We Treaty People

APR 22

April 22, 2022 - 07:00 PM
November 04, 2022 - 11:55 PM

Zoom

---

We Treaty People audio drama series opens with The Yard With the Old Plow by Shanda Stefanson premiering April 22 and Flag by Yvette Nolan on April 29  

SASKATOON, SK (APRIL 14, 2022) – Burnt Thicket Theatre opens their We Treaty People series of provocative plays for the ear on April 22 with The Yard With the Old Plow by Shanda Stefanson and an interview episode with the creators. The world premiere of Yvette Nolan’s new script Flag premieres April 29 along with its companion interview. The company is excited to share these new audio dramas and artist interviews with audiences across Canada, with eighteen episodes to be released by November 4.

Stefanson wrote The Yard With the Old Plow in 2019 for Sum Theatre’s The Last Sunday, responding to the Gerald Stanley trial verdict, and the short play was featured in last year’s Short Cuts Festival. Stefanson adapted the script for audio, in which a rural couple finds a young man in need of help one bitter, winter morning, and are surprised at the differences they discover between themselves. The first We Treaty People release features Regina performer Aren Okemaysim, Saskatoon veteran actors Lisa Bayliss and Alan Long, with direction by Joel Bernbaum, Artistic Director of Sum Theatre.

Burnt Thicket commissioned Nolan to write a short play exploring the question, “What does it mean to embrace all our relations?” Flag is the result, in which two strangers find themselves caught at the intersection of sorrow and our nations’ symbols, at odds over questions of how soon is too soon, how much is enough? The second play in the series features Saskatoon actors Krystle Pederson and Ed Mendez, with direction by Roxanne Dicke, Artistic Director of Spark Theatre in Prince Albert. Sound design and audio production for the series is by Tim Bratton, with original music created by Darryl Dozlaw, Jordan Daniels, Marc Okihcihtaw and Donny Speidel.

“The title We Treaty People is unfinished, it asks people to complete the sentence,” says playwright and director Nolan, who is guiding the series as production dramaturg. “As in, We Treaty People… have a responsibility to each other, or We Treaty People… need to educate ourselves, or We Treaty People… don’t understand what being treaty people even means. These plays invite all of us forward, to ‘lean in’ to treaty relationships as one of many paths toward reconciliation.”

“These stories are gripping and deeply meaningful,” says artistic director Stephen Waldschmidt. “Each playwright has brought such honesty to the project, facing their own lived experiences and our nations’ current cultural moment. The Artists’ Interview episodes will captivate listeners as they hear how the artists are grappling with their own unanswered questions, in the context of Canada’s oppressive history and present-day relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. We’ll be sharing many opportunities for our audiences to learn more and have brave conversations.”

How to listen to We Treaty People:

We Treaty People premieres April 22 across podcast platforms, free to stream on demand

• Watch the video trailer and learn more at burntthicket.com. 
• Virtual Launch Party on Zoom, April 22 at 7:00pm, details at burntthicket.com.
• Audience advisory: Content may not be suitable for children.

The digital audio plays in We Treaty People are created by a diverse group of artists exploring the question, “What does it mean to embrace all our relations?” This original fiction podcast aims to provoke, asks listeners to hear the stirring call to truth and reconciliation in our neighbourhoods, all across Canada. The creators hope that it is captivating, unsettling, refreshing.

Each audio drama episode will be followed by an artists’ interview episode, in which the artists reflect on their experiences of telling these stories. The company will also include suggestions for learning more and host Audience Talkbacks virtually with artists and special guests. Through these initiatives Burnt Thicket will encourage audience members to take a step forward in their life's learning journeys. This series is made possible by grants from Canada Council for the Arts and Creative SK.

Comments(0)