As we ease into the fall and continue to gather interviews from Yukoners from all over the territory, let's catch our breath and take a look at the development of The Yukon Verbatim Project so far.

To this day, Jess and Geneviève interviewed 40 people in Carcross, Dawson, Keno and Whitehorse. They talked to a 4 year old boy. An 89 year old man. A mother who's descendance goes back to the Gold Rush days. A Tlingit dancer. Yukon residents from Ireland, the Philipines and Switzerland. People in the Yukon for a week-end. Long timers who established themselves 40 years ago. Born and raised young Yukoners who left and came back. Some told us hunting stories, some confided they don't understand why anyone would kill an animal when you can get meat at the grocery store. There have been tears, laughter, long silences and bourbon.

Every conversation brings a new perspective and colour to the theatre mosaic we are building, one interview at a time. Themes and stories are already starting to emerge and intertwine, but before we decide on a direction to take, there are more stories to be gathered. Geneviève is headed to Teslin, Haines Junction, Faro and Ross River in October and November to collect more interviews. And if anyone wants to bring her to Old Crow, she'll happily tag along.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed so far, and a special thanks to our transcribers who took on the long and labour intensive mission of transcribing these stories. Word for word for word for word for word for word....

In November, Jessica and Geneviève's creative brains will get together in front of the thousands of words collected over the past months to start shaping and landscaping all these stories into a script.

We are often asked what the play is about, and it's always exciting to answer "You tell me."