Inheritance - by Daniel Arnold & Medina Hahn & Darrell Dennis (Paperback)

About the Book

"An interactive play - with over fifty possible variations! - that thrusts you into the middle of an Indigenous Land dispute and asks you to pick the right path. You take your seat in the theatre. You are given a remote control. Inheritance begins. Abbey and Noah, an urban non-Indigenous couple, are on a getaway to visit her father at his vast rural estate. But when they arrive, they find him missing and a local Indigenous man staying there instead. They ask him to leave ... and you choose what happens next. Set in Secwepemcâuþlecw, the Traditional Territory of the Secwâepemc Nation, Inheritance is a unique "pick your own path" theatrical experience that makes the reader or audience a co-creator of the story. When it's revealed that the colonial rights to the entire property owned by Abbey's dad are actually up for grabs, you must continue to decide how the story unfolds, ultimately determining how the land will be stewarded, and by whom. With humour, suspense, and a race against time, Inheritance thrusts you into the middle of an Indigenous Land dispute and asks you to work it out. The book also includes a foreword by activist David Suzuki and President of the Haida Nation Miles Richardson, an interview by Annie Smith with the play's co-creators, a historical background on the Secwâepemc Nation's history, language, and Traditional Territory, and a study guide by Danielle Kraichy designed for high-school students. "Inheritance is what theatre should be. It breaks boundaries, embraces new technology ... It should be required viewing. See it, ask questions, and enjoy the beauty of these incredible artists along the way."--Vancouver Presents Cast of one Indigenous man, one non-Indigenous man, one non-Indigenous woman, and one person of unspecified race and gender."--

Book Synopsis

You take your seat in the theatre. You are given a remote control. The play begins.

An urban couple are on a getaway to visit her father at his vast rural estate. But when they arrive, they find him missing and a local Indigenous man staying there instead. They ask him to leave ... and with an anonymous click of your remote, you choose what happens next.

When it's revealed that the colonial rights to this entire property are actually up for grabs, you must continue to decide how the story unfolds, ultimately determining how the land will be stewarded, and by whom.

With humour, suspense, and a race against time, Inheritance is an interactive stage play - with over fifty possible variations - that thrusts you into the middle of a land dispute and asks you to work it out. Replete with additional material, this unique book includes insightful forewords by President of the Haida Nation Miles Richardson and environmentalist David Suzuki, a brief history of the Secwépemc People, a detailed study guide for students and teachers, and an interview with the co-creators.

Review Quotes

"Inheritance is what theatre should be. It breaks boundaries, embraces new technology ... It is excellent. It should be required viewing. See it, ask questions, and enjoy the beauty of these incredible artists along the way." --Vancouver Presents

"The creative team is definitely onto something ... digs into land claims and entitlement in engaging new ways, using a lively mix of humour and interactive technology to work through heavy concepts. Viewers go out into the night with the knowledge that land issues will never be solved with an easy click of the button. And more importantly, with plenty to think about their own role in the matter."
--the Georgia Straight

About the Author

Daniel Arnold (Ukrainian/Scottish ancestry) and Medina Hahn(Lebanese/Irish ancestry) co-wrote/performed the award-winning plays Tuesdays & Sundays and Any Night, both of which were published in Canada and USA and toured to places such as Canada's National Arts Centre, Edinburgh, Prague, New Mexico, and New York. Tuesdays & Sundays was also a radio play on CBC and BBC, and their screenplay of Any Night won the CFF Super Channel Screenplay Award. They are the protégé recipients of Canada's largest theatre award, The Siminovitch Prize.