The Drawer Boy, a modern Canadian classic

By Amos Johnson

Ghost Light Players, a non-profit theatre organization, opens their third season with Michael Healey’s award-winning play, The Drawer Boy.

The Drawer Boy follows the story of a young actor named Miles who moves in with two farmers, Morgan and Angus, to do research for his play.

“This play is about two friends who have 30 years together and Jeremy’s character (Miles) doesn’t know what that can be like. So he interrupts the truth in the lies, because lies happen and the longer you’re together, the less the specifics of truth actually mean,” said Dean Valentino, 49, who plays Angus and has been in theatre for many years.

The story is based on the making of another Canadian classic titled The Farm Show. According to the history behind the play, in 1972 a group of young actors went to Clinton, Ontario to live with farm families to study them and hear their stories, eventually writing a play about them.

Peter Hrastovec, a lawyer and poet from Windsor, is a supporter of the arts and waited to talk to the actors after the show.

“I was just saying to the character who played Angus, Dean Valentino, that I loved (the scene) in the end where he put the drawing of the house up. That was really a beautiful scene,” said Hrastovec.

The Drawer Boy will continue production throughout the month of September every Thursday, Friday and Saturday at the Atelier Virginianne on 1078 Drouillard Rd.

Jeremy Burke, 19, who plays Miles has a personal connection to the story.

“It deals with stories in a way that is often overlooked, that stories change overtime and the truth in them sometimes doesn’t really matter,” said Burke. “It matters what you think of the truth.”