Punctuate! Theatre is pleased to present AFTER THE FIRE by MATTHEW MacKENZIE. BRENDAN MCMURTRY-HOWLETT is set to direct this world premiere production, which will run JANUARY 10-19, 2019 at the FRANCO BONI THEATRE in THE THEATRE CENTRE (1115 QUEEN STREET WEST).

”They say the fire’s still burning. Beneath the ground. They say it could stay burning, for years.”

Set in the aftermath of the fire that nearly destroyed Fort McMurray in 2016, After the Fire is a dark comedy centred around two couples whose lives have been deeply affected by the disaster.

This Indigenous-led, new Canadian work raises vital questions about continued industrial development in Fort McMurray, and its effects on both the environment and the people whose jobs rely on it.

“Deceptively simple, the play is deeply spiritual and gives the best medicine possible after tragedy: cosmic comedy and earthly kinship of any who have lost and kept on going.”

— Elder Jo-Ann Saddleback

Last season, Matt MacKenzie’s play BEARS sold out in Toronto and across the country, receiving multiple awards and glowing reviews for its unapologetic and inventive approach to pipeline politics. AFTER THE FIRE takes a different angle on our addiction to fossil fuels, shining a light on the families caught in the middle of our national cultural paradox of both condemning but intrinsically profiting from the exploitation of our natural resources.

Artistic Producer Christine Sokaymoh Frederick
Director Brendan McMurtry-Howlett
Featuring Sheldon Elter, Jesse Gervais, Kaitlyn Riordan and Louise Lambert

Sound Designer Dean Musani
Set & Costume Designer Alison Yanota
Stage Manager Natasha Bean- Smith (Toronto), Erin Voaklander (Alberta)
Production Manager Trent Crosby
Lighting Designer Kaileigh Krysztofiak
Assistant Director Theresa Cutknife
Assistant Stage Manager Eve Saint

“What I personally find captivating about MacKenzie’s voice is his capacity to turn the tension between supposed binaries into creative energy, into something unexpected but powerful that drives his plays.”

— -Karen Fricker, The Toronto Star