Norge

PERFORMANCE : 7:30 PM

September 2008 – Kevin receives an envelope in the mail containing the original passport of his deceased maternal grandmother, Herbjørg Hansen. Only one trip is recorded in the document: a departure for the United States in September 1919. Herbjørg left her home country of Norway, alone, at age 14. 

Fascinated by his grandmother’s story and the parallels he makes with his own immigration to Quebec, Kevin heads to Oslo hoping to solve the mystery surrounding his ancestral origins. The only clues he has are the contents of the envelope and the few details he has learned from his mother, who is now living with Alzheimer’s disease.

Set against the backdrop of a Norwegian polar night, Norge is an intriguing and light-filled dive into the family history of Kevin McCoy. This playful show that touches on the meaning of life is interspersed with the artistic works of Norwegian artists Edvard Grieg, Henrik Ibsen and Edvard Munch. Accompanying the actor is pianist Esther Charron, performing Grieg’s Lyric Pieces.