Cottagers and Indians kicked off at the Shadow Theatre on March 10. This play by Drew Hayden Taylor mixes humour with conflict, anger, sadness, and healing. Ultimately, it explores current and ongoing Indigenous struggles in Canada.
Arthur Copper. Remember his name—he’s the main man, after all. Arthur is Anishinaabe and plants and harvests wild rice (also known as manoomin) on the lake. It’s what he has always done. It’s what his ancestors have always done.
Maureen Poole. No need to worry; this is the only other character to remember. Mauren is a white, upper-class woman who makes a point to consistently remind us of her career in human resources. She and her husband bought a cottage on the lake with the hope of having quiet “getaways.”
These quiet getaways don’t last long. Arthur plants manoomin to maintain tradition, reclaim land, and honour his late daughter, Marie. But Maureen has a problem with both the wild rice and the noise of Arthur’s motorized boat. The boat is too noisy and the plants get in the way of all-things-cottage—swimming, boating, and sea-dooing.
Humour and conflict…
While the funny and fiery exchanges between Arthur and Maureen will make you laugh, they also prompt careful reflection. The script draws explicit attention to settler colonialism and all the stereotypes and racism that come with it. It’s explicit enough to notice but funny enough to guarantee a laugh in good fun. This is the beauty of Taylor’s use of humour. By explicitly laughing at the absurdities that exist with settler colonialism, the message is loud and clear—these patterns of stereotyping and racism are absurd and in need of change.
This play also deals with themes of grief, something that our two characters use to find common ground.
Supporting with action, not just principle…
Director, John Hudson, prompts you to question the times in your life where you have put your principles into action. Indigenous issues, he says, are often supported in principle, but not in action. Hudson says that to be more action-oriented, we must reflect on the ways we think and do something about it. For example, we can vote for leaders who will listen and commit to making necessary changes. Supporting Indigenous businesses is also important. Some of these businesses include Samson Native Gallery, Homefire Grill, Bearclaw Gallery, and Pei Pei Chei Ow.
Are you ready to laugh, reflect, and take action? Cottagers and Indians will have you doing all three. You can catch it at the Shadow Theatre (located in Varscona Theatre) until March 27.
