The Papa Penguin Play celebrates same-sex parents and their children in party-themed show
Playwright Dave Deveau found inspiration in a real-life male penguin couple for mix of puppetry, drag, and more, care of Carousel Theatre, Zee Zee Theatre, and Vancouver International Children’s Festival
The Papa Penguin Play with Rae Takei, Kosta Lemermeye, and Jeffrey Follis. Photo by Ryan Alexander McDonald
Carousel Theatre for Young People, Vancouver International Children’s Festival, and Zee Zee Theatre present The Papa Penguin Play at the Waterfront Theatre until June 2
VANCOUVER PLAYWRIGHT Dave Deveau truly knows what it means to build a family. Over the past six years, he and his partner Cameron Mackenzie have become fathers to two children, thanks to surrogacy arrangements with close family friends. But when the couple tried to include books in their bookshelf that would help their children see similar families in the pages, they realized there weren’t many.
One story, however, shone through. And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell, told the real-life story of two male penguins in New York’s Central Park Zoo who were gifted an egg. With the birth of the baby penguin, the two father penguins were able to start their own family. The picture book provided the inspiration for Deveau to write The Papa Penguin Play.
“I’ve worked in theatre for young audiences for about 25 years now, and I have never seen a show that depicts a family like mine,” says Deveau, co-artistic and managing director of Carousel Theatre for Young People. The Papa Penguin Play, presented by Carousel with Zee Zee Theatre, and part of this year’s Vancouver International Children’s Festival.
In writing The Papa Penguin Play, Deveau didn’t want the focus to be, “Will they [the penguins] or won’t they become parents?” Instead, the play takes place on the baby penguin Hedgie’s first birthday party. At the start of the show, the audience is welcomed by the family’s beloved family friend, the Zoo Keeper, and Hedgie. As everyone waits for the arrival of the two papa penguins, Peaches and Izzy, the Zoo Keeper explains their journey to fatherhood through a series of flashbacks.
“I wanted this experience to be a celebration and for the audience to be active participants,” Deveau says. As such, celebratory activities begin the moment the audience enters the Waterfront Theatre. There’s a station in the lobby where attendees can create their own party hats, helping them to truly feel like they’re part of the festivities. Deveau promises that audiences will have a lot to enjoy at this party, including puppetry, drag shows, and onstage “surprises”.
Directed by Deveau’s partner Mackenzie, The Papa Penguin Play is a family affair, and is part of Carousel’s continued commitment to share stories that are reflective of real-life communities. The one-hour show for children aged three to eight is an opportunity for families to see themselves reflected and learn about others in a fun, imaginative way.
The path has not been easy for Carousel, which received an onslaught of online hate last year when it announced its summer drag camp, intended to provide a safe space for kids to express their creativity and build confidence. Staff there received hundreds of hateful emails each day, including death threats. The story captured national media attention, including from Maclean’s, and significant measures, including police involvement, had to be taken to ensure the safety of everyone including the campers.
For Deveau, this type of hate has been all too familiar. He notes that when he and Mackenzie welcomed their eldest child, there were physicians in the immediate area who did not want to provide them services, stating that the idea of queer families went against their values. Personal experiences like these are part of the fuel that drives Deveau to continue creating work that shines the spotlight on marginalized experiences.
Deveau believes that representation is crucial, and he notes that he’s yet to see, for example, a major children’s film centred on a same-sex family. With The Papa Penguin Play, he hopes to show audiences that there are many different ways that families can look. “We need visible examples in our life to understand things,” he says. “And I think [The Papa Penguin Play] will hopefully make ripples of love.” 
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