A new political party has swept into office, promising big changes to curb the impending climate crisis—changes that could put the nail in the coffin for a tiny carbon-economy town in the heart of Northern BC. When an elected representative who grew up in the town arrives to appease the residents, her urban idealism clashes with the hard-hitting realities faced by her family and childhood friends. How will pulling the plug on fossil-fuel dependency play out for this resilient northern community? And does it even matter when a forest fire is encroaching on the town’s borders?

Inspired by playwright Pedro Chamale's own experiences growing up in Chetwynd, BC, Peace Country is a poignant plea for dialogue in a time marked by profound division. Teetering between progress and preservation, this very human drama invites readers to contemplate the fate of communities standing on the precipice of ruin.

Pedro Chamale (he/him) was born and raised on Treaty 8 territory, colonially known as Chetwynd, BC, and now lives on the lands of the Qayqayt First Nations, New Westminster, BC. He creates on the unceded and traditional lands of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) nations. He completed the acting program at Douglas College and then received his BFA in Theatre Performance from SFU’s School for the Contemporary Arts. He went on to form rice & beans theatre with Derek Chan, where he is currently Artistic Director. Pedro is also a director, playwright, and performer. He was Artistic Resident at Neworld Theatre in 2014, guest curator of the 2018 rEvolver Festival, and one of the playwrights in the 2019 Playwright’s Lab at the Banff Centre. Pedro was part of the second cohort of Banff's Arts and Culture Leadership, is a co-founder of the Canadian Latinx Theatre Artist Coalition, sits on the Latinx Theatre Commons steering committee, and was part of Directors Lab North in 2020. With Derek Chan, Pedro was awarded Simon Fraser University's 2021 Young Alumni Excellence Award for their work with rice & beans theatre. In 2023 Pedro was a nominee for the BC Multicultural and Anti-Racist Breaking Barriers Award, for which he is grateful to be recognized for the work he has done both personally and at rice & beans.

Pedro Chamale's profile page

Heidi Taylor is a dramaturg based on the traditional, stolen, and occupied territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ílwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. She is omnivorous in her theatrical tastes, developing performances from first idea through production for sited, text-based, community-engaged, and solo works. She has dramaturged over twenty world premieres, including Pedro Chamale’s Peace Country, Derek Chan’s Happy Valley, Carmen Aguirre’s Anywhere But Here, and Tetsuro Shigematsu’s Empire of the Son. She served as Artistic & Executive Director of Playwrights Theatre Centre from 2012 until 2024.

Heidi Taylor's profile page

“Think American Graffiti with really big trees.”

Jerry Wasserman, Vancouver Sun

“Chamale's storytelling prowess ensures that the inherently political becomes personal. Offering a heartfelt but nonetheless sobering view on the realities of climate change, Peace Country isn't just timely—it is original storytelling that underscores the urgent need for collective action.”

Angie Rico, Stir

“Chillingly and prophetically, the events of the play mirror current news stories in the area, emphasizing the importance of this story and the urgency, emotion, nuance and empathy it elicits.”

Abigail Bryant, Vancouver Presents