A very liberal contemporary couple--Angel, an urban Native science
fiction writer, and Colleen, a "non-practising" Jewish intellectual
who teaches Native literature--hosts a dinner party. The guests at
this little "sitcom" soiree are couples that represent what by now
have become the cliched extremes of both societies: Angel's former
radical Native activist buddies and Colleen's environmentally
concerned vegetarian / veterinarian friends. The menu is, of
course, the hosts' respectful attempt at shorthand for the
irreconcilable cultural differences about to come to a head during
the evening: moose roast and vegetarian lasagna.
Like all of Drew Hayden Taylor's work, alterNatives manages to say
things about "Whites and Indians" that one is not supposed to talk
about--it digs up the carefully buried, raw and pulsing
nerve-endings of the unspeakable and exposes them to the hot bright
lights of the stage. That he does so with a humour that the
politically correct among his audiences continue to miss entirely
beneath the sound and fury of their own self-righteous indignation
is a measure of his immense talent as a dramatist. In the end, the
play is not about cultural differences at all, but instead
constitutes a full frontal attack on the personal qualities the
sitcom holds most dear and pushes hardest at its audiences: Taylor
actually has the temerity to suggest that neither "attitude" nor
"sincerity" are enough to address basic human issues, no matter
which side of the cultural fence the characters are on. And that's
hard for the pushers of what is considered a globally enlightened
culture to take.
Cast of 3 women and 3 men.
General
Imprint: |
Talonbooks
|
Country of origin: |
Canada |
Release date: |
February 2023 |
First published: |
September 2000 |
Authors: |
Drew Hayden Taylor
|
Dimensions: |
228 x 152 x 11mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Paperback
|
Pages: |
144 |
Edition: |
None |
ISBN-13: |
978-0-88922-428-5 |
Categories: |
Books >
Fiction >
General
|
LSN: |
0-88922-428-5 |
Barcode: |
9780889224285 |
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