"Each pathway is created by the single steps of many who go before..." Deep in a forest, in another time, begins the story of a child called Bentboy. Hunched and hobbled by his curved back, Bentboy is cast aside by his village--until one day, when he is chosen by an elder to embark on a quest to save the village from grave danger. And so begins his epic adventure, and a tale both treacherous and tender. Along the way, Bentboy encounters an uninvited companion, and the two are plunged into a world that comes to life in perilous and astonishing ways. Each on their own path, it will become a journey that transforms them both.

An Anishinaabe theatre artist from Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation on Manitoulin Island, Herbie Barnes is an accomplished playwright, performer, director and arts educator whose 30-year-career spans stages across North America. Herbie was raised in Toronto and was among the generation of young Indigenous artists in the 1990s breaking down barriers to forge professional careers in Canadian theatre. His theatre career began in 1989 with Debajehmujig Theatre Group, touring Ontario with the first run of Drew Hayden Taylor's Toronto at Dreamer's Rock. Since then he has collaborated with some of North America's most prestigious artists--whether appearing in productions such as Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing (Mirvish Productions) or collaborating with the Stratford Festival on development workshops. He was nominated for a John Hirsch Director's Award and his play, Bentboy, was shortlisted for the Sharon Enkin Plays for Young People Award in 2020.

Herbie Barnes' profile page