Pentecost

by David Edgar

August 3 to September 21; opens August 10, 2007 Studio Theatre
2 hours, 55 minutes with 1 interval

Contains mature themes, sexual situations and partial nudity. It will not be suitable for younger children.

What role does art play in establishing a nation's cultural legitimacy?

Uncovered in an abandoned eastern-European church, a priceless painting ignites a fierce debate about nationalism and culture in a world rocked by political instability.

When the church is invaded by a group of armed refugees seeking asylum, the debate turns deadly and the question remains: without art, how will we know who we are?

Thomas King's A Short History of Indians in Canada

I'm in Stratford, Ontario, on vacation. Last night we saw Pentecost at the Studio Theater. During the scene where the art historians are taken hostage, one of the refugees (or terrorists, depending on your perspective) points out the door where the authorities are surrounding the church they're in. He says "Cowboys." He gestures to those inside the church, and says "Red Indians." Later in the play, there's a reference to a brutal murder from the past in which someone's face was, presumably, mutilated. The character made a clawing gesture and said "Red Indians." The murderer wasn't a "Red Indian," but that imagery was used to mean savage/barbaric. I gather "Red Indian" is the phrase Brits used to refer to American Indians.