U of S students tackle play addressing morality, Indigenous issues, and 'cancel culture'
Gordon Winter is the Greystone Theatre directorial debut of U of S assistant professor Deneh'Cho Thompson.
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Morality and ‘cancel culture’ through an Indigenous lens are at the heart of the next Greystone Theatre production at the University of Saskatchewan.
The Greystone Theatre virtual performance of Gordon Winter by Kenneth T. Williams will take place from March 31 to April 3, with shows at 8 p.m. each evening and at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. on the final day.
Gordon Winter explores the story of the titular character, an Indigenous RCMP officer and national hero whose public standing takes a substantial blow when he makes a speech filled with anti-Semitic, homophobic and anti-immigrant comments.
The play is the Greystone Theatre directorial debut for Deneh’Cho Thompson, an assistant professor with the drama department and the coordinator for the wîcêhtowin Theatre Program. The wîcêhtowin program is a two-year certificate program at the University of Saskatchewan to learn and sharpen theatre skills with an Indigenous-focused perspective in mind.
Thompson praised the students and his design team for their work in creating a show in the digital space, which will include animations, voiceovers, and puppetry along with more standard live scenes.
“I was really thinking about notions of ‘liveness,’ ” he said. “The show is not going to look like anything anyone’s ever seen.”
The story is loosely based on the real life of David Ahenakew, a respected Indigenous politician and military veteran who made anti-Semitic comments during a speech in 2002. He was initially charged with promoting hatred and was convicted, but that conviction was overturned in 2009.
Thompson said he didn’t expect Gordon Winter to be as prescient as it is when they selected it. But with major themes like race in media, cancel culture and questions of morality at the centre of the play, it’s different to be doing it now.
“Everyone has moments in their past or present of a certain morality they could be judged on,” Thompson said. “But they also have high points, as well. Not everyone is above or below each other in these moments of judgement we see more and more online.”
The run of Gordon Winter takes place alongside a Pe kiyokake ekwa achimoostahwinahn — an Indigenous Theatre Conference. The conference, which runs from March 31 to April 8, is meant to address different aspects of Indigenous theatre creation and participation. A keynote speech by elder Maria Campbell will kick things off on March 31, and a “talkback” following the that evening’s performance of Gordon Winter is also part of the conference.
Thompson said the students are fortunate to be at the forefront of a new movement in theatre to take shows online.
“Companies all over the world are changing how they work,” he said. “These students are very lucky, in my opinion, to have been around for the genesis of this kind of movement in our broader theatre community.”
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