Abigail Whitney directed University of Toronto's Victoria College Drama Society's Father Figures, a comedy that premiered at the University of Toronto Drama Festival. Father Figures is the winner of the 2020 Drama Festival Audience Choice Award.

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Synopsis: Fyodor Miller has a happy family, a great job, and a lucky pair of socks. Sounds perfect, right? Well, it was, until the day he found out that his mother has been lying to him his entire life. She hid the fact that his father died fighting in the Cold War, and she’s been using a puppet to pretend that his father is still alive. Father Figures is the story of how Fyodor copes with this life-altering discovery. The show uses absurdist humour and ties in themes of fatherhood, love and identity.

Director’s Note: How do we remember our loved ones who are no longer with us? During these difficult times we can remember our loved ones through the objects they cherished, the music they listened to and by retelling the stories that reminded us of them. Remembering our loved ones help us cope with their loss and keep their memories alive. Father Figures is a moving play about a father who is figuratively present and who is apart and a part of us. In the style of puppetry, I explore realism in what is a surreal world.

Written by Leo Morgenstern

Directed by Abigail Whitney

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