Indigenous Summer Play Readings 2020
June 2020
Holding Space - An Evening of Art and Discussion
Online - June 18th
This curated evening provided audiences with a nourishing opportunity to hear Black, Indigenous, and Mixed speakers, artists, and drag monarchs. Running approximately 2 hours, this experience was collectively formed by the selected participants. Hosted by Makambe K Simamba.
Dominion
By Andréa Ledding
Directed by Katey Wattam
Online - June 19th
Dominion is a five-person play revolving around two couples: Jack and Marie-Phillipe, who occupy a new home, and Tatawaw and Nimitaw, previous owners of the home, who are now locked up in the bathroom. An exploration of relationships and Canada’s history, sparse with humour.
“Dominion is a play about all of us. It originated with a quote from Elder Mike Pinay, who has now walked on, at the IRS 2008 Televised Apology at White Buffalo Youth Lodge on 20th Street in Saskatoon, where he talked about how Canadian history was like being locked in the bathroom of your own home by your visitors. I had often thought that the government was a lot like an abusive dysfunctional marriage, and now I had the imagery of the house, so when I began my project of this play of two couples in one house, I put down tobacco and was given a dream of the opening scene.”
CREDITS
Featuring Meredith Pritchard, Kelly Vittrekwa, Austin Roe, Véronique Lachance, Brandon Wicke and Friends
Playwright | Andréa Ledding
Director | Katey Wattam
Director Mentor | Philip Geller
Stage Manager | Jordan Kaltenbruner
ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT
Andréa Ledding is a multi-genre writer and photojournalist in the Métis Homelands and Treaty 6 Territory. Based out of Saskatoon, she was a member of the first cohort of the new MFA in Writing program at the U of S, doing grad studies there afterwards as well. Prior to that, she had written Dominion as her first play, and it premiered at Native Earth's "Weesageechak Begins to Dance" Festival in the new Aki Theatre in 2012. Dominion went on to be workshopped by the Saskatchewan Spring Festival of Plays and a staged reading in Regina, before being produced by Gordon Tootoosis Nīkānīwin Theatre in 2017. Dominion was nominated for a SATA (Saskatoon and Area Theatre Award) for best script. Ledding has won, shortlisted, or longlisted for, numerous writing awards including the John V. Hicks long manuscript awards in all genres, CBC Poetry Prize, and Lush Triumphant.
Gwaandak Theatre thanks its funders for the Indigenous Summer Play Readings: City of Whitehorse, Yukon Government, Mauro Family Foundation and Canada Council for the Arts.
