Set at First Lutheran Church food bank in Winnipeg’s West End, Sargent & Victor & Me chronicles the intertwining stories and opinions of seven characters that Debbie Patterson created from interviews with real citizens of our fair city.

Patterson, who stars in this one-woman show, also appears in the play as fictionalized version of herself, Gillian, who, like Patterson, lives with multiple sclerosis. Through brutally honest characters, and correlations drawn between her body and the neighbourhood, Patterson explores coping with “unstoppable destruction.”

Sargent & Victor & Me is the last in the succession of plays premiering by Winnipeg’s aptly deemed “Group of Seven” women writers, and it's happening now, right here, on your very campus, running until March 9 at the Asper Centre for Theatre and Film. Here are seven reasons you should go see it:

1. In light of Winnipeg Jewish Theatre’s unexpected cancellation of its season, which lamentably lead to the cancellation of Cairn Moore's Shiksa, there are only two opportunities left for you to be a part of this joyous, historic occasion and catch one of the Group’s plays debuting in the ‘Peg's 2013-2014 theatre season. Alix Sobler's The Secret Annex runs until March 8 at Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre.

2. Named Theatre Ambassador for Winnipeg's 2010 Culture Capitol of Canada program, Patterson created Sargent & Victor & Me as her legacy project, inspired by the program’s theme “Arts for All”. "I wanted to hear the authentic voices of people who are rarely given a platform from which to speak", said Patterson in her notes on the process.

3. The play delivers characters, dialogue, and subject matter that is uniquely relevant, and accessible to people in this city. Simply being a Winnipegger is enough to feel automatically and intimately engaged with this play. These are Winnipeg characters who speak with Winnipeg voices, often as familiar as they are intuitive, and as hilarious as they are disturbing.

4. Interested in any of the major challenges your city is currently facing? This play broaches issues like poverty, racism, intersectionality, privilege, police-community relations, violence, child prostitution, gang warfare, deficiencies in Child and Family Services, and frustrations with our healthcare system, without ever coming off like a PSA.

5. This is a chance to experience local talent Debbie Patterson up close and personal as a playwright and actor. If you haven’t been privy to Patterson’s theatrical legacy (founding member of Shakespeare in the Ruins, playwright of Head and Molotov Circus) then you, my friend, have been missing out. Bring you student card for $10 off your ticket.

6. The winter is long and depressing, and this play is funny. I was laughing out loud along with the crowd at the dark humour which clearly arises from Patterson’s commitment to honesty. There’s a whole range of jokes; jokes about her particularly affected leg, named “Blanche” for its narcissism, as well as jokes that hit home and coax us to laugh in spite of ourselves.

7. Christine Fellows and John K. Samson composed the music and sound design for this play, providing the perfect soundtrack to sit, thaw, and reflect.

So walk across the street, or slap on some long johns and venture out to some amazing live theatre that will make you laugh, and think, about this city we call home.