New Magic Valley Fun Town

By Daniel MacIvor

From the acclaimed playwright behind A Beautiful View, The Best Brothers, and This is What Happens Next comes a moving portrait about what we choose to forget and how we decide to move on.

Cape Bretoner Dougie hasn’t seen his childhood best friend Allen in thirty years. Based on what can be seen on Facebook, things have changed, but Dougie has no doubt they’ll easily reconnect when Allen comes to visit. With the added flair of Dougie’s ex-wife Cheryl and daughter Sandy, the group spends a night reminiscing, drinking, and dancing. But as the party progresses, shadows from Dougie and Allen’s past come out to play, bringing along tough questions that have to be answered.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Playwrights Canada Press
• Release date: Feb 1, 2021
• ISBN: 9780369101358

Daniel MacIvor

Daniel MacIvor is one of Canada’s most accomplished playwrights and performers. Winner of the prestigious Elinore and Lou Siminovitch Prize, the GLAAD Award, the Governor General’s Literary Award, and many others, Daniel’s plays have been met with acclaim throughout North America.

Book preview

Scene 1

The trailer is pristine. Scrubbed and vacuumed. There is a sense that even at the worst of times an OCD neatness prevails. Surfaces are not cluttered but there are a few knick-knacks and half a dozen framed photographs. Some sports memorabilia on the walls — New York Yankees, Toronto Maple Leafs. A closed laptop sits on the kitchen counter, plugged in and charging.

Light shift.

A car approaches. A door slams, the trunk slams. Soon Dougie comes into view through the windows and up the steps to the deck. Dougie struggles with his key in the lock. His hands and arms are full — three or four plastic grocery bags filled with snack foods and soda pop, two cases of beer, paper bags from the liquor store, one holding wine and one holding hard liquor. Along with all of this he holds a large Tim’s takeout coffee in one hand. He wears pressed work pants and a plaid shirt neatly tucked