The Drawer Boy

The action unfolds in a contemporary late-20th-century context, centered on a Toronto theatre group visiting a rural Ontario home. The events focus on memory, storytelling, and the process of turning lived experience into performance. The period is defined by community, regional life, and the enduring impact of personal histories on the present.

Set primarily in rural Ontario, the home of two elderly bachelor farmers, the countryside frames the quiet, intimate drama. The visiting actor’s presence turns the farm into a workshop where memories and stories are examined and reshaped. The setting contrasts hard, practical labor with the fluid world of theatre and memory.

🎭 Storytelling

Storytelling is shown as a powerful act that shapes reality as much as it records it. Miles's theatre approach blurs the line between fiction and lived experience, reframing the farmers’ past. The line 'We're here to get your history and give it back to you' underscores how a shared narrative can reframe identity and relationships. The play-within-a-play motif suggests that collective creation can stabilize or disrupt memory and truth.

🧠 Memory

Angus’s memory loss from his WWII experiences frames the story’s emotional core. The revival of memory through Miles’s storytelling reveals how memory can be fragile and selective. The contrast between remembered past and present reality drives the tension and moment of revelation. The theme explores how memory can heal, but also threaten longstanding bonds.

🤝 Friendship

The relationship between Morgan and Angus anchors the drama, balancing care with dependence. Their companionship is tested by the introduction of Miles and by the mercurial nature of memory and storytelling. The play suggests that friendship survives through shared narratives, yet is endangered when the truth behind those stories is challenged. The emotional center is how storytelling can reframe, renew, and sometimes destabilize a long friendship.