Children of God by Corey Payette

Children of God by Corey Payette

Children of God is a powerful musical about an Oji-Cree family whose children were taken away to a residential school in Northern Ontario. The play tells the story of one family: Tommy and Julia, who are trying to survive in the harsh environment of a religious school, and their mother, Rita, who never stops trying to get them back. The impact of this experience on the lives of them all is profound and devastating, yet the story moves toward redemption.

Children of God offers a thrilling blend of ancient traditions and contemporary realities, celebrating resilience and the power of the Indigenous cultural spirit.

Corey Payette is proud of his Oji-Cree heritage from Northern Ontario. Corey has worked as a playwright, actor, composer, and director across Canada. He is the Artistic Director of Urban Ink Productions (Vancouver, BC), was the 2014-15 Artist-in-Residence with English Theatre at Canada's National Arts Centre, and the founder of Raven Theatre (Vancouver, BC) focusing on new works by Indigenous artists.

As a playwright, Corey's work has been developed at the Vancouver Playhouse, the Firehall Arts Centre, Western Canada Theatre, Arts Club Theatre, Urban Ink Productions, Full Circle: First Nations Performance, and Raven Theatre. He is currently collaborating on an original musical Les Filles du Roi with Julie McIsaac, commissioned by Fugue Theatre.