YES Theatre's 1939 confronts the dark realities of residential schools

The curtains have risen on a new play at the Sudbury Theatre Centre, titled 1939.

Directed and co-written by Jani Lauzon,the play is set in the year 1939 at a fictional residential school in northern Ontario where students are preparing to stage a production of William Shakespeare's All's Well that Ends Well for King George VI who is planning on visiting the school.

"This is a really, really important opportunity for Indigenous and non-indigenous people to sit side by side and to experience something together," Lauzon said

She noted that while there are books and films on the subject of residential schools, live theatre has a particularly powerful impact.

There's a lot of humour in there and that's just part of the resilience that the students show,using that humour.- Richard Comeau, plays role of student Joseph Summers

Actor Deborah Drakeford said she is honoured to be part of telling this important story, playing the role of a teacher at the school who is the directing the play within a play. 

"I feel equipped to play in this play based on my own personal family history," she said. 

Growing up Espanola, Drakeford's family adopted two Indigenous children in the late 1970s.

"Back then, we were absolutely naive," she admitted. 

However, through research and conversations with her adopted siblings, she gained a deeper understanding of the traumatic legacy of colonialism and residential schools. 

"I think it's an incredibly important piece of theatre," said Métis and Mi'kmaq actor Richard Comeau, who plays the role of student, Joseph Summers. 

He noted that when audiences anticipate a play centred around the tragedies of the residential school system, they often expect a sombre tone.

"But there's a lot of humour in there and that's just part of the resilience that the students show,using that humour," Comeau said. 

Morning North9:52Play in Sudbury set in the 1930s incorporates Shakespeare, a royal visit, and residential schools

Shakespeare, King George the Fifth, and reconciliation? A play coming to Sudbury has it all, and it's set here in Northern Ontario. Jani Lauzon is the co-writer and director of YES Theatre's production of "1939". She spoke with Morning North host Markus Schwabe about the play.

Comeau shares the stage with MacKenzie Wojcik, who is Red River Métis and plays the role of Jean Delorme, a Métis student at the school.

"Just being with Indigenous artists and telling this important story and getting the chance to play and laugh and find the resilience of the students and feed the spirit of the play is just very fulfilling," Wojcik said. 

The show opens on March 15 at the Sudbury Theatre Centre and has already been extended to April 7.