Mourning Dove

by Emil Sher
Presented by The Ark Collective
in association with Theatre Direct

discover | reflect | discuss

Companion Guide to the Production
for high-school and adult groups
Written and compiled by Jessi Linn Davies
for Theatre Direct Canada
 A Note from the Playwright,

Mourning Dove is inspired by a true story but it is not based on it.

This is not a matter of splitting hairs. Were the play based on real
events, it would mean following a chronology of actual events and

Mourning Dove
offering up details and facts, perhaps even some statistics for good
measure. All of this can be compelling on stage but it is not the story
I wanted to tell. I was drawn to a grey zone where cold facts are
overshadowed by the passion, the uncertainties, the confusion and
by Emil Sher convictions that fuel the choices we make and shape the relationships
Presented by The Ark Collective that shape us. I didn’t want to create a pamphlet in Mourning
Dove but a play, a world where fictional characters confront hard
in association with Theatre Direct truths. Nor did I see any value in creating a world that presents a

discover | reflect | discuss

moral judgement. The world in which Doug, Sandra, Tina and Keith
live is too complex for fast-and-easy, paint-by-number answers.
When we pigeon-hole individuals into boxes and reduce them to
Companion Guide to the Production monochromatic stick figures we rob them of the colours and hues
for high-school and adult groups
groups that define us. Ours is not a black-and-white world, and in Mourning
Written and compiled by Jessi Linn Davies Dove I set out to create a group portrait of individuals whose colours
for Theatre Direct Canada are not fixed. Mix two colours and you get a third. A simple drop,
like a single thought, can change things, sometimes irrevocably. And
so I consider Mourning Dove to be part of a wider conversation
we have with each other and with ourselves,
recognizing the words we share as drops that

Emil Sher
can change whatever they touch in small,
subtle and, sometimes, significant ways.

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Fact Check
Mourning Dove is inspired by the Canadian case of
Robert Latimer and his daughter Tracy. For more
details of that particular story see the following
CBC article:
www.cbc.ca/news/background/latimer
From the Bible:
“As God observed how bad it was ...
he said to Noah ... ‘I will destroy all
mankind from the earth. Make a boat.
... All will die. But I promise to keep you
safe in the ship with your wife ... Bring
a pair of every animal - a male and a
female - into the boat with you, to keep
them alive through the flood...And Noah
did everything as God commanded him.”
Genesis 6:12 to 22
And [God] said, “I will blot out from
the face of the earth all mankind that I
created...For I am sorry I made them.”
Genesis 6:7
Euthanasia is the putting to death, by
painless method, of a terminally-ill or severely
debilitated person through the omission
(intentionally withholding a life-saving medical
procedure, also known as passive euthanasia) or
the commission of an act (active euthanasia).
Origin:
From the Greek eu ‘well’ + thantos ‘death’
4 5
From the Canadian
Criminal Code
“14. No person is entitled to
consent to have death inflicted on
him, and such consent does not
affect the criminal responsibility
of any person by whom death
may be inflicted on the person by
whom consent is given.”
Murder vs. Manslaughter
“229. Culpable homicide is
murder
(a) where the person who causes
the death of a human being
(i) means to cause his death, or
(ii) means to cause him bodily
harm that he knows is likely to
cause his death, and is reckless
whether death ensues or not;”
“234. Culpable homicide that
is not murder or infanticide is
manslaughter.”
“241. Everyone who counsels
a person to commit suicide
or aids or abets a person to
commit suicide, whether suicide
ensues or not, is guilty of an
indictable offence and liable
to imprisonment for a term not
exceeding fourteen years.”
www.canlii.org
Open Invitation:
Stakeholders Brainstorming Exercise
Mourning Dove, through its complexity and care, presents
a range of relationships, actions, and reactions within
the play. Take a moment to think about the kinds of
individuals or groups of people with whom this play would
particularly resonate.
Write a list of all those stakeholders who might be
exceptionally interested in this subject matter.
Draft a letter to someone on this list encouraging them to
take interest in the play, outlining reasons why Mourning
Dove would be relevant to the letter’s recipient.
Did you know...
There are some stakeholder groups who will be seeing
this production of Mourning Dove. Why do you think
these groups are interested in the play?
Reena www.reena.org
Reena is a non-profit social service agency dedicated to integrating adults with
developmental disabilities into the mainstream of society.
A Firm of Lawyers
L’Arche Canada www.larche.ca
L’Arche is a unique vision of care giving and community building that fosters
inclusion, understanding and belonging. Caregivers and volunteers from diverse
cultures and backgrounds share deeply committed relationships with people
with developmental disabilities.
Sample Discussion Questions More Discussion Questions
for group discussion or written response Morality
Is it morally objectionable to have blind
Faith obedience for the laws of the land?
Metaphors Theatrical Choices
Which characters believed in Do you think that Sandra is morally
fate or pre-determination? What role do you think the character culpable of Doug’s act of ending Tina’s life?
Why do you think the playwright chose to
include Noah’s Ark as the story Doug needed to of Keith plays in adding to the
What is your reaction to ethicist complexity of the script? The prosecution in the Latimer case
enact for Tina?
Rudy Krutzen’s statement in argued that to deliver a verdict of “not
reference to Robert Latimer? Why do you think the toolshed was guilty” would signal “open season on
There is mention of ‘playing God’ in the play.
“We have to play God; there is chosen as the setting for the play? the disabled”. How do you react to that
Do you think Noah is ‘playing God’ when he
no alternative, for we are the statement?
selects the animals? Do you think Doug is
only gods there are.” Why do artists dramatize events from
playing God when he chooses to end Tina’s
life? How are their decision-making processes real life? Does there have to be real- Do you think Doug’s decision to end Tina’s
Do you believe in absolutes? life inspiration for a life was one of courage or cowardice?
similar or different?
play to be written at
Discuss the symbolism of marionnette puppets all?
Pain Relationships
in the play.
Why do you think Doug asked Discuss the
Keith to tie him up? What do playwright’s choice of
you think Doug learned from representing Tina by What do you think would have happend if Doug
Law the experience? lighting and breath revealed his plans to Sandra before she left for
If euthanasia was legal, would that have made only. Does it make a church?
a difference for Doug? What might he, his Do you think the comparison difference that Tina
wife, or his neighbours have done differently? between an ailing beloved pet is played by a live (ie Why is Keith so angry when he finds out the truth?
and an ailing child is apt? not pre-recorded)
In an essay supporting Robert Latimer’s performer each How do you think the members of ‘Team Tina’ feel
actions, ethicist Rudy Krutzen states that What constitutes a night? after Tina has died?
Robert “was punished by a judicial system for ‘meaningful existence’?
loving his daughter more that he feared it.” Do Does anyone have the right Do you think that Doug and Sandra will stay
you agree with Kruntzen’s opinion? to decide what ‘meaningful’ is together? Do you think they will have more children
for another? (either together or independently)?
Krutzen’s essay appears in Ethical Issues: Perspectives for Canadians
edited by Eldon Soifer, published by Broadview Press.

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Artistic Team
Liza Balkan (Director): Liza is a Dora Award winning actor as well as director, writer, dancer
and educator. She recently directed 7 Stories at CCPA in Victoria, BC. Over the summer she was
assistant director on Trojan Women and All's Well That Ends Well at the Stratford Festival. She also
directed the sold out hit: Opera On the Rocks at Pauper’s Pub for the Toronto Fringe festival this past
July. As a member of the Tapestry New Works Studio, she has directed Opera Briefs 06/07 for the
company. Liza received a Dora Award for her performance in Tapestry New Opera/Theatre Passe
Muraille’s Still The Night. The Cross Canada Tour of the show also garnered her nominations for
Calgary’s Betty Mitchell Award. Her other directing credits include: Half an Hour/Directors’ Project -
Shaw Festival; Skylight and Trying/Persephone Theatre; The premiere of Jason Sherman’s adaptation
of Gorky’s Enemies and The Good Woman of Setzuan/Ryerson Theatre School; The Pajama Game/
Bathurst Street Theatre; Pavlov's Brother/Toronto Fringe and Bunnicula for Theatre Athena. She has
worked as Assistant Director on productions at NAC, Soulpepper and Shaw Festival.
Rick Banville (Production Manager): Rick has been a Production Manager in Toronto
for thirteen years and is currently the Technical Producer for Volcano. Most recently, Rick was Opera
Atelier’s resident Production Manager. In Rick’s five years with the company he Production Managed
their Toronto seasons at the historic Elgin Theatre and helped orchestrate tours to Asia and the United
States. In addition to working as the Technical Director for Tarragon Theatres Extra Space for five
years, Rick also Production Managed for various summer theatres including the Bluewater Summer
Playhouse (1999–2002), The Blyth Festival (2003), and Resurgence Summer Festival (2004). Rick
left theatre a couple of years ago to stay home and help raise his son. He is thrilled to be back at it
with such great company. He loves his family!
Steve Cumyn (Doug Ramsay): Recent theatre credits include "In the Solitude of Cotton
Fields" for NTS (watch for the remount at the Theatre Centre in May); "Wild Dogs" for Nightwood;
and "The Sisters Rosenweig" for the Harold Green Jewish Theatre Company. Steve was a member of
the Stratford Shakespeare Festival company for five seasons, playing in "The Duchess of Malfi", "Henry
IV (Part One)", "Noises Off" and "The Swanne" amongst others. Theatre credits in Toronto include
CanStage productions of "Angels in American" (Dora Award, Best Actor) and "Twelfth Night"; "The
Orphan Muses (Topological); "King Lear" (Necessary Angel); and "Never Swim Alone" (Theatre Passe
Muraille). Film and tv credits inlcude "Murdoch Mysteries", "Paradise Falls" (series regular), "Nero
Wolfe" (series regular), "Ice Bound", "Voices" and "Sins of the Father". Kin and friends, here and gone,
teachers all, love and thanks.
Jessi Linn Davies (Education Consultant): Jessi Linn is a freelance teacher and
education consultant. A graduate of Queen’s University’s Artists in the Community Education program
at the Faculty of Ed., she has focused on creating inclusive classrooms and open communication
through theatrical improv. Jessi Linn has worked with Theatre Direct, LKTYP, the Canadian Opera
Company, Opera Atelier, Tapestry, the Bad Dog Theatre and in schools across Ontario. Upcoming
projects include a workshop series for summer camps and Theatre Direct’s Walking the Tightrope.
www.jessilinn.com
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Artistic Team
Colin Doyle (Keith Martel): Colin is thrilled to be working with such an amazing cast and
crew and would like to thank Emil and Liza for this great character and opportunity. He is a two
time Dora nominated actor for DIB AND DOB AND THE JOURNEY HOME (Roseneath Theatre) and
OFFENSIVE FOULS (Theatre Direct's '08 season) and last year was named a 2008 Artist to Watch
by NOW Magazine for KALVIN the GREAT (Fringe) and as the Soldier in A SOLDIER'S STORY
(Summerworks). He feels so fortunate to have worked with some great theatre companies including
the role of Danny in DANNY KING OF THE BASEMENT, White Man in Obsidian Theatre's HIP
HOP WHO STOLE THE SOUL?, Carousel Players, Talk is Free Theatre, Petrolia Playhouse, Magnus
Theatre to name just a few.
Fiona Jones (Stage Manager): Selected theatre credits include: April 14, 1912, The
Stronger... Variations, The Stronger... A Variation, And One Night It Snowed, Dinner at 7:30, Now the
Day is Over and Bride’s Albatross. (Theatre Rusticle); Trudeau Stories (Black Dog / Theatre Passe
Muraille); Death of a Chief (Native Earth / NAC); Get Stuffed, Elijah’s Kite, workshop of Shelter,
Wordplay 2007 (Tapestry New Opera Works); Banana Boys, Trout Stanley, Cold Meat Party, Tiger of
Malaya, Home is My Road, Belle and Life Sentences (Factory Theatre); An Acre of Time, The Road
to Hell, The Wines of Tuscany, one word and The Retreat (Tarragon Theatre); A Midsummer Night’s
Dream, Babes on Bay Street, Beast on the Moon, and Sleeproom (Theatre Passe Muraille); The
Danish Play and Smudge (Nightwood Theatre)
Vickie Papavs (Sandra Ramsay): Vickie is honoured to be a part of this production, and to
be associated with such a talented cast and production team. As a Toronto-based actress, Vickie has
made her career in theate, film, television and radio. Some favourite theatre credits include: Medea
(MTC, Mirvish Productions), Much Ado About Nothing (Manitoba Theatre Centre), Last Romantics,
It's All True (Necessary Angel), The Winter's Tale (Centaur Theatre), Twelfth Night, The School For
Scandal (Banff Theatre Festival), Ah, Wilderness!, The Merry Wives of Windsor (Stratford Festival).
Recent film/television credits: Flashpoint, The Murdoch Mysteries, The Gathering, Weapon, Burgeon
And Fade and This Is Wonderland. Vickie sends much love to her husband Murray Furrow and their
little muse, Owen.
Thomas Ryder Payne (Sound Design): Thomas Ryder Payne is a Toronto-based
composer, sound designer, producer and teacher. He spent 6 years recording and touring with the Juno
nominated rock band Joydrop including recording two records, touring North America extensively and
writing the top 20 single “Sometimes Wanna Die”. As a producer, Thomas works primarily from his
home studio and has produced records for Rebekah Higgs, Parker and Kathryn Rose among others. As
a sound designer/composer for the theatre he received his first Dora award last year and is excited to
be working in Stratford. Recent designs include: Happy Days (National Arts Centre), If We Were Birds
(Summerworks), My Fellow Creatures (Buddies), Alias Godot (Tarragon), Madre (Aluna Theatre. Dora
award for Best Sound Design/Composition), The Sheep and The Whale (Cahoots/Modern Times) bloom
(Modern Times. Dora nomination) and Leo (Tarragon. Dora nomination).
Artistic Team
Kimwun Perehinec (Tina Ramsay): Theatres include: Blyth Festival, Buddies in Bad
Times, DNA, Factory Theatre, LKTYP, Mammalian Diving Reflex, GCTC, MTC, Mirvish Productions, Founded in 1976, Theatre Direct has enjoyed
Native Earth, Nightwood, Nightswimming, Tarragon Theatre, Theatre Centre, Theatre Passe Muraille, praise and respect from young people, parents and
Theatre Smith Gilmour, Volcano. She also designs lights for contemporary dance. Rebecca has toured educators for their award-winning productions
extensively nationally and internationally, and occasionally she performs and directs. She has been that consistently tackle difficult subject
nominated 10 times and received 2 Dora Awards for her work in theatre. matter with directness, honesty and integrity
using sophisticated theatricality supported by
innovative education programs and participatory As the largest arts tenant of the newly opened
Rebecca Picherack (Lighting Design): Credits include Moliere, Alias Godot, Thom Pain, workshops. Artscape Wychwood Barns, Theatre Direct
Goodness (co-produced with Volcano); I, Claudia (2001, 2002). Other theatres include: Blyth Festival, is programming a theatre space dedicated
Buddies in Bad Times, DNA, Factory, GCTC, Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People, Mammalian The company tours its productions and education to young people and families and a spacious
Diving Reflex, Mirvish Productions, Native Earth, Nightwood, Nightswimming, Theatre Passe Muraille, programs to schools and theatre venues rehearsal, education and event space. In
Volcano. Other: lighting designer for independent dance; 2 Dora Awards (10 nominations) for work in throughout Toronto and the GTA. Productions of honour of the site’s transit history and to
independent theatre. Beneath the Banyan Tree, Binti’s Journey, Getting express the creative dialogue that flows
Wrecked and Toronto at Dreamer’s Rock have between our artists and audience we’ve called
toured nationally to such prestigious theatres this space The Loop Centre.
Emil Sher (Playwright): Emil’s work include stage plays, screenplays, radio dramas and as the National Arts Centre, Manitoba Theatre
essays. His plays for young audiences include Bluenose and Beneath the Banyan Tree, staged by for Young People and the Vancouver and Toronto In addition to showcasing Theatre Direct’s
Theatre Direct Canada and directed by artistic director Lynda Hill. It was recently published by International Children’s Festivals. award-winning productions for young people
Scholastic Canada and will tour the U.K. later this year. . Following its world premiere at the Lorraine and hosting the company’s innovative education
Kimsa Theatre (Toronto), Emil’s adaptation of Hana’s Suitcase, an acclaimed Holocaust children’s Our work is driven by a belief that young programs, The Loop will cultivate dynamic
book, toured Canada twice, has been staged in London (Ontario), St. Louis (U.S. premiere) Chicago, people deserve truth not diversion, that they relationships with the artists and organizations
Lexington and Milwaukee and will be staged in Israel in 2010. Works-in-progress include two have a cultural right to meaningful content residing in the Artscape Wychwood Barns and
commissioned plays: alphabet sop, a musical about dyslexia for the Lorraine Kimsa Theatre, and and compelling, relevant theatre. We view our host some of the country’s leading dance,
Conviction, a play about wrongful convictions for Studio 180. www.emilsher.com audience as thinking, feeling, complex individuals, music, and puppetry companies. Future
not a market, not just future audiences but our programming also includes guest productions
present audience that needs and demands theatre from Quebec and the UK.
Victoria Wallace (Set and Costume Design): Selected credits include: Costume that engages all their faculties and feelings.
Design: Three Sisters, The Wild Duck, The Bald Soprano/The Lesson, Endgame, The Play’s the Thing Creating year-round programming that
(Soulpepper); The Miracle Worker, Ghost Train (Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People); The Diary Our audience inspires us to tackle big questions nurtures our audience’s love and appreciation
of Anne Frank (Stratford); The Rape of Lucretia (Edmonton Opera). Associate Costume Designer: in the same way children and youth ask them, of the arts in our very own home is the
The Ring Cycle (COC). Set/Costume Design: Happy Days (National Arts Centre); Dance of the Red honestly, directly, courageously and passionately. fulfillment of a long held dream of Theatre
Skirts (Theatre Columbus) Mathilde (Nightwood Theatre); American Buffalo, Salt Water Moon On December 4, 2008, Theatre Direct, one of Direct.
(Soulpepper); The Bear/Swoon (Canadian Opera Company); Tideline, Geometry in Venice, A Short the country’s leading theatres for young people,
History of Night (Factory); Chekhov’s Heartache, Ward 6, Chekhov Longs (Theatre Smith-Gilmour); announced the creation of a unique centre Visit our website regularly to find out how you
Well (Tarragon);The Piano Lesson (Obsidian); New Canadian Kid (Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young devoted to arts education and performing arts can get involved!
People);Syncopation (Manitoba Theatre Centre/Mirvish Productions); Sticks and Stones, Cymbeline serving children, youth and families.
(Stratford) Associate Costume Design: The Ring Cycle(Canadian Opera Company). www.theatredirect.ca
www.loopcentre.ca
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