SOUVENIRS OF HOME by Elyne Quan, directed by Ulla Laidlaw, with Quan, Marjorie Chan and Eileen Li. August 6 at 5 pm, August 7 at 10 pm, August 9 at 7:30 pm, August 11 at 10 pm, August 14 at noon, August 15 at 5 pm. Presented by Third Floor Office at the Theatre Centre.
Being an immigrant in a strange land is hard enough, but the isolation increases for those living in a small community vastly different from their own.
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In Souvenirs Of Home, playwright Elyne Quan writes about three Chinese women – a mother, her young daughter, June, and their neighbour, Lily – living in 60s Whitewood, Saskatchewan. The tale turns tragic when Lily encourages June to explore her new world.
“There’s a real sense of otherness that they feel, separated from their families in China and Hong Kong,” says Quan. “In 1964, there was no technology to help bridge the gap to family, and language was a barrier, too.
“In those days, Chinese immigrants couldn’t vote and could only own a restaurant or a laundry laws changed later in the 60s.”
But Quan, who has an MFA in dramatic writing from NYU, is clear that she didn’t want to write what she calls an immigrant play.
“This is a human story about real characters in a believable situation. It’s not an introduction to Chinese people moving to Canada, but a tale that any audience can relate to.
“The relationships are complex, in part because they’re based on traditional Chinese culture, where children always respect their elders, and there’s a cultural modesty even in dealing with peers. You are expected to be humble and refuse any offer of help three times before relenting.”
Though both older women are immigrants, their lives are vastly different. The mother, a recent widow, was raised in time-honoured fashion and has little hope for the future. Raised in Hong Kong, Lily is modern and believes in the promise of what’s to come. June, caught between them and their beliefs, escapes her surroundings in her imagination.
“All three have monologues that use language different from that of the dialogue. In the dialogue, I want to suggest the briskness of Cantonese, which I see as a language that allows few chances to muse it’s efficient, without room for questioning your ideas or observations.
“The monologues have a poetic quality that allows for reflection. That’s when we really get to see these women’s thoughts.”
