Tribes! (No Matter What)

This co-production between Teesri Duniya Theatre and Theatre Esperance was realized in honour of Montreal playwright, Rana Bose. The team behind Tribes! (No Matter What) put this entire 50-minute production together in just one month, with the hope that Rana would be able to see his work performed before his passing. Tragically we did not make it in time. Rana passed away in May 2023, leaving us to honour the legacy and the impact of the man who helped shape Montreal theatre and transform it into the diverse landscape we exist in today.

Tribes! (No Matter What) is an unrelenting interrogation written for these times when people seem to have forgotten the lessons learned from war. We are generally treating each other with less kindness every day…Why does it take a war to make us rediscover our civility?

What is in the news? What is not? What do you believe? Why do you believe it? Why do debates rarely change anyone’s beliefs, even when confronted with facts? Why is science ridiculed? How are our identities rooted in our belief systems? Is changing our minds so difficult because of our fear of losing what we think of ourselves?

Tribes! is an absurdist piece written in the traditions of Beckett & Brecht. With a combination of light & sound to build the world of the play, we seek to disorient the audience long enough to plant a seed to challenge their perceptions of the world and perhaps even begin to soften the rigidity of our paradigms. Inclusivity can often prove difficult, but it must be addressed. Without it, equal rights for all remains a fantasy.