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Drama Canadian

Blow Wind

by (author) Daniel Macdonald

by (composer) Eileen Laverty

foreword by Angus Ferguson

Publisher
Playwrights Canada Press
Initial publish date
Sep 2022
Category
Canadian
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9780369103635
    Publish Date
    Sep 2022
    List Price
    $18.95
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9780369103642
    Publish Date
    Sep 2022
    List Price
    $13.99

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Description

After years of running from her dysfunctional past, Sarah returns home to the family farm in Saskatchewan to find her mom Kathleen yelling into the wind, setting off a turbulent new chapter in her life. Instead of finding comfort in “home,” Sarah learns nothing is how she remembers it, and with Kathleen’s growing dementia, nothing will ever be the same again.

Two of Sarah’s older siblings, Jolene and Steven, are more focused on the future ownership of the farm and are planning a supper that could help influence that decision. But Sarah turns her attention to Kathleen, who keeps chasing things that aren’t there: a fox, a hill, the answers to questions only Sarah’s adopted brother Tom holds the key to. When an unexpected outcome shocks the family at the supper, much more than the farm is at stake.

Blow Wind is a beautiful portrait—with musical accompaniment—of a family that together must build new paths forward while learning how to love, let go, and forgive.

About the authors

Daniel Macdonald is a playwright, director, and educator. His plays have been produced and workshopped in Canada and the United States. Pageant premiered at the Alberta Theatre Projects playRites Festival and has been produced in Regina, Fort MacMurray, and Austin, Texas. MacGregor's Hard Ice Cream and Gas premiered at Persephone Theatre in Saskatoon and has been produced at Prairie Theatre Exchange (Winnipeg), Ship's Company (Nova Scotia), and Shadow Theatre (Edmonton). His play Velocity was part of the Lark Play Development Center's Playwrights Week 2007 in New York and was part of the Saskatchewan Spring Festival of New Plays. He has written several pieces with and for high school students including the dramas Waking and Tragedie. He also wrote several short pieces for the Globe Theatre's On the Line series (12 Menus, Negotiations). Macdonald is a recipient of the Regina Writer's Award and is a two time recipient of the SIMPIA (Saskatchewan) award for film acting. Daniel is past president of the Saskatchewan Playwrights Centre and has served on its board for eight years. He lives, writes, and teaches in Regina, Saskatchewan.

Daniel Macdonald's profile page

Originally from Belfast, Northern Ireland, Eileen’s family emigrated to Canada when she was six and, while she calls herself a Prairie girl, her Irish roots run deep. With the heart of a storyteller and a poet, her deeply intimate and stirring music will leave you with a sense of hope. Over the past two decades, Laverty has entertained audiences of all ages, as a solo performer and with her band. A look at the acts she has supported will underscore her universal appeal: the late Kenny Rogers, Tom Cochrane, Mary Black, John McDermott, and Ian Tyson. Eileen’s track record includes several songwriting accolades and numerous radio and television appearances, and she is a frequent guest of the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra. Eileen is also a dedicated teacher and coach, and a lifelong fan of The Beautiful Game--still playing when her schedule permits. She loves the outdoors. and many of her songs were composed in and around the northern forests and rivers of Saskatchewan. She lives in Saskatoon.

Eileen Laverty's profile page

Angus Ferguson is a theatre director, designer, dramaturge, and teacher who is dedicated to creating art and developing artists in Saskatchewan. He is the founding artistic director of Dancing Sky Theatre in Meacham, where he develops and produces new plays. He teaches at the University of Saskatchewan Drama Department and at St. Peter’s College in Humboldt, just to see if he can preach what he tries to practise. He lives in the small village of Meacham, Saskatchewan, with his wife, dog, cat, and a garden that is far too big.

Angus Ferguson's profile page

Excerpt: Blow Wind (by (author) Daniel Macdonald; by (composer) Eileen Laverty; foreword by Angus Ferguson)

JOLENE
Barley. He planted mostly barley there.
That where you found her?

KATHLEEN
She didn’t “find” me. That’s where I was.

There’s a flurry of activity as Jolene, keeping busy, goes about getting supper ready for Kathleen.

JOLENE
Mom doesn’t let Tom plant that field. Do you mom? (To Sarah) You staying for supper?

KATHLEEN
I have my reasons.

SARAH
Where else would I eat?

JOLENE
You never know.
Was she hard to find?

KATHLEEN
I’m right here you know.

JOLENE
You are now. That’s cause I sent Sarah to go find you.

KATHLEEN
I’d have come back. I know my own farm.

JOLENE
I’m not going to eat with you tonight mom. Sarah’s here so she can stay and eat supper with you. (To Sarah) Haven’t eaten with my own family all week.

SARAH
How are they?

JOLENE
Good. Good. Kaitlyn and Brandon are good. They’re both busy with school and everything.

KATHLEEN
Kaitlyn’s a very good hockey player.

SARAH
And how’s Brandon?

KATHLEEN
Brandon’s a very good video game player.

JOLENE
Good. Good. He’s – everything’s good.

SARAH
How’s Roy?

JOLENE
(She’s giving up nothing.) Good.

SARAH
(To audience)
Roy’s Jolene’s husband.

JOLENE
(To aud.) He sure is.

Jolene puts something down or hands something to Sarah as if to go.

Good luck.

KATHLEEN
I’m right here.

JOLENE
(To Sarah)
It’s getting difficult to –

(Now to Kathleen)
It’s getting difficult to leave you alone for long stretches of time, mom.

KATHLEEN
It is not.

JOLENE
Yesterday you were halfway down the road and Tom found you and brought you back in his truck. Do you remember that?

KATHLEEN
I like getting rides in his truck.

JOLENE
He told me you said you were going to the rink.

KATHLEEN
What if I was?

JOLENE
But you weren’t going to rink, mom. We both know that.

KATHLEEN
I was going to the rink.

JOLENE
But you had no reason / to go to –

KATHLEEN
I was still going to the rink.

JOLENE
(Sigh) Anyway. Mom, why don’t you go wash up? I need to talk to Sarah.

KATHLEEN
(Walking away)
About me.

A pause as Jolene stops and waits till Kathleen’s gone.

JOLENE
You got my email?

SARAH
Your text? The length of three emails? Yes.

JOLENE
Yeah. She’s...there’s no way of knowing one hour to the next where she’s at.

SARAH
I’m here now. I can keep an eye on her.

JOLENE
I don’t mean out there, I mean in here (Indicates her head).

How long you here for?

(Sarah doesn’t really know.)

Chris stayed in Ontario?

(Sarah nods.)

SARAH
I found her yelling at a storm just now.

JOLENE
Uh-huh.

SARAH
Uh-huh?

JOLENE
As in, she does that.

SARAH
Why?

JOLENE
(Shrugs) It’s new. She’s been doing it a few months.

SARAH
Months? What’s it about?

JOLENE
(No idea.)

SARAH
She’s yelling at dad. She kept calling out “Robert.”

JOLENE
Well if you’d been married to someone for 45 years, you’d probably yell at them to.

SARAH
She was...she was pretty angry.

JOLENE
Yeah. Well. He wasn’t always a picnic.

(Another moment.)

It’s getting worse.

SARAH
That’s what you said / in your email.

JOLENE
She’s young.

SARAH
I know.

JOLENE
It could go on for years.

SARAH
I’m not going anywhere.

Editorial Reviews

“Powerful, gripping, chilling . . . ”

Matt Olson, Saskatoon StarPhoenix

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