Indigenous Languages

Dead White Writer on the Floor uses two literary conventions-theatre of the absurd and mystery novels-to create one of the funniest and thought-provoking plays ever about identity politics.

A modern classic about the place of First Nations people in Canada.

Copper Thunderbird is a play on canvases based on the life of Norval Morrisseau. Copper Thunderbird interrogates both the stereotypes and the politically correct judgments that have manufactured Morrisseau’s public personae, creating a power-figure that transcends culture and morality, earth and water, fire and air.

"Dennis is a writer and performer to keep your eye on. Sparked by anger but suffused with humanity and humility, his Tales are worth telling--and watching."-- NOW Magazine Includes Tales of an Urban Indian and The Trickster of Third Avenue East, both of which depict native people seeking better lives in the city.

Based on a deposition signed by 14 Chiefs of the Thompson River basin on the occasion of a visit to their lands by Canadian Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier in 1910, Ernestine Shuswap Gets Her Trout is a ritualized retelling of how the Native Peoples of British Columbia lost their fishing, hunting and grazing rights, their lands, and finally their language without their agreement or consent, and without any treaties ever having been signed. It is one of the most compellingly tragic cases of cultural genocide to emerge from the history of colonialism, enacted by four women whose stories follow each other like the cyclical seasons they represent. Written in the spirit of Shuswap, a "Trickster language” within which the hysterically comic spills over into the unutterably tragic and back, this play is haunted by the blood of the dead spreading over the landscape like a red mist of mourning.

Kevin Loring’s 2009 Governor-General’s Award winning play, Where the Blood Mixes, from its title (according to Loring, a translation from the N’lakap’mux place name Kumsheen) lives and breathes the landscape, past and present, of Lytton. It is at once a humorous and warm examination of the complex friendship that emerges from a shared history and culture and a profound indictment of the legacies of the residential school system that existed in Canada for over 150 years.

Cerulean Blue is a comedic play about a struggling blues band invited to participate in a benefit concert for a First Nation community in conflict with governmental authorities. Upon arriving, the band discovers the entire lineup of musical acts has cancelled and they're left trapped behind barricades. Complicating the matter, there is conflict within the band and the sudden appearance of an old girlfriend makes the event even more perilous. This play is an homage to fast-moving farces while also addressing Aboriginal issues. Cerulean Blue deals with relationships, perceptions, politics, and what to do when you discover you've been dating your first cousin. Add a few spoonfuls of original blues music, and you've got a fun-filled evening. The play was written for a large ensemble cast, which makes it ideal for musical theatre departments in high schools and colleges - every student can play apart. An original musical score by Andrew Clemens will be available for download from Talonbooks.com. Cast of ten women and ten men.