Missing Play: Pauline Johnson and the Search for Her Lost Work

Pauline Johnson was a prominent Canadian poet and author who lived from 1861 to 1913. She was known for her powerful and evocative writing about her Indigenous heritage and experiences. One of her most famous works was a play entitled Missing Play, which was first performed in 1911. However, the play has since been lost to history, and its whereabouts remain a mystery.

Missing: A play

by E. Pauline Johnson

5 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	1931 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Print length	:	82 pages

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The Play and Its Significance

Missing Play was a one-act play that told the story of a young Indigenous woman who is torn between her traditional culture and the dominant society. The play was highly acclaimed for its realistic portrayal of Indigenous life and its exploration of complex social issues. It was also notable for its use of Indigenous actors and musicians.

Missing Play was performed several times in Canada and the United States, but it was never published. After Johnson's death in 1913, the play seems to have disappeared. There are no known copies of the script, and there is no record of it being performed after the early 1920s.

The Search for the Lost Play

The search for Missing Play has been ongoing for decades. Scholars and researchers have scoured libraries, archives, and private collections in an attempt to find the lost script. They have also interviewed people who knew Johnson or who may have seen the play performed.

In 2016, a team of researchers from the University of Toronto announced that they had found a fragment of the Missing Play script. The fragment was found in a private collection, and it contains about 10% of the play's total text. This discovery has given researchers renewed hope that the full script may still be out there.

The Mystery of the Disappearance

The disappearance of Missing Play is a literary mystery that has puzzled scholars for years. There are several theories about what may have happened to the play. One theory is that the script was lost or destroyed after Johnson's death. Another theory is that the play was suppressed by the Canadian government because of its controversial content.

Whatever the reason for its disappearance, Missing Play remains a significant lost work of Canadian literature. The play is an important example of early Indigenous theater, and it offers a unique perspective on Indigenous life and culture. The search for the lost play continues, and researchers hope that one day it will be found and performed again.

Pauline Johnson was a trailblazing Indigenous writer who made significant contributions to Canadian literature. Her play Missing Play was a groundbreaking work that explored important social issues and provided a powerful voice for Indigenous people. The disappearance of the play is a great loss to Canadian literature, but the search for it continues. With any luck, the full script will be found one day, and Missing Play will be performed again for new audiences to appreciate.

Missing: A play

by E. Pauline Johnson

5 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	1931 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Print length	:	82 pages

FREE