Series contains materials related to the development, publication, and production of Bone Cage, including notes and research material, sketches, partial and complete manuscripts and typescripts, production records, and other material.
Bone Cage is a portrayal of life in rural Nova Scotia. The main character is Jamie, a 22 year old forestry worker doing 12-hour shifts operating a wood processor, clear-cutting for pulp. At the end of each shift, he walks through the destruction he has created looking for injured birds and animals and rescues those he can. Jamie's desire to escape this world is thwarted by his fear of leaving the place where he has some status. Bone Cage examines how young people in rural communities, employed in the destruction of the environment they love, treat the people they love at the end of their shift.
The play was written with financial support from a 1996 Canada Council grant. It was initially meant to deal with systematic violence in rural communities. While writing the play, a new character began to emerge and Banks took time to develop this one-woman show that became Bitter Rose.
Bone Cage was published by Playwrights' Canada Press. It won a national competition run by Theatre British Columbia and won the 2008 Governor General's Literary Award (English) for Drama. In October 2007, it was co-produced by Forerunner Playwrights Theatre and Ship’s Company Theatre and performed at Neptune Theatre’s Studio Stage in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It was also produced by Mulgrave Road Theatre in Guysborough, Nova Scotia, Downstream Theatre in Calgary, Alberta (2009-2010 ), and Matchstick Theatre Productions in Halifax (2017).