“If you haven’t already, put this performance on your must-see list. Actor John D. Huston resurrects a government bureaucrat from 1907—the Laurier era—for this hour-long performance that is a far greater and more comprehensive history lesson than many of us (past a certain age anyway) ever learned about Canada's treatment of Indigenous people.

“This drama is gripping, fascinating and extremely difficult at times. Performing a script by fringe mainstay Keir Cutler (Teaching Shakespeare), Huston’s performance is bang-on. He will make you believe that, yes, this is probably how the government justified this dark part of Canadian history.

“CIVILIZED brings to life parts of our past that we are still trying to reconcile. It is based on true historical reports and writings, and the way it’s told is digestible and engaging. This play should be shown in schools, workplaces, old folks’ homes and anywhere else people will see it.” ★★★★★

—Shelley Cook, Winnipeg Free Press

​

“The play’s unique blend of historical research and circus-like elements creates a provocative atmosphere that challenges the audience to engage deeply with its difficult themes… performing Civilized as an interplay between light and dark, where the collective challenge is finding the “play” in what is, at its core, a deeply serious subject. ‘When you tell someone, this is a play about Residential Schools, their expectation might be, this will be a serious play that will make me feel guilty,’ he notes. ‘That is NOT our intention… We play this like a late-night tv host who asks, ‘Can you BELIEVE people thought this was ok?’ Shocked laughter is a good way to get people thinking about what’s been done in their name,’... a chilling and charismatic embodiment of early 20th-century Canadian attitudes, makes the case for atrocities in the name of progress.”

—Arpita Ghosal, Sesay Arts Magazine

​

“Emotionally charged yet informative… a play worth revisiting time and time again… Huston’s performance never wavers as he changes from Blank to himself and back again. He’s got a Gene Wilder-like quality in his ability to change emotions on a dime… Every Canadian should see Civilized; it’s a thoughtful and emotional glimpse into the darkest part of our shared history told through the eyes and words of the people who could have stopped the whole thing. Brilliantly performed and designed, Civilized is a great addition to the Next Stage Festival.”

—Janine Marley, A View from the Box

​

“With its twisty, stylized approach to Canadian history, Keir Cutler’s solo show Civilized, performed by John D. Huston, wouldn’t be out of place next to one of Guy Maddin’s experimental cinematic jaunts into the annals of Canadiana... Huston’s performance is endearingly heightened, with director Paul Hopkins at times pushing things into an almost Brechtian realm.”

—Liam Donovan, NEXT Magazine

​

“CIVILIZED is a powerful and impactful show… Keir Cutler challenges the conceptualization of what it truly means to be "civilized," taking the audience through the history of Canada's residential schools… CIVILIZED may be one of the most important things you ever see on stage!” 

—Apt613, Ottawa Fringe

​​

“A new important work, Keir Cutler's CIVILIZED is a piece that is sure to educate and unsettle viewers at a time when we find ourselves forced to question and reckon our country's complex and checkered past.”

—Will Britton, The Kingston Whig-Standard

​​​

“I implore you to see this play. CIVILIZED achieves exactly what it sets out to do: it makes us open our eyes to what really happened and lights the fire in our hearts to do something about it.”

—Janine Marley, A View from the Box, Toronto

​​​

“Don’t miss this opportunity. CIVILIZED is difficult and demanding but should be seen as completely required viewing for all.”

—Steven Ross, Front Mezz Junkies, Toronto

​

“Well researched and thoroughly vetted, this haunting portrait holds an authentic, unflattering mirror up to us—a disturbing reflection of ourselves trailing back through generations. It doesn’t feel preachy or scolding; Cutler, Hopkins and Huston maintain a thoughtful, empathetic atmosphere of shared remorse over a grotesque truth.”

—Istvan Dugalin, istvandugalin.com, Toronto

​​

“CIVILIZED tries to understand the mentality that led to the horror of the residential school system and how supposedly ‘good’ men could continue on even as the atrocities started piling up. It’s a harrowing exercise in national self-reflection, and John D. Huston’s performance is nothing short of a tour-de-force… A crazily important and timely thing to watch... This show should be required viewing in this country.” 

—The Visitorium, Ottawa Fringe

​​

“This is a great example of how to bring history to life—a great story with interesting characters… CIVILIZED is one of the best plays I’ve seen at this year’s Fringe and is very timely given the cultural reckoning Canada is now undergoing. Go see it!” 

—UMFM Radio, Winnipeg Fringe Festival

​