The story of one man struggling to express his personal views within a society that demands conformity.
Peter is trying to live a good life, a faithful life. When he begins to question the doctrine of his Mennonite church and his faith in general, he is ostracized from the community. A decree by the church forces his wife to abandon him if not in person, then in spirit. The strain of domestic and community pressures forces Peter deeper into isolation, but he still refuses to stop questioning.
Integrating dance, text and tragedy, The Shunning blends movement and spoken word that will carry you through a sea of emotions.
News & Reviews
“The Shunning tears heads off cliches, making us see a whole place freshly. It is a complete world, reeling and tilting but enduring.” —Books in Canada
About the Author
Patrick Friesen writes poetry, drama, songs, and text for dance and music. Friesen has published more than a dozen books of poetry. He has also written two full-length plays, staged at various theatres in Canada. Friesen was short-listed for the Governor General’s Award for poetry in 1997. and for the Dorothy Livesay Award in 1998, and again in 2003. In 1994 his book Blasphemer’s Wheel (Turnstone Press) won the McNally Robinson Book of the Year award in Manitoba. Friesen now lives on Vancouver Island.
