A production of the late Nisga香蕉视频直播檃 playwright will be crossing northern B.C. this fall as part of a reconciliation tour.

Directed by Marianne Brorup Weston from The Raven Collective, Lary Guno香蕉视频直播檚 Bunk #7 tells a unique story of friendship, collective resistance and triumph based on Guno香蕉视频直播檚 own experiences as a student at Edmonton Residential School in St. Albert, Alta.

Twenty years in the making, Bunk #7 was showcased for the first time on the playwright香蕉视频直播檚 home turf last November at the R.E.M. Lee theatre in Terrace. The play, which was set to premiere in 2006, in Toronto, was halted by Guno香蕉视频直播檚 untimely death in 2005 and thereafter delayed a second time in 2020 after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Brorup Weston, who spent years working with her friend Guno on the project, said the audience reception was huge when they showcased it last year. It ultimately led her, along with the cast and crew members, to put together the upcoming tour.

香蕉视频直播淚t turned out to be quite an impactful event, there was a lot of positive feedback from people, including the residential school survivors who watched it,香蕉视频直播� Brorup Weston said.

香蕉视频直播淭here is a healing and reconciliatory aspect to the production that is really speaking to the people,香蕉视频直播� she said, adding that phone calls poured in from across northern communities telling them to keep showing the play.

香蕉视频直播淲e are just responding to the call of the audience.香蕉视频直播�

Guno, who was born in Gitlaxt香蕉视频直播檃amiks (Nass Valley) in 1940, was a prominent lawyer, NDP MLA for the former Atlin electoral district and well-known for his key role in designing the Nisga香蕉视频直播檃 Final Agreement.

The characters in Bunk #7 were modelled after Guno香蕉视频直播檚 own tightly knit group of friends and the number seven refers to his bunk number in the dorm.

A pivotal moment of the play is a 香蕉视频直播渞iot香蕉视频直播� that turned the building upside-down spurred by the students香蕉视频直播� dislike for canned pork meat they called 香蕉视频直播渟pork,香蕉视频直播� which they were fed every day, sexual abuse, dismissal of their favourite supervisor and being away from their families.

The students created pandemonium in the building for more than three hours, causing the staff to lock themselves away in their rooms. Boxes of spork were then used to build a makeshift barricade against the police who were called to come in and restore order. The incident ultimately created a lot of change in the school. It led to the dismissal of its principal, and officials were forced to change the menu.

Brorup Weston is of the opinion that a story such as this needs to be told, especially against the backdrop of the discovery of children香蕉视频直播檚 bodies buried at former residential school sites across Canada.

香蕉视频直播淓ven though I thought my job was done last year, it wasn香蕉视频直播檛. I香蕉视频直播檓 not done. So many things have happened,香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淭here is collective power in [Bunk #7] it is an interactive tool for people,香蕉视频直播� she said, adding it is an opportunity for the public to learn about history on a path to reconciliation.

香蕉视频直播淚 am excited and scared about the weather, COVID-19香蕉视频直播� unpredictable things that could get in our way. But I feel that we have to do this and my cast and crew feel the same,香蕉视频直播� Brorup Weston said.

Brorup Weston said she also wants to take the opportunity to not only introduce northern B.C. to the story but also to theatre in general since the area is a 香蕉视频直播渧ast desert of theatre.香蕉视频直播�

There have been some changes to the cast and crew from the original production (three cast members have changed) and the set designers, who came in from across the country, will not be touring. But they did mentor Brorup Weston香蕉视频直播檚 young crew to take up the baton for the tour.

The Terrace-based director praised cast and crew who committed to the play and were willing to set aside their normal lives to go on tour. She hopes to eventually launch the play on a national stage.

香蕉视频直播淭he work is never done. We just open the doors to the work, the least we can do is introduce it.香蕉视频直播�

On Sept. 29, the eve of the National Day of Truth & Reconciliation (Sept. 30), Bunk #7 will kick off its 2022 journey with a show in Terrace. It will travel to Prince Rupert (Oct. 8), Smithers (Oct. 15), Kitimat (Oct. 22), Gitlaxt香蕉视频直播檃amiks (Nass Valley, Oct.29), Prince George (Nov. 5), Dawson Creek (Nov. 8) and Fort St. John (Nov. 12) among other dates.

Posters for Bunk #7 presentation coming to a theatre near you will be up in communities soon. For information about a BUNK #7 presentation coming to a theatre near you, please contact Marianne at 250.635.2942 or mbrorup@citywest.ca and follow up on Facebook at www.facebook.com/larrysraven.