Sweeping drama finds hope amid horror

David Yee's play about the devastating 2004 tsunami and its aftermath tops this weekend's list.

David Yee's play about 2004 tsunami on now at NAC

Sandra Abma · CBC News · Posted: Mar 23, 2018 2:14 PM ET | Last Updated: March 23

Directed by Kim Collier, David Yee's play tells the story of the 2004 tsunami through mulitple characters. 1:01

Horror, healing and hope

It was Boxing Day 2004 when a friend called Canadian playwright David Yee from a hospital bed in Thailand with a horrific story to share. One of the deadliest natural disasters in human history — an earthquake and tsunami in the Indian Ocean — had inflicted unfathomable destruction, claiming 240,000 lives throughout 14 countries.

David Yee found surprising stories of hope while researching his play, carried away on the crest of a wave, on now at the NAC. (Matt Barnes)

Lee embarked on an ambitious plan to capture the scope of the disaster through the stories of survivors. He conducted countless interviews, years of research and travelled to affected areas. The result is carried away on the crest of a wave, a series of interconnected vignettes that was awarded the 2015 Governor General's Literary Award for drama.

"The thing that I didn't expect to find when I started off on all of this was hope," Yee recalled.

"When people would tell me about the things that had happened to them, the thing that resonated through their stories was hope. Even if they'd lost it, it was re-instilled in them."

Adrienne Wong and Zaib Shaikh in David Yee's carried away on the crest of a wave. (David Hou)

Where: Babs Asper Theatre, National Arts Centre, 1 Elgin St.

When: Runs until April 1.

Cost: Tickets start start at $25 and run to $75. Same day rush tickets for those between 13-29 can be purchased for $15. For times and tickets check here.

Note: A free talk with David Yee will take place at 12:45 p.m. Saturday in the NAC's Le Salon.

Awesome Art

Get messy, make art, play dress up and go on an art hike. These are some of the all-day activities available to kids 5-12 and their families this Sunday at the Canadian War Museum.

Tanks and military aircraft may be the stars of its collection, but the museum is also home to more than 13,000 pieces of art, from Group of Seven paintings to models for the Canadian National Vimy Memorial.

Animators will be on hand to make the art encounters fun and interactive.

On Awesome Art Sundays kids recreate their own masterpieces from works they've seen at the Canadian War Museum. (Canadian War Museum)

Where: Canadian War Museum, 1 Vimy Pl.

When: Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Cost: Participation is free with admission. Tickets are $11 for children 12 and under and $17 for adults. Special packages for families are available. Tickets can be purchased here.

LOL

The members of Crush Improv want you to come out and laugh with them, not at them. Every Sunday night at Yuk Yuk's, the audience fuels the hilarity and challenges the skills of these seasoned improv players.

"An improv show is kind of like watching a daredevil do a stunt," said AL Connors, one of the troupe's founders. "You never quite know what the outcome will be."

Where: Yuk Yuk's Comedy Club, 292 Elgin St.

When: Sunday, 8 p.m.

Cost: Tickets are $12.39 plus tax and can be purchased here.