The Vernon & District Performing Arts Centre Society proudly presents As You Like It, or The Land Acknowledgement by Cliff Cardinal, a Toronto’s Crow’s Theatre Production. This opening performance of VDPAC’s 2024-25 SPOTLIGHT Theatre Series takes to the stage on Thursday, October 3rd at 7:30PM.

“I have been a fan of Cliff Cardinal’s work for many years! This gripping performance will make you laugh and break your heart,” shares VDPAC’s Artistic Director Erin Kennedy.

In this radical re-telling of William Shakespeare’s classic, Cultural provocateur Cliff Cardinal, widely- known for his acerbic, mischievous and fearless approach, brings a devastating yet laugh-out-loud examination of land acknowledgements as a cultural and political practice. Cardinal’s Cree and Lakota heritage deeply informs this production, adding a unique and powerful perspective to the timeless themes of mistaken identities, banishment and forgiveness.

Described by the Toronto Star as “sly, funny, and charming,” and hailed as “the Canadian arts surprise of the year” by The Globe and Mail, this performance has been lauded for its dark humor, difficult subject matter and raw emotion. NOW Magazine states, “One thing’s certain: this As You Like It is unlike any other production of the play, past or future.”

Based in Toronto, Crow’s Theatre has been a leading force in new play creation in Canada for four decades. It hosts a wide range of programming and collaborations with Canadian and international artists, aiming to ignite passionate engagement by creating and promoting theatre that examines pivotal narratives of our times.

Audience Advisory: The performance addresses challenging themes, including war and its associated violence, colonization, adult language, sexual violence, gun violence, mass murder, and suicide.

There is subject matter which may cause distress or trigger challenging emotions for some of our audience members. If there are certain themes that you would find particularly disturbing, please speak to someone in Patron’s Services before entering the theatre.