Snow in Midsummer

NAC English Theatre presents the Shaw Festival Theatre production

Dou Yi, a young widow wrongfully executed for murder, has cast a chilling curse on her town: if she is innocent, a summer snowfall and a devastating drought will befall the townspeople. Three years later, a wealthy businesswoman arrives in the parched and locust-plagued town to revive its failing factory. When her daughter encounters a haunting apparition, the townspeople are compelled to confront their buried, harrowing past. 

Blending elements of ghost story, murder mystery, and family drama, this adaptation of a 13th-century Yuan Dynasty drama by acclaimed playwright Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig brings an ancient Chinese classic boldly into the present. Snow in Midsummer is a gripping folktale which juxtaposes redemption against revenge and delves into the depths of injustice and trauma to explore the lengths people will go to for love. 

Experience the suspense as the Azrieli Studio is transformed into the round, immersing the audience in the story's unexpected twists and turns. This contemporary thriller, which explores both corporate and personal greed, promises to be an utterly spellbinding encounter. 

Content Advisory:

This edgy and modern adaptation of a Chinese folktale is set against the backdrop of a fictitious and fantastical post-apocalyptic world, where ghosts and guardians of the underworld relentlessly haunt in their search for justice. Like the original (and often rather dark) versions of many other classic folktales from around the world, Snow in Midsummer contains some mature content, poetic representations of violence and death (both described and depicted onstage), young protagonists who overcome perilous situations, and ultimately, the promise of redemption and hope for a better world.