What is your role within the show?
I’m the prop master. Basically I’m sourcing out all the different articles that they might need for the show. Things like baskets, and building different things like drum baskets and repairing things.
Where are you from?
I’m originally from Edmonton Alberta, I come from off of a little reserve called Enoch which is just West of Edmonton. I lived in Edmonton for quite a few years. I went to a high school there that did theatre, and then I was doing things with them and opera and a bunch of other different theatres. I moved to Calgary because I wanted to get out of mainstream theatre and get into some of the fun stuff like puppets and marionettes, mask work and stilts and clown and all that kind of stuff, have a little bit of fun doing theatre.
When did you move here?
I moved down here nine years ago. I’ve done a lot of different things. Not all theatre. I was a coordinator for the Downtown Eastside Neighborhood House for about three and a half years, and then I was one of the administrators for the Aboriginal Front Door after that. In-between all of that I was doing theatre tech work with Vancouver Moving Theatre and Theatre Terrific. I was basically co-writing shows for Theatre Terrific and directing some shows for them as well. Right now I’m in the process of doing two shows at once: this one and a marionette show with Theatre Terrific.
What are you excited for about this project?
The caliber of people that I’ve been working with. I’ve always wanted to work with them. Rosemary I’ve worked with in the past and she’s always been awesome to work with. Our lovely director, I’ve seen her sing a number of times, I’ve worked briefly with her on our last show I did with Vancouver Moving Theatre. It was called Refuge Project. I thought she was amazing. A beautiful voice. And our stage manager, Dorothy, I worked with her in the last program, and she’s just such a lovely lady to work with. So when I saw the caliber of people we get to work with I said, I definitely have to take this.
How do you think it’s going to be received?
What I’ve seen of it, sneaking in and listening to it all, trying to get a good sense of what it’s going to need, I think it’s going to be a moving show. There are so many little tidbits in there, cultural wise, I think it’s going to move people. There are some really funny parts, we’re going to hear the theatre roar, and then probably some tear jerker moments I can see bringing people’s emotions right to the brink. So I’m looking forward to seeing what the audience thinks of it.
What does reconciliation mean to you?
I’ve been asking everybody else that same question. Because it’s such a multi-meaning word. There are so many meanings to that one individual word. It means making amends, it means forgiveness, it means dealing with the issues of coming together in dialogue and coming to grips, getting an understanding between two different cultures. It’s forgiveness on both sides that’s got to happen. Shows like this will bring that out, because it’s done in a light that’s not threatening. I can see it’s when threatening happens, that’s when people step back and put their guards up. Something about doing a show like this people get their own sense of understanding about what the word really means. So that’s what I’m hoping to see. That it’s a step forward in Canada.
Posted by Julia Siedlanowska