Q

Audrey Dwyer and Catherine Hernandez on the intentional awkwardness of their new play Calpurnia

Calpurnia follows a young playwright named Julie who is planning to retell To Kill A Mockingbird from the perspective of Calpurnia, Atticus Finch's black maid.
Audrey Dwyer, left, and Catherine Hernandez's new play Calpurnia runs at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre in Toronto until Sunday, Feb. 4, 2018. ( Dahlia Katz, Yeemi Tang)

Calpurnia is the latest production from playwright Audrey Dwyer. It revolves around Julie — a young Jamaican-Canadian playwright planning to retell Harper Lee's novel To Kill A Mockingbird from the perspective of a minor character, Calpurnia, Atticus Finch's black maid. Julie, meanwhile, seeks advice from her Filipina caregiver, Precy. It's a funny, provocative look at the ways race, class and privilege can play out between people of colour. 

Calpurnia playwright Audrey Dwyer and co-producer Catherine Hernandez talk to host Tom Power about their new play and why allyship between the traditional victims of racism and classism can sometimes be more complicated than we think.

— Produced by Tyrone Callender