Sat Oct 10 - Closing night in Kigali

Interviews in the courtyard of Heaven.  Trees, flora, stonework.

The show goes well again - we are adjusted to the lights and the slippery floor.  Last night, Gord said in the talkback that he found the backdrop of Kigali extremely powerful during his performance.  I make sure to take more looks tonite whenever I am facing upstage, memorize this play in this moment/venue/country/time.

Tonite, rather than a formal talkback, Ross decides to invite the audience to stay and speak to us one-on-one over beers.  We are surrounded by Rwandans responding to the show.  John and Tyler are on the run, everywhere.  One woman, Janine, formerly a Torontonion moved home to Rwanda with her husband, responds to the war criminal's Alzheimers in the play.  Real or imagined, the mystery at the heart of the play is less important to her than the resonance in this choice.  She tells me that they live with perpetrators who deny their part in the Genocide, who say they forget what happened or their part in it.   She tells us her husband's story of healing, which is a powerful story to exchange.  There are ordinary people in this country who overcome great pain every day, each in their own way.  I promise myself to remember this when I return to Toronto, as I live my life.

As Ross puts it in his blog post of the evening's response, I find I cannot find the words which will do justice to the many responses we had in conversation that evening.

I am ever more glad we are making this film.
Grateful for the hard work of our crew.
Grateful for this play & company.


Post by Tara