What was a period of realization, activism, and political unrest doubled as a creative catalyst for one Canadian playwright.  

Rachel Aberle says the ‘Me Too’ movement and the death of George Floyd inspired her to write The Watch List, a production focused on consent, performative activism, and exploring the gray areas of life. Aberle says the plot follows a mixed-race woman as she meets her boyfriend’s parents for the first time. 

“There’s three generations represented in the play. The kids are in their twenties, the parents are in their fifties, and the grandma is in her seventies. They all have very different ideas of what consent looks like, what flirting looks like, and those all come to play in the plot.” 

Although not a focal point, the play also touches on racist behaviors and micro-aggressions, challenging viewers to examine their own beliefs and actions.  

“I really wanted to write work that made people examine how they act and start conversations about who they want to be in the world and what behavior they think is right and wrong. I don’t think I’d be successfully writing about gray areas if I was telling people what to do,” she chuckled. 

It delves into gender and generational gaps and self-reflection, and Aberle says if you leave the theatre uncomfortable, she did her job. 

“I just think that things like consent and intimacy are much more complex than black and white screens allow them to be. I love mess, and I tried to write a messy play.” 

Tickets are available at 25thstreettheatre.org, and the show runs until February 14 at the Remai Arts Centre.