The Wake begins with the experiment of drawing narrative directly out of landscape. As a truly site-specific play, the audience follows the story through eleven outdoor venues on Vancouver’s historic Granville Island.

Fusing fact and fiction in the creation of an original mythology for the city, The Wake chronicles three generations of a fictitious family living on ‘Industrial Island’ as it evolves from a native fishing camp into the factory hub that was the centre of the Canadian shipbuilding industry during World War II.

In this allegorical tale, the island becomes a metaphor for the burying of history and the ensuing loss of identity in a city obsessed with progress, commerce, and its place in contemporary culture.

Audiences are enraptured by the sweeping vistas and unusual use of functional spaces including a tennis court, a harbour, a boardwalk, a dock, and a factory. Characters emerge from boats, beaches, and bushes. The play brims over with arresting images: a sex scene as a tennis match, choreographed rowboats, and a conclusion that literally burns the house down.

Produced outdoors on Granville Island, Vancouver, May/June 1999

Written by Kevin Kerr and Jonathon Young

Directed by Kevin Kerr and Kim Collier

Set/Props Design: David Hudgins

Stage Manager: Kelly O'Hagen

Lighting Designer: Adrian Muir

Composition/Musical Direction: David Ryhmer and Patrick Pennefather

Cast: Rick Dobran, Todd Ingram, Tom Jones, Linda Quibell, Anna Martin, Jeff Meadows, Sonis Norris, Andy Thompson, Erin Wells, Kirsten Williamson, Jenny Young, Jonathon Young

“Endlessly innovative, the play contains more searing visuals than the rest of this season combined.”
— Georgia Straight