Lessons In Temperament

"enlightening… enthralling… an elegant and melancholy metaphor for time.”
- The National Post

It is impossible to perfectly tune a piano – something that musician and theatre-maker James Smith knows all too well. A few years ago, James taught himself how to tune pianos as an additional source of income between gigs. Through pursuing this work, he discovered something even more valuable – the perfect metaphor through which to process the mental complexities of his family. 

Lessons in Temperament is the story of four neurodiverse brothers, told through a theatrical escape into the art and science of piano tuning. Between James and his brothers, they have had life-long journeys with OCD, autism, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Throughout the piece, James shares the story of his family while getting the piano in front of him beautifully and imperfectly in tune.

Catch this award-winning play’s return to the stage, hot on the heels of its recent feature film adaptation.

An Outside the March Experience, Written and Performed by James Smith, Directed and Developed by Mitchell Cushman.

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Lessons in Temperament is presented in partnership with Honens