Janet Wilson Meets the Queen begins in Vancouver, 1969, as society is undergoing profound change. Janet, a woman who places great faith in the British monarchy and its traditions, is valiantly trying to hold together her dysfunctional family: her teenaged daughter, Lilibet; her aging mother, “Granny,” and her husband, Jim. When Janet’s nephew from San Francisco arrives on her doorstep looking for refuge from the Vietnam War draft, the family grapples with what to do. While the people she cares for are irrevocably affected by the changing political landscape, Janet Wilson struggles for equilibrium, attempting to hold on to a world that refuses to stay still.
News & Reviews
“Cooper does a great job here illustrating just how difficult it can be for women, in particular though not exclusively, to navigate and define themselves in society… thought-provoking.” — New Ottawa Critics
About the Author
Beverley Cooper is a writer, teacher, and actor. Her plays include: Clue in the Fast Lane (with Ann-Marie MacDonald); Thin Ice (with Banuta Rubess, Chalmers/Dora Award); The Eyes of Heaven; The Woman in White (from the novel by Wilkie Collins); The Lonely Diner: Al Capone in Euphemia Township; Janet Wilson Meets the Queen (nominated for Prix Rideau Award) and If Truth Be Told. Innocence Lost: A Play about Steven Truscott was a finalist for a Governor General’s Literary Award and was on the Globe and Mail bestsellers list, a first for a Canadian playwright. She has also written for television, film, and extensively for CBC Radio Drama. Beverley is the coordinator of PGC’s The CASA Project, which aims to support women playwrights living in South Africa.
