My Playwright Sister

My Playwright Sister, written and performed by Johanna Nutter and James Diamond, directed by Jesse Strong

Sometimes I see shows so amazing that they make me want to quit acting altogether, because how could I ever do something that honest, that open or that true? Of course, My Playwright Sister isn't necessarily straight theatre, and Johanna Nutter and James Diamond aren't acting per se. While this show may not fit some notions of what theatre is, it is captivating nonetheless.

The show was co-created by siblings Johanna Nutter and James Diamond as a sequel to Nutter's one-woman show My Pregnant Brother, which debuted at the Montreal Fringe Festival in 2009, and went on to play the Edinburgh Fringe, tour Canada, and was also translated into French. While the show My Pregnant Brother did speak about Johanna's sibling who became pregnant during a female-to-male transition, the show was more about Johanna and her relationship with her family than anything else. However she suffered some backlash from that show with some people accusing her of "exploiting her brother for fortune and fame." As we learn in this show, Johanna's brother and mother were also somewhat hurt and upset by Johanna's version of events, and this is how My Playwright Sister began.

My Playwright Sister is an open, raw, highly personal, and incredibly moving experience. If you have ever felt like you live in the fringes of society, if you have ever had a difficult relationship with a sibling, or if you are at all interested in questioning notions of gender and identity, this show will speak to you. If you have ever made a mistake, this show will speak to you, and it will most likely be the kind of show that your mind will wander back to weeks, months, and even years after you have seen it.

Kudos to director Jesse Strong for guiding the actors in this remarkable story. As my first viewing of this year's Fringe program, it has set the bar pretty darn high.

My Playwright Sister is interesting as a stand alone piece, but the performances on June 7th, 15th and 20th will be preceeded by My Pregnant Brother for those who would like to see both shows. Schedule and ticket information is available at http://montrealfringe.ca/en/2014/my-playwright-sister.