Sidewalk Chalk

By Cliff Cardinal

Grace and Gary spend every day after school with chalk, drawing a fantastic world on the sidewalk in front of Grace’s house. When Gary’s parents separate, Gary reacts by separating from Grace as well. That’s when the chalk drawing beneath their feet opens up and sends them spiraling into the universe that they created. Now they must fight for a way home together and learn about what being best friends really means.

Cliff Cardinal

Playwright

Named by The Globe and Mail as a Canadian Cultural Icon in 2022, Cliff Cardinal is a polarizing writer and performer known for black humour and compassionate poeticism. His solo theatre productions STITCH, HUFF, and CLIFF CARDINAL’S CBC SPECIAL have won numerous awards. He is an associate artist at Video Cabaret where he develops his new work. Born on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, he studied playwriting at the National Theatre School of Canada and fronts the hilarious and nefarious Cliff Cardinal and The Skylarks.
Cardinal’s first multi-character play, TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, opened Video Cabaret’s 2019 season at The Busy Street Theatre in Toronto with Cardinal himself directing. A workshop version of the script debuted at Summerworks ’13, where NOW Magazine said, “This captivating tale of an off-grid mother and her desperate children solidifies Cardinal as one of the most talented and intriguing writers in the country.”

Cardinal is best known for his one-man play HUFF, which he has performed over 200 times. This harrowing yet hilarious show about youth who abuse solvents, at high risk of suicide won the Buddies in Bad Times’ Vanguard Award for Risk and Innovation, two Dora Mavor Moore Awards (Outstanding Performance, Outstanding New Play), RBC’s Emerging Playwright Award, The Lustrum Award (which recognizes the greatest moments at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival) and was shortlisted for Amnesty International’s Freedom Of Expression Award. The production garnered a five-star review in The Guardian Observer titled “a hard-hitting tour de force.” HUFF has been published, translated into French, continues to tour and was released as a podcast by the CBC.

CLIFF CARDINAL AND THE SKYLARKS’ first recording, THIS IS NOT A MISTAKE was released in 2016 and their follow up GONNA BE FINE was released in 2020, both are available online. The band’s upcoming release is due out in summer 2022 on Merlainen Music.

CLIFF CARDINAL’S CBC SPECIAL, a songwriter/storyteller performance, toured festivals in Ottawa, Calgary, St. Catharines, through Canada’s North starting in Yellowknife and won the Jon Kaplan Spotlight Award for the top performance at Toronto’s SummerWorks Festival.

Cardinal lives in Toronto with his wife Sage Paul (Artistic Director of Indigenous Fashion Week Toronto), their dog, Frodo, and their cat, Tiga.

Coming Soon

Book a Performance

TNB’s Young Company will be touring the province during the months of February and March.

Last year’s tour sold out with a wait list, so don’t wait to book! Contact youngcompany@tnb.nb.ca today!

Book before November 30th and save $100:
One Performance $550
Two Performances (same location) $1050
Three Performances (same location) $1550

Book before January 30th and save $50:
One Performance $600
Two Performances (same location) $1100
Three Performances (same location) $1600

Regular Price:
One Performance $650
Two Performances (same location) $1150
Three Performances (same location) $1650

Add a 1 hour theatre workshop lead by the cast for $100 per workshop!

*prices do not include HST

Coming Soon