Simone, Half and Half was awarded a Top Grade - CanLit for the Classroom in the fall of 2022. 

 

Reviewer and educator Spencer Miller states:

 

"I promise your students have never read a play like this, something that is so current and relevant to their experiences.  Again, it was specially written just for them and so many students are going to be able to relate to Simone's story.  The author also does a fabulous job of incorporating elements of Black history and references to important historical figures in the text.  For example, there are references to important figures in Canadian Black history like Angelique, Viola Desmond and James Douglas." 

​

Annie Gibson, Publisher of Playwrights Canada Press explains: 

​

“I fell in love with this play the moment I met Simone. She’s figuring it all out but has the confidence to try new things. Playwrights Canada Press is exceptionally proud to be publishing this book so everyone can follow Simone’s journey.”

​

From Quincy Armorer, former Artistic Director of Black Theatre Workshop, who also wrote the play’s Foreword: 

 

“I have long been obsessed with the spectrum of mixed-race heritage and how the many labels and categories used to define me never felt fully accurate or complete. I thought often about my ancestors, many of whom were being omitted or ignored whenever one aspect of my identity was prioritized or favored over all the others. It was during my many conversations with Christine that it became clear to me that the embryo of Simone, Half and Half was growing in my brain, asking for Christine to be its surrogate.” 

​

From Christine Rodriguez: 

 

“I’m 55 years old and I’m still not sure what my place is in this province. I feel like my identity is constantly being questioned. Am I Québecoise enough? Am I Black enough? Ultimately, my strategy has been to shut out the outside voices and to follow my heart.”