Pawakan MacBeth

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Neptune Theatre is located on sacred land that has been the site of human activity since time immemorial. We are in Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq, and we acknowledge them as the past, present and future caretakers of this land.

As artists, we are grateful to work and build community here. As stewards of culture, we commit to continuing to improve our relations with Indigenous people and upholding values of collaboration and inclusivity in all that we do.

We recommend that masks be worn in our venues. As our theatres place the audience so close to the action on stage, masking helps protect not only audience members but also the actors, who cannot wear masks when performing. By keeping them safe, we all can help prevent COVID-related performance cancellations.

Any videotaping or other video or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibited. The use of cameras, cellular phones, paging devices and all other recording devices is strictly prohibited in the theatre. Please ensure all cellular phones and watch alarms are turned off. Neptune Theatre is a scent-free environment.

Neptune Theatre is a member of the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres and engages, under the terms of the Canadian Theatre Agreement, professional Artists who are members of Canadian Actors’ Equity Association. Neptune Theatre engages professional technicians represented by IATSE Local 680.

Neptune Theatre acknowledges the support of our government partners:

CAST

MALLORY AMIRAULT

LISA NASSON

JD MONTGRAND

MITCHELL SADDLEBACK

SPENCER STREICHERT

ČAČUMḤI – AARON WELLS

CREATIVE TEAM

Reneltta Arluk Director & Playwright; Producer

Barry Balinsky Associate Director

Patricia Vinluan Stage Manager

Darlene Auger Knowledge Keeper & Language Consultant

Jhaik WindyHair Knowledge Keeper

Nathan Loitz Fight Director

Logan Martin-Arcand Costume Designer

Cimmeron Meyer Set Designer

Carmen Braden Sound Designer

Brad Trenaman Lighting Designer

Cody Clyburn Technical Director

Tallis Kirby Production Manager

Holly Gunderman Tour Coordinator & Administrator

Elena Vandakurova Costume Maker

Chris Hayes Head Carpenter

GNW Scene Shop Production Support

EXECUTIVE & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE

We are thrilled to welcome Akpik Theatre’s community telling of Pawâkan MacBeth, to Neptune Theatre in collaboration with The Prismatic Arts Festival.

We have seen the impact and creativity of Pawâkan MacBeth on other stages in the country and we are excited for you to witness the power and vision behind this insightful reinterpretation.

Working closely with our company in residence, the Prismatic Arts Festival, affords us endless opportunities to come together and hold space for artists in many ways: performance, creation, and support. We hope that you have the opportunity to take in more of

this incredible festival and support their work. Congratulations to Raeesa and her team for curating a cultural jewel here in Kjiputuk.

Thank you for joining us today, in this space, for Pawâkan Macbeth.

Kimberlee Stadelmann Executive Director

Jeremy Webb Artisitic Director

A community telling of Pawâkan Macbeth

The groundbreaking Pawâkan Macbeth is Indigenous playwright, Reneltta Arluk’s reimagining of Shakespeare’s darkest play into Cree history, legend, and cosmology. Set in Plains Cree territory in the 1870s, before the establishment of First Nations reserves, Pawâkan Macbeth takes place in a time when First Nations warred with each other and the Canadian Government over territory, food supply, and trade. Harsh environments brought immense fear, starvation, and uncertainty together to awaken the darkest of Cree spirits, the Wihtiko – an evil being with an insatiable appetite for human flesh.

Inspired from stories shared by Indigenous Elders in Frog Lake First Nation following protocol, Arluk has created a new, visceral experience of Macbeth; a convergence of Shakespeare’s language, modern English, and Plains Cree. As historical wars are waged with the Cree and Nakoda against the Blackfoot, Macikosisân (Macbeth), a great Okihcitâw (Warrior), becomes consumed by the cannibal spirit Wihtiko. He plots with Kâwanihot Iskwew (Lady Macbeth), to kill their Chief, Okimâw Wîpâstim (Duncan). Pawâkan Macbeth is a terrifying journey through love, greed, honour and betrayal, with trickster beings that lie like truth.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY DONALD LEE

PRISMATIC ARTISTIC DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE

Working together with our friends at Neptune Theatre for this co-presentation, we honour the artists and their stories, presented to us in the way they deem it.

It is with immense joy and heartfelt gratitude that I extend my warmest greetings to each and every one of you here at today’s show. Thank you for being a part of Prismatic 2023.

Prismatic is an annual multidisciplinary arts festival that solely showcases the work of Indigenous artists and artists of color. Since 2008, we have been prioritizing and supporting voices who deserve to be at the forefront, and programmed on mainstages.

This year our festival has been curated surrounding the theme Embodied Resonances. This sentiment echoes far beyond the realm of our programming and festival. It speaks to the the intrinsic connection between our physical selves and the intricate melodies of our artistic expressions. It invites us to explore the harmonious interplay between the personal and the universal, the tangible and the intangible.

Akpkik Theatre, under the visionary leadership of Renellta Arluk, is an extraordinary force in the world of performing arts. Her boundless creativity and dedication to storytelling has elevated Akpkik Theatre to captivate audiences with emotionally resonant and thought-provoking productions. Her ability to weave together diverse narratives and bring them to life on stage is nothing short of magical, leaving a profound impact on both the local audience and the broader artistic landscape.

Together, the cast and creative team are a testament to complete excellence, as their creativity, passion, and authenticity unfolds - showcasing the transformative power of theatre. Enjoy the show!

Raeesa Lalani Artistic Director Prismatic Arts Festival

PRISMATIC STAFF LIST

Raeesa Lalani Artistic Director

Maggie Stewart Managing Director

Kelly Li Managing Producer

Hannah Zamora Communications Manager

Sophie Wilcott Outreach Coordinator

Michael Made Technical Director

Regine Tiu Website Editor

PRISMATIC BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Jacqueline Warwick Chair

Miya Turnbull Vice Chair

Kate Hamilton Secretary/Treasurer

Laurie Gillis

Jeff Ward

Neal Morgan

Kaif Lalani

MALLORY AMIRAULT

Born in Nova Scotia, Mi’kma’ki, Mallory Amirault is a mixed-heritage (Mi’kmaq, Acadian, white-settler) queer artist whose family comes from the Kespukwitk district of Yarmouth. Their creative practice engages with critical poetics, acting, and visual arts, specifically conceptual performance, sculpture and Porcupine Quillwork. Recent acting credits include Neptune’s Touring Company, where they played Brooke in fellow castmate’s Lisa Nasson’s play Mischief, and a feature length film debut in Do I Know You from Somewhere?, produced by Strike Pictures in New Brunswick. They are currently in year two of a four year Quill working project in collaboration with Mi’kmaq Quill artists, Elder Marlene Joudry, Elder Lorraine Whitman, and Melissa Peter-Paul. They are grateful to be taking over Mackers with Akpik Theatre.

LISA NASSON

Lisa Nasson is a Mi’kmaw actor, playwright and director from Mi’kma’ki, Millbrook First Nation. She studied theatre performance at George Brown College, and Classical Theatre at the Stratford Festival’s Birmingham Conservatory. Some of her recent credits include: Billy Elliot (Neptune Theatre), Alls Well That Ends Well as Mariana, (Stratford Festival), R+J as Benvolio (Stratford Featival/Whynot Theatre), and Little Bird as Jade (Toronto International Film Festival/imagineNATIVE). Lisa also debuted her play Mischief as a playwright this past year with Roseneath Theatre and Neptune Theatre. Lisa is also the recipient of the Michael Mawson award from Stratford Festival’s Tyrone Guthries. Next up, she will directing Otîhew with Shakespeare in Action in Toronto this summer.

JD MONTGRAND

Joel D. Montgrand, or JD as he prefers to go by, is a Rocky Cree actor hailing from Treaty 6 and Treaty 10 territories in Northern Saskatchewan. A veteran of stage and screen, he’s mostly known for his role as “Kania’tariio” in the multi award winning movie “Beans” a film about the Oka crisis in Quebec. He also plays “Hakoda” in the Netflix live series of “Avatar: The Last Airbender” and “Eddie Qavvik” in HBO’s season four of “True Detective”. He’s also the host of “Actors and Ancestors” a podcast about First Nations actors available on most streaming services. His cat is named “Awas” which means “Go Away”.

MITCHELL SADDLEBACK

Mitchell Saddleback is a Vancouver-based actor, writer, comedian and storyteller from the Samson Cree Nation in Maskwacis, Alberta. Mitchell’s film and television experience includes roles in the 2019 films Cold Pursuit and First Cow, television series Alaska Daily, Resident Alien, and the upcoming CBC Gem web series The Bannocking, (which he also co-wrote and co-directed). He is currently developing two Indigenous-led series; Kids from the Rez and Lilly’s Got a Callback. Mitchell’s theater experience includes Mairy Beam’s Irreparable Harm? A Tale of Trans Mountain Resistance, for Vancouver Fringe Festival, Th’owxiya: The Hungry Feast Dish, and of course, multiple prominent roles in Pawâkan Macbeth - a production very close to his heart, which he is thrilled to finally reconnect with Akpik Theatre on the 2023 tour.

SPENCER STREICHERT

Spencer Streichert is a Queer Actor & Comedian from Mokinstis of Cree, Metis, and European ancestry. Spencer studied Drama at the University of Calgary and has been seen onstage with: Theatre Calgary (A Midsummer Nights Dream, Comedy of Errors), The Shakespeare Company (The Tempest), DIY Theatre (Much Ado About Nothing), Calgary Fringe (In Case Of Fire), Alumnae Theatre (Animal), Urban Stories Theatre (Bonds), and the University of Calgary School of Creative & Performing Arts (Mother Courage and her Children, Six Characters in Search of an Author, The Bone House, Scientific American). He has performed all across Canada, and as a comedian, he has made appearances at Sled Island and Big Winter Classic comedy festivals and opened for Kenny vs. Spenny and Jim Jefferies. Spencer can also be seen on Television such as Wynonna Earp (SyFy), Billy the Kid (Amazon), Red Water Valley & Alberta Picnic (both on Telus Optik), and the upcoming season of Fargo (FX), as well as the feature films Vagrant & Viking (both on Crave) and the international commercial Open If You Are for Destination Canada. He also co-hosts the popular music history podcast Misfits on Vinyl. Spencer enjoys collecting vinyl, longboarding, riding horses, video games, and going on adventures with friends.

ČAČUMḤI – AARON WELLS

ʔuukłaas čačumḥi aaron wells ʔuukłaas ƛaḥ – my name is chah-chum-hi, aaron wells is what I am also called. I come from the nuučanuł and ts’ymsyen nations of what is known as the northwest coast of BC as well as English settler heritage. I am so excited to be back! It has been a long “two weeks” and I’m so excited to be doing this show with this amazing group of people! It is an extreme privilege and pleasure to be able to work with language and culture this way. čumqƛsiš luu’am guudl s’ygoy’n ƛeekoo ƛeekoo. Previous works include, Children Of God (The Cultch/NAC) They Call me Princess (The Globe), Pawâkan Macbeth (Akpik Theatre), The Coyotes, The Nutcracker (Caravan Farm Theatre) The Cure For Death By Lightening (WCT) Thanks For Giving (The Arts Club) and other community language projects.

SPONSORS & PARTNERS

SEASON SPONSOR

PRODUCTION SPONSOR

FOUNDATIONS

JASON ROTH AND CHERYL STEADMAN ROTH

THEATRE PARTNERS

TIM MARGOLIAN AND DAWN FRAIL FOUNDATION

WINDSOR FOUNDATION

GOVERNMENT PARTNERS

Nova Scotia Teachers Union

Photo by Stoo Metz

BY CHARLES DICKENS

ADAPTED FOR THE STAGE AND DIRECTED BY JEREMY WEBB