After a traumatic assault in Central America, Rachel returns home, but it isn’t the reprieve she expected. She comes back to turmoil between her parents, and a part-time job in her dad’s medical office. Her father, George, full of endearing blunder, tries unsuccessfully to connect with his daughter, who seems to be reeling. Her childhood friend Khalil isn’t around to provide support. He’s in Afghanistan travelling and volunteering when he is wrongfully arrested. On the periphery is Wally—off work because of a logging injury—who spends a great deal of time in George’s office. Wally struggles to buy food for his dog Lucky, his rent payments are overdue, and the ringing in his ears just won’t stop. He’s looking for help in all the right places, but nobody seems to notice he’s deteriorating until it’s too late.

Patti Flather's profile page

“Paradise is as beautiful as it is unsettling, linking stories of peaches, snakes, dogs, limericks, and ordinary people under stress.”

Ric Knowles, Professor of Theatre Studies, University of Guelph

“This incredible body of work is as complex as it is poetic . . . Flather’s work brilliantly constructs a narrative in which we hear at the same time echoes of John Milton’s powerful Paradise Lost and Joni Mitchell’s popular ‘Big Yellow Taxi.’ ”

Carolina Miranda, Feminine Harbor

"Paradise is a powerful play that talks about some important issues while giving no easy answers."

Zeb Berryman, The Evening Star