Your story lives in me and my story lives in you

Michaela-Washburn, Kristopher-Bowman; Photo by Christie Wong
This Is How We Got Here

This Is How We Got Here

By Keith Barker

“Your story lives in me and my story lives in you.” – Lucille, This is How We Got Here

It’s been a year since Paul and Lucille’s son Craig committed suicide, and their once-solid family bonds are starting to break down. While the now-separated couple tries to honour their son, Lucille’s sister Liset and her husband Jim refuse to discuss their nephew. The ties that keep the four together as sisters, best friends, and spouses are strained by grief and guilt… until a visit from a fox changes everything.

Simultaneously heartbreaking and heartwarming, This Is How We Got Here follows a close-knit family as they deal with an unexpected loss. A mother, father, aunt, and uncle must learn how to move forward after the trauma and re-learn how to interact with one another with forgiveness, humour, and love.

This Is How We Got Here cast
This Is How We Got Here cast 1
This Is How We Got Here cast 2
This Is How We Got Here cast 3

Production History

Developed with support from Native Earth Gwaandak Theatre, Stratford Festival & dramturge Donna-Michelle St. Bernard.

First Produced: by Theatre Continuum and New Harlem Productions as part of the SummerWorks Performance Festival at Factory Theatre in Toronto, ON from August 4 -14th, 2016. The production was directed by Eli Ham and featured actors Peggy Coffey, Deb Drakeford, James Downing and Martin Julien and designers Deanna Choi, Ryan Howard Clement and Isidra Cruz.

Production Facts

  • Nominated for the 2018 Governor General’s Literary Award for Drama

  • The play was also a finalist for The Indigenous Voices Awards in the alternative format category, 2018

  • The Gore Bay Community Theatre won Outstanding Production for their production of This Is How We Got Here at the QUONTA drama festival in March 2019 and went on to the Theatre Ontario Festival in May.

More Works by Keith Barker

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The Hours that Remain

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