Every Day She Rose

By (author): Nick Green

After the Black Lives Matter protest at the 2016 Toronto Pride Parade, two friends find their racial and queer politics aren’t as aligned as they thought, and the playwrights behind them must figure out how to write about the fallout.

Cathy Ann, a straight Black woman, and her roommate Mark, a gay white man, came home from the parade with such differing views of what happened and how it affected their own communities. Cathy Ann agrees with the protest that the police presence at the parade doesn’t make her feel safe, while Mark felt safer with them there, especially in the wake of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando. Frustrated he can’t see the bigger issue, Cathy Ann questions if she can continue living with Mark. Simultaneously, playwrights Andrea and Nick—who share the same identities as their characters—pause throughout the show to figure out how to work together to tell the story of a significant turning point in a friendship.

Through both sets of dialogue, Every Day She Rose is a powerful exploration of white supremacy, privilege, and patriarchy in supposed safe spaces.

AUTHOR

Nick Green

Nick Green is a Dora and Sterling Award–winning playwright, and the creator of the Social Distancing Festival. Credits include Happy Birthday Baby J (Shadow Theatre); Every Day She Rose (Nightwood Theatre, co-written with Andrea Scott); Fangirl (book; Launch Pad at the Musical Stage Company); In Real Life (book; Canadian Music Theatre Projects); Dinner with the Duchess (Next Stage Festival, BroadwayWorld Toronto Award); Body Politic (Buddies in Bad Times/lemonTree Creations; Dora Award); Poof! The Musical (book and lyrics; Capitol Theatre, Sterling Award nomination); and The Fabulous Buddha Boi (Guys UnDisguised, Sterling Award). He lives in Toronto.


Reviews

Every Day She Rose asks more and more complex questions: whose experience should be centered? Whose fears are valid? Is Pride a celebration or a site of protest? How do we hold and validate each others’ trauma? What is the responsibility of an ally or co-resistor to their best friend? Of a collaborator to their collaborator? The characters hold it all.”


“All of the writing is superb… [Every Day She Rose is] absolutely of the moment and asks important questions. And that is what theatre is supposed to do.”


“A blazingly intelligent play… Every Day She Rose is a bracing, highly charged, funny, intelligent play and it’s important.”


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Excerpts & Samples ×

MARK: I’m still losing it. I’m screaming JUSTIN! JUSTIN! But he doesn’t hear me.

CATHY-ANN: A man walking behind him gives us a look. It feels like a warning.

MARK: JUSTIN!

CATHY-ANN: I put my hand on Mark to calm him down.

MARK: I’m like… what?

CATHY-ANN: I don’t like the look that man is giving us.

MARK: Cathy-Ann’s making a stink face about something.

CATHY-ANN: He finally calms down.

MARK: Like I was just excited. Like everyone is screaming. But whatever.

CATHY-ANN: The guy moves on with the rest of the parade.

MARK: And Justin is gone. Just like my chances of being first lady of Canada. Thanks a lot, Cathy-Ann.

CATHY-ANN: I really didn’t like the look on that guy’s face.

MARK: I’m starting to feel like dancing. It’s probably because I’ve switched to vodka Fresca.

CATHY-ANN: I just want to stick it out until PFLAG.

MARK: I have to pee.

CATHY-ANN: This blister is screaming at me.

MARK: Suddenly the parade just kind of… stops.

CATHY-ANN: Everyone’s looking up the street.

MARK: There’s something happening a couple blocks up.

CATHY-ANN: People start heading up the block to see what’s going on.

MARK: I’m like… uh I don’t like this.

CATHY-ANN: I start going with the crowd, dragging Mark behind me.

MARK: I’m thinking maybe we should just go.

CATHY-ANN: We arrive at Yonge and College and see a bunch of people dressed in black.

MARK: What the fuck?

CATHY-ANN: A bunch of black people dressed in black.

MARK: Some black woman with a bullhorn.

CATHY-ANN: It’s Black Lives Matter.

MARK: Other people in black start sitting down.

CATHY-ANN: They’ve stopped the parade.

MARK: She’s stopped our parade.

CATHY-ANN: Black Lives Matter has stopped the parade.

Reader Reviews

Details

Dimensions:

96 Pages
8.20in * 5.30in * .30in
120.00gr
.32lb

Published:

May 31, 2022

ISBN:

9780369103383

Book Subjects:

DRAMA / Women Authors

Featured In:

Pride Reads

Language:

eng

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