by Chris Peterson
A student matinee at Regina’s Globe Theatre has prompted public responses from both the theatre and Regina Public Schools after teachers removed students from a recent performance of Little Red Warrior and His Lawyer.
The production, written and directed by Kevin Loring, ran at Globe Theatre from April 29 through May 17th. Theatre leaders describe the play as a courtroom comedy about Red, the last member of the Little Red Warrior First Nation, who discovers a condo development being built on his ancestral land and fights back. The story then follows Red as he moves in with his court-appointed lawyer, Larry, and Larry’s wife, Desdemona, setting up what Globe describes as a mix of land politics, legal absurdities, Trickster mischief, and “lusty complications.”
The show’s own production page lists strong language, mature themes, sexual humor, moments of stylized violence, and brief strobe lighting among its content notes, and currently recommends the production for ages 16 and up.
According to Regina Public Schools, students attended the performance after the production had been presented as appropriate for ages 14 and up and connected to several curriculum areas.
Teachers made the decision to leave during the performance after determining that the content was more mature than they had expected. In a statement reported by CJME, Regina Public Schools said educators used their professional judgment and that the division supports the decision they made.
One element that has drawn significant attention is the appearance of drag performer Nick Miami Benz, who is listed in Globe Theatre’s cast as playing “Lizzy & Others.” In prior reviews of the production, that character has been identified as a comic version of Queen Elizabeth.
Globe leaders have said a manager advised teachers from one school seated closest to the stage that a performer would be pole dancing during the performance, and that schools were told to use discretion when seating students near that section of the theatre. CJME also reported that detail in its coverage of the disagreement between Globe Theatre and Regina Public Schools.
Globe leaders have disputed the idea that schools were not properly informed. In a public statement, the theatre said content warnings were available online, stating that the production was recommended for ages 14 and up due to language and sexual content. They also said schools were contacted directly by staff about explicit language and sexual content, were offered the opportunity to read the script in advance, and confirmed that attending students would be in Grade 10 or higher.
The theatre also said Campbell Collegiate had read the play after booking and later canceled tickets for Grade 9 students based on the content. According to the theatre, all attending schools had confirmed their students would be in Grade 10 or higher.
Following the incident, the theatre said it stands by the production and its artists. The theatre also stated that some online criticism directed at performers involved in the show has included transphobic and homophobic comments, which it said it does not tolerate. They emphasized that concerns about programming choices should be directed at the theatre, not at the contracted performers.
Loring, a Governor General’s Award-winning playwright and the artistic director of Indigenous Theatre at Canada’s National Arts Centre, has also defended the production.
Regina Public Schools, meanwhile, has said it has had a long-standing relationship with Globe Theatre but remains concerned about what it views as a disconnect between the production’s rating, content warnings, and what teachers experienced during the matinee.
The situation has raised broader questions about how theatres communicate content warnings for student performances and how school divisions vet productions before bringing students to attend them. While age recommendations are commonly used by theatres, this controversy shows how a rating alone may not always provide enough context for educators making decisions on behalf of students.
Globe Theatre has said it will continue working to ensure schools have a clearer understanding of productions before attending student matinees. The theatre also said that, moving forward, it will require signed waivers from principals for future school matinee attendance.
For now, both organizations appear to agree on the importance of student access to live theatre, but differ on whether expectations around this particular performance were clearly communicated and understood before students arrived.
