Calpurnia (play)
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- Julie
- Lawrence
- Mark
- James
- Precy
- Christine
| Calpurnia | |
|---|---|
| Written by | Audrey Dwyer |
| Characters |
|
| Place premiered | Buddies in Bad Times, Toronto |
| Original language | English |
| Genre | Comedy |
Calpurnia is a 2018 play by Canadian playwright Audrey Dwyer. It is named after Calpurnia, a character in Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird.
Calpurnia centres around Julie, a twenty-something Black woman living with her father, an Afro-Caribbean judge, in Toronto. She is a screenwriter attempting to write a film about Calpurnia, the Finches' maid in To Kill A Mockingbird. Julie's brother, Mark, is an up-and-coming lawyer struggling to live up to his father's expectations. Julie's research on racial prejudice spark debates between her and her brother as Mark feels Julie is "not Black enough". Julie asks the family's Filipina housekeeper, Precy, about her life to further her research while Precy cooks dinner for Lawrence and his friend James. Mark's white girlfriend, Christine, also attends the dinner and sparks discussions of white privilege and respectability politics.[1]
Productions
Calpurnia premiered in 2018 at Buddies in Bad Times in Toronto. The premiere was directed by Dwyer and co-produced by Nightwood Theatre and Sulong Theatre.[2] The premiere starred Meghan Swaby as Julie, Carolyn Fe as Precy, Matthew Brown as Mark, Andrew Moodie as Lawrence, Don Allison as James, and Natasha Greenblatt as Christine.[2] Anna Treusch designed the set which stadium-style seating on either side of the stage.[3]
In March 2022, Calpurnia was performed at the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre.[4][5] The 2022 production was directed by Sarah Garton Stanley and starred Emerjade Simms as Julie. The play featured Kwaku Adu-Poku as Mark, Ellie Ellwand as Christine, Rochelle Kives as Precy, Arne MacPherson as James, and Ray Strachan as Lawrence.[6]