Play Inspired by Canadian Murders Opens Dec. 5 in Westhoff Theatre

The play “Unnatural and Accidental Women” by Marie Clements was inspired by a series of murders in Vancouver’s “skid row” between 1965 and 1987.  Despite evidence of foul play in the murders of mainly middle-aged Native women without ties in Vancouver, police investigations were minimal and the coroner listed the deaths as “unnatural and accidental.” 

The play will be presented by Illinois State University’s School of Theatre and Crossroads Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 5 to 8 and at 2 p.m. Dec. 8 and 9 in Westhoff Theatre in Centennial East, located at the corner of Beaufort and School streets.

Directed by Deb Alley of the School of Theatre, Clements’ unconventional, Native-authored play honors the lives of the women who died, presenting them with humor, pathos and compassion.  As the main character searches for her mother among the lost souls of Vancouver’s slums, their spirits join together to guard her from the killer.

Tickets are $10 for the general public, $9 for faculty-staff, $8 for senior citizens and $6 for students.  Tickets are available at the Center for the Performing Arts box office from noon to 5 p.m. weekdays, at (309) 438-2535 of through Ticketmaster at (309) 454-5500 or at ticketmaster.com.

Crossroads Theatre in the School of Theatre is an organization dedicated to promoting multicultural performances in the Bloomington/Normal community.

Playwright Marie Clements is an award-winning playwright, performer and director of Métis heritage.  She has written more than 20 works and is the founding artistic director of urban ink productions, a Vancouver-based First Nations’ production company that creates, develops, and produces aboriginal and multicultural works.  She is currently playwright-in-residence of the Canadian National Arts Centre.