Tony, a new boy in a city school, is trying to deal with his dislocation during the course of a lesson. His teacher, Joe Glass, is an Irishman who has travelled long and extensively, struggling to dispel his feelings of not belonging and of accepting his need to be a part of someone, somewhere. Kohar, Joe's lover, is an Armenian brought up in Australia, wanting to acknowledge her heritage and find a place for it in her life. YOU CAN'T PUSH THE RIVER is an affirmation of the worth and value of our 'teachers'. It captures those unspoken, unacknowledged moments where a bond of shared humanity is forged between pupil and teacher, small moments that clarify our common destiny and fate.