Bug (Canadian play)

2018 play by Yolanda Bonnell

Bug

Written by| Yolanda Bonnell
Characters| Manidoons
Date premiered| 2018
Place premiered| Luminato
Subject| Indigenous peoples in Canada, racism, colonialism

Bug is a play by Indigenous playwright Yolanda Bonnell that was a Governor General's Award 2020 finalist. The play is the story of an Indigenous mother and daughter, their substance addictions, incorporating themes of racialised and colonial violence.

## Production

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Bug was written by Yolanda Bonnell of Fort William First Nation in Thunder Bay[1] Set design was by Jay Havens of the Mohawk nation.[1] Bonnell plays the character Manidoons.[1]

Upon the play's release, Yolanda Bonnell asked that only people of colour review the play,[2][3] which premiered at the Luminato festival in 2018.[4]

## Synopsis

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Bug has two characters, a mother and daughter, both played by Bonnell, both struggling with addiction, both unsure of the reasons why.[4] The two characters never interact.[4]

The play includes themes of the Sixties Scoop, of queer and two-spirit leadership, it includes colonial violence, racial violence, and gender-based violence,[1] along with intergenerational trauma.[4]

## Critical reception

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J. Kelly Nestruck equated the Bug's narrative to the Anishinaabe creation story.[1] Karyn Recollet of the Globe and Mail, when asked to score the play, said "If I were to provide a rating then, it would be a full-on constellation."[1]

The play was a finalist for the Governor General's Literary Awards.[5][6]

## See also

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* Women of the Fur Trade, 2020 play by Frances Koncan

## References

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1. ^ a b c d e f Karyn Recollet and J. Kelly Nestruck, "A Cree professor and a white critic went to Yolanda Bonnell’s bug. Then, they discussed". The Globe and Mail, February 16, 2020.
2. ^ Noor, Poppy (2020-02-21). "A playwright wants only critics of color to review her. Here's what our own critics think". the Guardian. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
3. ^ Fricker, Karen (2020-02-10). "Critics who aren't Indigenous, Black or people of colour aren't invited to 'bug.' Yolanda Bonnell explains why". thestar.com. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
4. ^ a b c d Johnson, Rhiannon (17 June 2018). "Play about mother and girl facing intergenerational trauma to premiere at Luminato festival". CBC.
5. ^ "Francesca Ekwuyasi, Canisia Lubrin, and Amanda Leduc among finalists for Governor General's Literary Awards - Quill and Quire". Quill and Quire - Canada's magazine of book news and reviews. 2021-05-04. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
6. ^ Adina Bresge, "Anne Carson, Thomas King among nominees for Governor General's Literary Awards" Archived 2021-05-15 at the Wayback Machine. Victoria Times-Colonist, May 4, 2021.