A series of mini-dramas based on public conversations, as overheard and rewritten by local playwright/director Aurora Stewart de Peña.

Overheard at Spadina and Richmond

Lina and Jon, with wind-messed hair, both hold falafels rolled in paper. They wear sensible boots and coats in earth-tone neutrals. They wait for the light to turn green.

Lina: And she was like, not nice to him. Not at all. She, like, wouldn’t make eye contact with him, he’d ask her a question and she wouldn’t answer. He’s like, trying so hard, asking her all these questions, smiling, being super polite, and just… nothing.

Jon: He’s a good kid, he doesn’t deserve that.

Lina: Like, it makes me feel so embarrassed.

Jon: I would be, too.

Lina: And, like, I just can’t communicate that to her enough.  Like, this is impacting me.

Jon: Yeah, of course it is, it reflects on you. Totally.

Lina: And it’s because he’s not White, right?

Like, I know that’s why. She’s super prejudiced, and she, like can’t handle the city. He’s trying to do all these things, talk to her.

He brought her flowers, actually. Like, really nice ones, Calla Lillies. And he’s wearing a fucking tie. A plaid little tie. And she won’t even give him the time of day. It makes me so angry.

But what am I supposed to do?

Because things reach a certain level of seriousness, I can’t not introduce my boyfriend to my Mom. 

An ambulance rips, through the street, siren keening.

Lina shakes her head.

I can’t believe people don’t even pull over.

____

Aurora Stewart de Peña is half of the theatre company Birdtown & Swanville (the other half is Nika Mistruzzi). You can follow her on Twitter at @Aurorahhh.

For more, follow us on Twitter at @torontostandard, and subscribe to our newsletter.