This comedy by Morris Panych is set in Steveston, British Columbia, Canada during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, and is presented as a memory play by the precocious 10-year-old protagonist. It won the Governor General’s Award for English-language drama in 2004. It also served as my first production where I was the Assistant Director as well as a swing for the two male roles in the play.

Following the death of her beloved pet goldfish, the main character Iris believes that her world is beginning to unravel with the death causing the Cuban Missile Crisis and the immanent end of her parent’s marriage. When Iris finds a random man washed up on the beach, she believes he is the reincarnation of her fish and brings him home. As her dysfunctional family members continues their lives with the man in their house, Iris pins all her hopes for the world’s salvation on the stranger she found.

The characters of this play strike a balance of presenting given circumstances and leaving room for interpretation. Sardonic wit, blending of comedy and drama, and profound lines being given to the youngest or most eccentric characters make the audience wonder who the characters were before the play started, and what may have happened next in the story after the play ends.

The play contrasts the fantasies of children with harsh reality, exploring the ways that individuals cope with change, loss, and the absurdity of life.

Credits: Directed by Rebekah Lane, Scenic Design by Krista Franco, Lighting Design by Preston Foss, Sound Design by Cody Desrosiers, Costume Design by Cheryl Orr, February 2026.

Photos by AndYou Films