Young People's Theatre Presents Canadian Online Premiere of THE WATER GUN SONG

In a Canadian premiere event, Young People's Theatre will present a live virtual performance of award-winning Playwright and Break Beat Poet Idris Goodwin's The Water Gun Song. This insightful short play explores a Black parent navigating a conversation about race with their happy and eager seven-year-old child. YPT's live streaming is directed by Natasha Mumba (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Mirvish), featuring performances by Kevin Hanchard (Orphan Black) and his son Myles. The Water Gun Song streams live on Friday, August 14 at 7PM EST on YPT's YouTube channel, followed by a Q&A facilitated by Kearie Daniel, who is on the steering committee of Parents of Black Children.

Written for multi-generational audiences, The Water Gun Song focuses on a parent trying to find the words to explain to their child why a water gun isn't simply a toy.

"I immediately fell in love with this exceptional short play by Idris Goodwin," said YPT Artistic Director Allen MacInnis. "The Water Gun Song immerses us in the world of children and adults who are stretching, striving to understand each other. And in this world, we find a powerful reflection on how a parent might strongly desire for their child to not treat guns - not even think of guns - as toys, even if they only shoot water. With the performance of this play, YPT is pleased to add to the ongoing affirmation that Black lives matter."

An arts leader and educator, Goodwin is the new director of the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College. Through FREE PLAY, launched in partnership with TYA/USA, five of Goodwin's plays (including The Water Gun Song) have been made available to the public for free in an effort to spark conversations about race relations and provide parents with insight as to how to approach this difficult subject with their children. Goodwin's wonderful and timely writing is also evident in Your House is Not Just a House - a delightful break beat poem written for children stuck indoors during the pandemic.

The Water Gun Song is directed by Natasha Mumba, Apprentice Artistic Director at Factory Theatre, and features performances by father-and-son Kevin and Myles Hanchard. A Dora Award-nominated Stratford and Shaw Festival alumnus, Kevin received a Canadian Screen Award for his work on Orphan Black. Next he can be seen playing legendary musician Louis Armstrong in Lee Daniels' The U.S. vs. Billie Holiday, starring Andra Day. This is his seven-year-old son Myles' acting debut.

The Water Gun Song

Written by Idris Goodwin

Directed by Natasha Mumba

Featuring Kevin Hanchard & Myles Hanchard

Recommended for Ages 6 & Up