Actor, playwright and director Jivesh “Jiv” Parasram returns to his hometown for a one-night-only performance of his Governor General’s Award-nominated Take d Milk, Nah? at Alderney Landing on March 29.
I’ve been telling stories about the Maritimes across the country, but none of that means anything until I get to tell it to Maritimers and see what they think. – Jiv Parasram
In Take d Milk, Nah?, a comedic take on the identity play, the award-winning Indo-Caribbean multidisciplinary artist blends personal storytelling and ritual within the intersections of his hyphenated cultures, asking what divides us, who is served by the constructs of cultural identity, and what are we willing to accept in the desire to belong?
In addition to his Dartmouth performance presented by Eastern Front Theatre, Parasram will perform at three other theatres across the Maritimes. He is looking forward to the reaction from the locals.
“With, I think, good intentions and a sense of humour, the portrait of the Maritimes in the 90s-2000s that I’m painting is a bit of a far cry from the “Come From Away” image that’s been popularized at least in theatre,” says Parasram. “I’ve been telling stories about the Maritimes across the country, but none of that means anything until I get to tell it to Maritimers and see what they think.”
In little more than an hour, writer/performer Jivesh (Jiv) Parasram covers more ground than a Concorde jet. With wit and candour, Jiv constructs his very own “identity play” which bounces from Indian historical commentary to racial politics in small-town Nova Scotia. But it is Jiv’s fearless approach to giving space, in all dimensions, that sets this show apart. It takes risks that play with the established rules of theatre. And it does so with warmth, wit, and grace. It is simply a great show. Don’t miss it.
– Chelsey Stuyt in her 2019 review of Take d Milk, Nah? in Vancouver.
“This show has garnered such huge praise across the country, and we are so often left out of that national conversation when it comes to theatre,” says Eastern Front Theatre’s artistic director Kat McCormack. “It feels only right that we get a chance to hear from someone who grew up here and how it shaped him.”
Eastern Front Theatre presents Take D Milk, Nah? at Alderney Landing (2 Ochterloney St, Dartmouth) on March 29. Visit easternfronttheatre.com for tickets and information.