LOS FELIZ, Calif. – The show opens with actress Chenoa Deemal creating a circle of glowing stones. 

The rocks represent Australia’s rainforest country, where her grandmother is from. Deemal herself grew up in the far north part of the continent.

“My people are the Gugu Yimithirr people,” Deemal said.

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Aboriginal history dates back 50,000 years, but Deemal says that history is rarely taught in Australian schools.

“I mean, a week in primary school and maybe a week in high school of Indigenous history and studies,” Deemal said, “and even then it wasn’t anything real or informed.”

The play The 7 Stages of Grieving looks to fill in some of the blanks. Written two decades ago, Deemal has been touring with this production since 2015, performing for students all around Australia as well as audiences in London and Montreal.  This is the first time it is being presented in Los Angeles, but the company expects some aspects of the story may feel a bit familiar.

“You know, there’s a certain formula when you think of colonization,” Deemal said, “and that formula is to separate families, to herd everyone into little townships out of the way which in North America are reservations and for Australia they were missions.”

Nate Jones is the Founding Artistic Director of United Stages, which brought the production to the Skylight Theatre. He thinks the stage is the perfect place to bring attention to complicated issues.

“Art has the ability to open up people’s hearts and minds and is able to start conversation,” Jones said.

Formerly known as the Australian Theatre Company, this year the company changed its name to United Stages to reflect a more global focus.  Their goal is to give a platform to diverse voices from all over the world.

“L.A. is such a multicultural melting pot,” Jones said, “and what we’re hoping to do is to start sharing stories from all around the world, you know, Afghanistan, or of Russia, or of China, or of Australia.”

Despite the often heavy nature of the play, Deemal is happy to share this story both during the show and occasional discussions after. She is also researching her own story and adding her voice to a growing chorus of Aboriginal storytellers.

“Writing our own stories, being part of our own stories, telling our own stories is really important to keep that culture alive,” said Deemal.

The 7 Stages of Grieving runs at the Skylight Theatre through November 24. Tickets can be purchased here.