2023 Pawâkan Tour

Co-presented by the Prismatic Arts Society and the Northern Arts & Cultural Centre

Prismatic Festival will co-present a community telling of Pawâkan Macbeth with Neptune Theatre this fall!

October 3rd - 8th
Neptune Theatre Scotiabank Stage

A community telling of Pawâkan is Reneltta Arluk’s groundbreaking reimagining of Shakespeare’s darkest play into Cree history, legend, and cosmology.

Set during pre-colonization, when Plains Cree were allied with Stoney Nakoda, and at war with Blackfoot over territory, food, supplies and trade. When true autonomy existed among Indigenous Peoples and with that their spirits, their wisdom, practices, makers, tricksters, shifters, their darkness and light. As the Canadian Government moves west with Sir John A. MacDonald as the leader, a harsh new world wrought with immense fear, starvation, and uncertainty awaken the darkest of Cree spirits, the Wihtiko – a being with insatiable greed.

Through the exploration of Plains Cree language, history, stories and cosmology Arluk asks, What is it to be human? What makes a human vulnerable to the Wihtiko? Inspired by working with the youth of Frog Lake First Nation, and shared stories from Elders in the Treaty 6 region, Arluk has created a terrifying journey through love, greed, honour and betrayal, with coyote howlers teaching us that resurgence requires balance.

Six (6) show run from Tuesday, October 3 to Sunday, October 8, 2023

Photo of Kâwanihot Iskwew and Macikosisân by @stoometzphoto

Mi'kma'ki Tour

In October 2023, the Prismatic Arts Festival and Akpik Theatre embarked on a week long A Community Telling Pawâkan tour to four Mi’kmaw reserve communities throughout Nova Scotia, sharing Akpik Theatre’s storytelling and creating space for connection between Cree and Mi’kmaw culture. Each performance ended with a shared meal of either stew and bannock or pizza.

A Community Telling of Pawâkan performed in these Mi’kmaw communities:

Tuesday, October 10th - Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre in Kjipuktuk (Halifax)

Wednesday, October 11th - Membertou First Nation, Membertou Trade and Convention Centre

Thursday October 12th - Eskasoni First Nation, Allison Bernard Memorial High School

Saturday October 14th - Millbrook First Nation, Millbrook Cultural & Heritage Centre …. (Lisa Nasson’s home community)

Prismatic Arts FEstival Touring Company

Artistic Director - Raeesa Lalani

Outreach Coordinator - Sophie Wilcott

Marketing and Communications Coordinator - Hannah Zamora

Managing Producer - Kelly Li

Neptune Theatre

Garrett Barker Production Manager

Michael Erwin Production Manager

Andrew Cull Assistant Technical Director

Northwest Territories Tour

Photo of Métis Rebellion by Bill Braden Photography

NORTHERN ARTS AND CUltural Centre (NACC)

Akpik Theatre was scheduled to perform Pawâkan on the NACC stage in April 2020, and we are so grateful to have finally seen this beautiful show years later. This piece was well worth the wait, to say the least. This Cree adaptation of a Shakespearean classic was beloved by audiences across the NWT. Thanks to our friends at McLennan Ross, this tour was brought to Yellowknife, Fort Simpson, Hay River, and Fort Smith. Each performance ended with a shared meal of stew and bannock.

“Pawâkan Macbeth was probably my favourite NACC performance ever. Smartly written, beautifully staged, and at times hilariously performed.”

— Samantha Tidd

A Community Telling of Pawâkan performed in these Dene/Cree communities:

Yellowknife, NT | Northern Arts and Cultural Center (NACC)
Wednesday, October 18 & Thursday, October 19, 2023
Chief Drygeese Territory, Yellowknives Dene First Nation

Fort Simpson, NT | Líídlįį Kúę Elementary School
Wednesday, October 22
Łı́ı́dlı̨ı̨ Kų́ę́ Territory “the place where the rivers come together”
Northwest Territory Métis Nation

Hay River, NT | The Hay River Recreation Center
Friday, October 24
Kátł'odeeche got'ine First Nation
Northwest Territory Métis Nation

Fort Smith, NT | Salt River First Nation Conference Centre
Sunday, October 26
Treaty 8 Territory encompasses the traditional homelands of Salt River First Nation, Smith’s Landing First Nation, and the Northwest Territory Métis Nation.
Reneltta Arluk’s home community

Pawâkan 2023 Company

Reneltta Arluk

**Playright/Director/Producer**
Reneltta is an Inuvialuk, Denesuline, Gwich’in, Cree mom from the Northwest Territories. She is founder of Akpik Theatre. Raised by her grandparents on the trap-line until school age, this nomadic environment gave Reneltta the skills to become the multi-disciplined artist she is now. For nearly two decades, Reneltta has taken part in or initiated the creation of Indigenous Theatre across Canada and overseas. Under Akpik Theatre, Reneltta has written, produced, and performed various works creating space for Indigenous led voices. Reneltta is the first Inuk and first Indigenous woman to graduate from the University of Alberta’s BFA Acting program and is the first Inuk and first Indigenous woman to direct at renowned The Stratford Festival. There she was awarded the Tyrone Guthrie – Derek F. Mitchell Artistic Director’s Award for her direction of Governor Award winning playwright, Colleen Murphy’s *The Breathing Hole*. She also directed *The Breathing Hole* at Canada’s National Arts Centre. She co-directed award winning *Messiah/Complex* with Against the Grain Theatre, with soloists from every region of Canada, including many Indigenous performers singing in their language.

Barry Bilinsky

**Associate Director**
Barry Bilinsky (he/him) is a multidisciplinary Indigenous artist originating from Amiskwaciywaskahikan - Edmonton, Alberta. Primarily focused on the support, proliferation, and creation of Indigenous stories, he has worked in clown, theatre, film and animation. Often overlapping, these art forms explore the various interactions story have with the audience, be it interactive through clown, communal through theatre and immersive experience, or deeply intimate as with film. Studying Drama and English at the University of Alberta, Barry found that simplicity and honesty are the most vital components of his work.
Collaborative, cultural exchange is a major focus for Barry, who is of Métis, Cree, and Ukrainian descent. Immersive theatre credits include: Assistant Director for Catch the Keys *Dead Centre of Town IX*, *Woven Waters* at Edmonton’s Found Theatre Festival, and *The Lobbyists* interactive dance and clown pieces at Expanse Festival. Barry’s largest immersive project is as the Creative Director of Content and Media for the world renowned “Indigenous Peoples’ Experience” immersive attraction in Edmonton, Alberta. This piece required nuance and awareness of several shifts in perspective when dealing with the complicated and erased history of Indigenous People in Canada as well as the practicalities of movement through a large exhibit. Barry refined his storytelling skills as Indigenous Artist in Residence at the National Theatre School of Canada.

Dr. Darlene Auger

**Plains Cree & Woodland's Cree Translator**
A Cree woman originally from Wabasca, Darlene Auger lives in Edmonton, Alberta, (Amiskwâci Wâskahikan). She is a fluent Cree speaker and is passionate about passing on her language through song and story. Darlene is an educator, researcher, entrepreneur, holistic practitioner, actress and singer. Darlene has a psychology degree from the University of Alberta and a doctoral degree from the University Nuhelotine Thayotsi Nistameyimakanak Blue Quills in “Iyiniw Pimâtisiwin Kiskeyihtamowin” (Indigenous Life Knowledge). She has created a healing method modeled on an ancient Indigenous parenting tool for the healing benefit of all people, and she developed this language learning kit so that she could share her knowledge with the world. Darlene is an accomplished speaker and facilitator, having presented locally, nationally and internationally.

Jhaik Windy Hair

**Plains Cree Knowledge Keeper**
Jhaik WindyHair is from Cowessess First Nation in Southern, Saskatchewan. Jhaik has two daughters and one son, three granddaughters, four grandsons and one great grandson. Jhaik loves his family as well as his culture. He enjoys adventures with family. Also enjoys learning languages of other First Nations, and is fluent in Plains Cree and Saulteaux. He attended University of Regina in the late 1990s earning a degree in Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics. His love for languages and teaching, sharing life lessons, and stories continues each day.
He has participated as a storyteller for *RIIS From Amnesia*, a feature documentary, on the Regina Indian Industrial School, and for *The Beacon Project: Stories of Qu'Appelle*, a documentary to screen on CBC. He was also a language consultant for the National Film Board short documentary, *Stories are in our Bones.*

čačumḥi – aaron wells

**Performer**
ʔuukłaas čačumḥi aaron wells ʔuukłaas ƛaḥ – my name is chah-chum-hi, aaron wells is what I am also called. I come from the nuučan̓uł 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. čuu

Lisa Nasson

**Performer**
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.

Mitchell Saddleback

**Performer & Protocol Sharer**
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.

JD Montgrand

**Performer**
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".

Spencer Streichert

**Performer**
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.

Mallory Amirault

**Performer**
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.

Carmen Braden

**Composer/Sound Designer**
Carmen is a versatile, genre-jumping musician from the Canadian sub-Arctic. Winner of the 2019 and 2020 Western Canadian Music Award for Classical Composer of the Year, Carmen is a composer/performer based in her hometown of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. Hailed as “a talented, bold musician” (Up Here Magazine), Carmen is a life-long Northerner whose music has been described as “drop-dead gorgeous” (Ottawa Citizen). Carmen’s second studio album Songs of the Invisible Summer Stars (2019) was nominated for an East Coast Music Award for Classical Album of the Year. Her debut studio album Ravens was released in 2017 – both albums are on the Centrediscs label.

Cimmeron Meyer

**Set Designer**
Most recently she designed the set for Rubaboo at the Grand Theatre in London, Ontario. It was one of several productions that she designed in collaboration and reflection of the talents of First Nations artists. Theatre credits (Selected): Pawakan (Akpik Theatre, Set); Kaasinooniks (Making Treaty 7, Set, Lighting, Projection) Iceland (Theatre Calgary, Lighting), The Unplugging (Gwaandak Theatre, Lighting), My Fair Lady: The Punk Version (Productive Obsession, Set, Lighting, Projections) Twelfth Night (Theatre Calgary, National Arts Centre, Lighting) Bakkahi (Stratford Festival, Lighting). Film and TV credits: Naughty to Nice, (NFB, Old Trout Film Division, Associate Producer). Cimmeron is a graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada. Cimmeron is indebted to her daughter, a talented theatre artist in her own right, Eve Middleton-Meyer, who has been an ongoing inspiration. www.cimmeron.net

Brad Trenaman

**Lighting Designer**
Brad Trenaman has established himself as one of Canada’s most versatile Lighting Designers with over 200 designs for live theatre, dance, music, opera, corporate events and television. In addition to his design work, Brad takes an active role in promoting and supporting the performing arts in Canada. He is currently President of New Works Dance (Vancouver) and previously served as President for Northern Lights Dance Theatre Foundation (Toronto) and on the Board for Associated Designers of Canada (IATSE ADC659). Brad puts particular emphasis on storytelling thorough light and takes a dramaturgical approach to his designs across all genres. Recent highlights include Pawâkan MacBeth (Akpik Theatre/Neptune Theatre), Woman in Black (Classical ACT Collective), Take Form (Ballet BC) and the 2nd edition of F*ck Cancer – a fundraising concert featuring an impressive array of Canadian music talent from Colin James to Trooper to Lee Aaron.
Mr. Trenaman has been nominated twice for Vancouver’s Jessie Awards, winning for Raven Spirit Dance’s production of Salmon Girl (along with fellow designers Shizuka Kai and Jessica Oostergo). His lighting design for Redpatch (Hardline Productions) was selected for exhibition at the 2022 World Stage Design Exhibition in Calgary. Brad lives in Vancouver with his wife, Stage Manager Giselle Clarke-Trenaman, and their daughter Brianna.

Logan Martin- Arcand

**Costume Designer**
Logan Arcand is a Queer Indigenous (Nehiyaw/Denesuline) artist and anti-oppressive educator from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. As an award-winning playwright, theatre artist and producer, Logan has numerous artistic accomplishments under his belt: including a 20-day long production of his play _The Gay Card_ in New York City, as a part of FRIGID NY. In 2019, Logan completed his Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) in Drama at the University of Saskatchewan—and he is currently working towards a Master of Education in Educational Foundations.
The University of Saskatchewan has been profoundly influential to Logan's lifelong educational journey, as he was born while his mother was completing her Bachelor of Education in the ITEP program. After almost three decades of being on campus in one capacity or another, Logan is proud to be working with the Student Recruitment team as Indigenous Student Liaison Officer.

Nathan Loitz

Fight Director
Nathan is Dene from Fort MacKay. He is an actor and Fight Director. He is extremely proud to be a part of Pawâkan MacBeth. He feels that productions like Pawâkan MacBeth are extremely valuable and important because they help us to discover our history, our stories, who we were and as a result who we are today and drive us to build for our future. Thank you.

Patricia Vinluan

**Tour & Stage Manager for Mi'kma'ki Tour**
Patricia (she/her) is a stage and production manager based out of Tkaronto. She is passionate about the live arts sector and has enjoyed many roles within event production, including: arts admin, festival coordination, production design, and technical direction. In her career, Patricia has been involved in the development of over a dozen world premieres, has collaborated on a multitude of projects presented across Canada, and has toured internationally. In her work, Patricia is deeply invested in implementing safe and sustainable production standards and dedicates her own practice to fostering spaces that allow artists to thrive. She is thrilled to be taking a new step in her career and is delighted to join Liliona and Julie at Kinetic.

Cody Clyburn

Tour Technical Director for Northwest Territories

Sometimes a farm boy.

Brianne Nord-Stewart

**Protocol and Play Videographer**
An awarded queer director, Brianne is known to embrace tough subjects and leave an audience laughing. Working across multiple formats including features films, shorts, digital series, commercials, and music videos, Brianne was named one of Canada’s top female directors by IMDB alongside Sarah Polley and Deepa Mehta, and a “Best & Brightest” emerging creator by Indiescreen Magazine. Brianne’s work has screened around the globe on LifetimeTV, Crave, Canal+, RTI, Comcast, Movie Central and more.
With a curiosity for perspective, Brianne’s style tempers boldness and nuance in lock-step with an innate pace and rhythm. Her ability to flow from drama to comedy within a single scene is enviable and has garnered her a Leo Award, Shaw Media Fearless Female Director Award, a WIFTV Newcomer Spotlight Award, The Harold Greenberg Fund’s Shorts-to-Features Award, and Best Digital or Comedy Series at HollyWeb, Melbourne, Vancouver, Pilot Light UK and Toronto Web Festivals. An alumna of Women in the Director’s Chair and the National Screen Institute, Brianne is represented by Meridian Artists. View her IMDB.

Northern Arts & Cultural Centre

Executive & Artistic Director - Marie Corderre

Administration Manager - Valerie Gamache

Technical Director - Martin Emslander

Akpik Theatre 2023 Production Team

Production Manager - Tallis Kirby

Assistant Lighting Designer - Ryan Rafuse

Costume Maker - Elena Vandakurova

Head Carpenter - Kyle Sutherland

Project Manager - Leigh Kerr

Tour Coordinator/Book Keeer - Holly Fenton

GNW Scene Shop Complete Production Support

Event Freight Logistics Tour Logistics

Lepage Productions Touring Production Support

Media Coverage

“Pawâkan Macbeth” is a Story of Retribution and Rebirth: Review

How Pawâkan Macbeth became more than a touring theatre show

Reneltta Arluk weaves theatrical medicine with Shakespeare, decolonized

PAWÂKAN : Macbeth from an Indigenous Perspective

Pawâkan Macbeth: a Powerful, Riveting & Beautifully Creative Reimagining of Shakespeare’s Tale

Land Acknowledgement

The lands we reside on carry the stories, songs, patterns, and dance of Indigenous Peoples since time immemorial. These ancestral connections exist through language and place. Akpik Theatre acknowledges, as a nomadic company, that we always create on many First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples traditional territories, including our own. Frog Lake First Nation has a strong connection to the language, culture and teachings of Treaty 6 Territory. To have been able to spend time with the students there and develop the integral root of Pawâkan beginnings has inspired dozens of Indigenous communities to learn and tell their own lived histories. Akpik Theatre is in deep gratitude to the community and Elders of Frog Lake to be able to share this story with integrity. Hiy Hiy / Mahsi cho / Quyanainni.