Feb. 24-March 15, Ottawa—The Drawer Boy explores the lives changed by the act of researching a play. Michael Healey’s script presents the story of two farmers and lifelong friends, whose lives are interrupted when an actor comes to stay with them and investigate their lives, as background material for a stage piece. In the midst of his character study, the young actor unwittingly exposes secret truths from the farmers’ pasts.

The Drawer Boy has won countess awards since its debut in 1999, and is a prime example of original Canadian theatre. This production is presented by The Great Canadian Theatre Company.

The script is inspired by real incidents surrounding  the making of the 1972 play, The Farm Show, when actors from Theatre Passe Muraille spent six weeks in Clinton, Ontario. The actors interviewed local residents and weaved the results into a fusion of oral history and theatre, piecing together the collective experiences of the community.