Song of the Say-Sayer

David E. Kemp, a former professor of drama at Queen’s University, is
the author of The Pleasures and Treasures of the United Kingdom.

In Song of the Say-Sayer, awarding-winning playwright Daniel Danis has
produced another powerful and wholly original piece of theatre. This
time he uses deeply poetic language to evoke the tensions between the
aboriginal peoples of Canada and the later settlers.

When lightning strikes the home of the Lasting family, killing the
parents, their four adopted children—Rock, William, Fred-James, and
Naomi—form an unbreakable bond. Years later, still haunted by their
terrible childhood memories, the three older brothers await the return
of their adored sister who has been singing away from home. But the
Naomi who returns has changed and the family must unite again to keep
government officials from taking her away.

The structure of Song of the Say-Sayer is fascinating. It seems to draw
equally from ancient storytelling traditions and modern North American
psychological drama, but does so in such a ritualistic and liturgical
way that we are overpowered by the sheer stylistic brilliance of the
piece.