After a very successful presentation of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf in late December, the Nelson Play Reading Series is now moving onto its second event: Scorched by Wajdi Mouawad, which will be read by local actors this Saturday night (Jan. 12 at 8 p.m.).
The reading will feature several prominent local actors, including Lucas Myers, Bessie Wapp, Lisel Forst, Sydney Galbraith and Michael Graham, and is directed by Adriana Bogaard.
Scorched follows several generations of a family torn apart by war in the Middle East.
After their mother’s death, Janine and her twin brother Simon are propelled into an arduous journey to uncover the mystery of their mother’s life. As they delve into the story of her past, the discovery of the truth forces them to reconsider who they are.
Quebecois playwright Wajdi Mouawad was awarded the Governor General’s Award in drama in 2000 and was made an Officer of the Order of Canada for his contributions to Canadian theatre in 2009.
His plays have been produced all over the world, and his critically acclaimed Scorched was made into a feature film in 2010, titled Incendies, which received a nomination for Best Foreign Language film at the 2011 Academy Awards.
Mouawad remains one of Canada’s foremost playwrights. Nelson audiences may be familiar with his work, as his play Alphonse was presented this summer by Nelson Youth Theatre.
Scorched will begin at 8 p.m. Saturday night at the Church Hall (corner of Kootenay and Victoria). Tickets are $12, and proceeds will be donated to the Nelson and District Women’s Centre.
The final presentation in this series will be 12 Angry Men, directed by Bessie Wapp, which will be presented on January 25.