violence, scenes happening in prisons, divorce, and subject matter that may be sensitive to folks experiencing poverty and/or living in diaspora.
Cast size: 4 actors
Male roles: 3
Female roles: 1
“Paradise is as beautiful as it is unsettling, linking stories of peaches, snakes, dogs, limericks, and ordinary people under stress.”
– Ric Knowles, Professor of Theatre Studies, University of Guelph
“This incredible body of work is as complex as it is poetic… Flather’s work brilliantly constructs a narrative in which we hear at the same time echoes of John Milton’s powerful Paradise Lost and Joni Mitchell’s popular ‘Big Yellow Taxi.’”
– Carolina Miranda, Feminine Harbor
Cover art designed by Jenna Roebuck.