≈ 90 minutes · No intermission
Last updated: June 13, 2024
Creator's Note
“I have done a lot, but I think the people who got me here are more important than what I have accomplished.
First of all, my Mom and Dad are my foundation. They gave me the space to experience the wonderful and magical world of theatre. Thank you for the ponies, the music and dance lessons and all the love that made all my beautiful dreams come to life.
I would also like to thank Savage Society for everything they have done for me. I would not have this artistic career without their unfaltering support. Kevin and Chelsea, thank you for teaching me the true meaning of loyalty, mentorship, community and how powerful storytelling can be.
Last but definitely not least, I would like to thank the Métis Nation of Alberta and Audrey Poitras for her 28 years of leadership. I would not be here today without all the Métis leaders in Alberta who came before me. Thank you for giving us our stories back.”
A Note From the Artistic Director, NAC Indigenous Theatre
I am so proud to share this show with our audience here at the National Arts Centre. I first worked with Tai when I directed her in her first professional acting gig, fresh out of the University of British Columbia Theatre Program, to play another Marie in my Governor General's Award-nominated play, Thanks for Giving, which ran at the Arts Club Granville Island Theatre in October 2017. The day after opening night, I packed up my family and flew to Ottawa to begin my journey here at the National Arts Centre. Now, six and a half years later, we've come full circle, and I get to share her artistry and vision with all of you.
Since 2017, Tai has been working with my company, Savage Society, in British Columbia, first as an actor and then as an associate artist, joining us in our annual community work creating and performing plays based on Nlaka'pamux creation stories in my hometown of Lytton. Tai has also been working with Savage Society in an associate producer role, gaining valuable experience helping us produce the innovative environmental show, The Pipeline Project.
One of the exciting things we like to do at Savage Society is ask the artists we've developed relationships with if they have something they're interested in creating, and then we help guide them through the process. We offer support through playwriting and help them become artistic leaders of their own work. It has been a true honour to watch Tai grow as an artist, leading the creation of her play, utilizing the land-based dramaturgical approach of returning to the lands from which the story originates and sharing it with audiences there first before bringing it to the stage.
In the development leading up to the world premiere of this work, Tai toured this beautiful play throughout the Métis homelands of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta, playing in fields, under tents, on the land. You used to call me Marie... truly exemplifies the Indigenous Theatre mantra of "one foot in the community, one foot on the stage." I hope you enjoy this beautiful star story of lovers reunited over time.
A Note From the Managing Director, NAC Indigenous Theatre
I am proud to welcome Tai to the NAC stage with her first professionally produced play! It is an honour to co-produce this work with Savage Society.
Talented, passionate, proud, and a natural leader, she is paving the way for a new generation of Indigenous artists and her community, the Métis Nation, for generations to come.
Thank you for joining us to experience and celebrate her beautiful work.
Creator Q&A with Tai Amy Grauman
What was your greatest challenge and your greatest joy in writing this play?
The greatest challenge and joy in writing this script lay in accurately chronicling the history of the Métis Nation in Alberta. My Nation has a rich history, and in this play, I have endeavoured to include as much as possible. However, I was still unable to document everything. It is my hope that this play will serve as a starting point for many to begin understanding the story of the Métis Nation.
How did culture play a role in the spiral format of the story?
The spiral in this play is a tribute to my Métis understanding of generations. In my perception of how time and space move, I feel as though all the Maries are with me at all times. To me, the spiral represents the convergence of generations and the ways in which I am perpetually carrying all these stories with me. All these Maries inform my daily decisions, and their lives guide the paths I choose.
What was your familiarity with the Michif and Cree languages before the play? How did this impact the story you wanted to tell?
When I began writing this play, my understanding of how the Cree language evolved into Michif through the integration of French was limited. Michif is a fusion of Cree and French. There are numerous dialects of Michif, each tied to specific areas, territories, and communities. Through the stories in the play, I have strived to accurately represent how the language has shifted and transformed over time. The Michif used in this production is the dialect that reflects the territory my family originates from.
Through writing the character of Iskwewo, did you learn anything about the experiences of your own family? Did it change any of your perceptions or beliefs about the past?
In writing this play, I devoted considerable time to exploring Métis women’s religion and spirituality. Through this exploration, I discovered that many Métis women in Alberta continue to practice the Catholic faith, incorporating elements from our Cree kin. Similar to the language, Métis women’s religious and spiritual practices have become a synthesis of our French and Cree heritage. Initially, I had wanted to exclude any Catholic beliefs or symbols from the play, but during the development process, I realized that was not appropriate. Many Métis women proudly practice Catholicism, as it is an integral part of our history as a Nation.
Artists
Tai Amy Grauman (MFA) is Métis Cree with ties to Haudenosaunee voyageurs from Ardrossan Alberta. She is a Callihoo as well as a Beauregard and her family comes from a community in Alberta formerly known as St. Paul des Métis. She is the first elected Provincial Women’s Representative as part of the first Otipemisiawk Métis Government within Alberta.
“I have done a lot but I think the people who got me here are more important than what I have accomplished.
First of all, my Mom and Dad are my foundation. They gave me the space to experience the wonderful and magical world of theatre. Thank you for the ponies, the music and dance lessons and all the love that made all my beautiful dreams come to life.
I would also like to thank Savage Society for everything they have done for me. I would not have this artistic career without their unfaltering support. Kevin and Chelsea, thank you for teaching me the true meaning of loyalty, mentorship, community and how powerful storytelling can be.
Last but definitely not least, I would like to thank the Métis Nation of Alberta and Audrey Poitras for her 28 years of leadership. I would not be here today without all the Métis leaders in Alberta who came before me. Thank you for giving us our stories back.”
Originally from Beardy’s & Okemasis Cree Nation in Treaty 6 territory, Aren Okemaysim is a nêhiyaw/Plains Cree multidisciplinary performing artist, sound designer and technician currently based in Treaty 4, Saskatchewan. Currently, he is the Head of Sound for Globe Theatre in Regina.
When he is not behind the console, he is either writing/performing with his okimawᐅᑭᒪᐤ solo project or somewhere across Turtle Island performing in plays as an actor. His most recent acting/design work includes: This Is How We Got Here (voiceover, Persephone Theatre); Oak Floors! A Heritage Cabaret (performer, All Terrain Theatre), Niizh (performer, Native Earth Performing Arts), The Call of the Lake (sound design/composition, Luminato Festival), The Mountaintop (sound design, Persephone Theatre) and many more. Aren would like to thank everyone at Savage Society, Tai, and the creative team for the opportunity and trust to be your Napew.
~kinanâskomitin
Cole Alvis (she\her) is a Turtle Mountain Michif (Métis) artist based in Tkarón:to with Chippewa, Irish & English ancestors. She is one of the leaders of lemonTree creations, manidoons collective, and AdHoc Assembly, and is on the board of the Dancers Of Damelahamid.
Previously, Cole performed in Louis Riel (Canadian Opera Company & National Arts Centre), directed the Dora-nominated bug by Yolanda Bonnell (manidoons collective & Luminato), Lilies by Michel Marc Bouchard (lemonTree creations, Why Not Theatre & Buddies in Bad Times Theatre) and, alongside co-director Michael Greyeyes, was Dora-nominated for the Indigenous opera double bill Two Odysseys: Pimooteewin / Gállábártnit (Signal Theatre, National Sami Theatre Beaivváš & Soundstreams). Recently, she directed Salt Baby by Falen Johnson (Theatre Aquarius), a digital presentation of Toka by Indrit Kasapi (lemonTree creations & Theatre Passe Muraille), and alongside Samantha Brown, co-directed White Girls In Moccasins by Yolanda Bonnell (manidoons collective & Buddies In Bad Times Theatre). Next: Cole co-directs, alongside Yvette Nolan (Algonquin), Three Fingers Back by Donna-Michelle St. Bernard (lemonTree creations & Tarragon Theatre).
Kathleen Nisbet is a fiddle player, multi-instrumentalist, singer and composer from Vancouver, BC. Classically trained early on, she returned to her Métis roots, pursuing more traditional folk music. Since then she has worked with artists in a variety of genres. A regular accompanist with V’ni Dansi, Métis traditional dance, credits also include work with the Arts Club, Pacific Theatre, Mortal Coil, Citadel Theatre and Mascall Dance. Kathleen is an active member of Vancouver’s thriving bluegrass, old-time and folk scene. She performs and tours internationally with her band Viper Central and is known for her live music productions including the East Van Opry.
Krystle Pederson is a Saskatchewan-based Cree/Métis actor/singer/songwriter performing across North America and New Zealand. Krystle is a recipient of the CBC Future 40 Award, short-listed for the Saskatchewan Arts Award, and a nominee for a YWCA Women of Distinction Award. Krystle’s acting credits include a supporting role in Run: Broken Yet Brave, CBC Gem Series: Zarqa (Season 1), RMTC: The (Post) Mistress, NAC: Gabriel Dumont Wild West Show, Persephone Theatre: Reasonable Doubt, MTYP: Frozen River, Caravan Farm Theatre: The Nutcracker, IMAGO: The Flood. This will be Krystle’s first appearance with Savage Society and she is excited to be a part of this production and hopes you enjoy the show!
Andrea Menard is a Métis actor and singer-songwriter from Treaty 1 territory and the Homeland of the Métis. She is a 5-time Gemini-nominated actress, a 15-time Canadian music award winner, and was recently named Métis Artist of the Year at the Summer Solstice Indigenous Music Awards in Ottawa. Theatre: Rubaboo (Grand Theatre/Arts Club/Citadel); Anne of Green Gables, Stories from the Red Dirt Road (Charlottetown Festival); The Orchard, Thanks For Giving (Arts Club); Great Expectations, Evita, Only Drunks and Children Tell the Truth (Persephone); The Velvet Devil, (NAC) The Velvet Devil, Wizard of Oz, Governor of the Dew, (Globe Theatre) The Velvet Devil, 400 Kilometers, Wawatay (GTNT); The Rez Sisters, Joni Mitchell: River, Godspell (PTE); Street Wheat, The Selkie Wife, The Shipbuilder (Dancing Sky). Film & TV: Sullivan’s Crossing, Blackstone; Supernatural; Hard Rock Medical; Moccasin Flats, Rabbit Fall, The Velvet Devil.
Rebecca Sadowski is a Métis/queer performer and choreographer based in amiskwacîwâskahikan (Edmonton) and is thrilled to be touring with Savage Society this season. Rebecca is an artistic member of the Good Women Dance Collective and curates dance programming for the local Nextfest Festival. She teaches dance with DancED Movement Project and works as an Indigenous Narratives Coordinator with the City of Edmonton. Recent credits include: Ayita (Skirtsafire Festival), Two-Headed Half-Hearted (Northern Light Theatre) BEARS (Punctuate Theatre) Minosis Gathers Hope (Alberta Aboriginal Arts) and has recently toured a piece to the Dancing on the Edge Festival. Rebecca has produced several dance films including THE SASH MAKER with Native Earth Performing Arts, as well as BREAKING BAPTIST with the Catalyst Theatre. Rebecca has a passion for sharing Indigenous narratives and historic arts. She strives to decolonize spaces and continues to deepen her connection to her Métis roots by sharing family stories, jigging, and finger-weaving sashes. She is so grateful for her family and her fiancée for their encouragement in her performance and choreographic pursuits.
Lois Anderson is a Vancouver based director and writer. She has served as an artistic advisor for The National Arts Centre. Lois received a Jessie Award for her adaptation of Pericles and The Critic’s Choice Award for her adaptation of Lysistrata. She was a co-founder of Cirque Poule, an all-female clown circus, and is an original member of The Leaky Heaven Circus. Lois was an original creator/performer of Flying Blind which toured Australia and Canada, and has been an Artistic Associate with Runaway Moon, a puppet company that focuses on community engagement. Lois directed the NAC Grand Acts of Great Hope film entitled Siiye’yu which documented the collaboration of Coast Salish performance company Tsatsu Stalqayu and Mortal Coil. She directed the film Transcendence, based on the writings of Anosh Irani for Indian Summer Festival 2021. With Quelemia Sparrow she wrote Lysistrata and Camas Lilies for The Canadian Theatre Review, reflecting on their creative process during the adaptation of Lysistrata at Sen’a’kw. The article won the Nathan Cohen Award for Critical Essay, 2020. Recent work includes Buffoon, Henry V, Gertrude and Alice and Sunny Drake’s Childish.
Born and raised in Italy, Cecilia Vadala has a background in Philosophy and Art History. A graduate of the MFA program in Theatre Design and Production from the University of British Columbia, Cecilia designs for stage and screen, focusing on the scenic design practice.
As a designer, Cecilia considers herself a visual storyteller. Her aesthetic is suggestive and evocative. In her work, the space is another character that evolves and tells a story on its own. As an artist, Cecilia explores the connections between emotions and materials, feelings, and textures, often introducing a sensorial component to her designs.
Selected theatre credits: Gertrude and Alice (Scenic Designer, 2024), Blue Stockings (Scenic Designer, 2023), Black and Rural (Scenic and Costume Designer, 2023), Echoes From Far Away Cities (Scenic Designer, 2023), Emilia (Scenic and Costume Designer, 2021), Anna Bella Eema (Scenic and Costume Designer, 2020), Timothy Findley’s The Wars (Scenic Designer, 2019), Hosanna (Scenic Designer, 2019).
Evan Ducharme is Métis from St. Ambroise, MB (Treaty 1). With both ancestral and contemporary Michif knowledge, their work examines Metis history and its cultural iconography with a subversion of colonial notions of gender, queerness, and relations to place.
Ducharme’s work has been featured in National Geographic, FASHION Magazine, Vogue.com, Quelemia Sparrow’s Skyborn, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute exhibition In America: A Lexicon of Fashion.
Ducharme currently lives and creates with gratitude on their home territories in Winnipeg, MB (Treaty 1).
Alaia Hamer is a Vancouver theatre designer who originally grew up on the Gulf Islands. Her recent projects include costume design for Million Dollar Quartet, The Cull, Beneath Springhill, The Birds and the Bees (Arts Club); East Van Panto: Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid; (Theatre Replacement); Cinderella (Gateway); HMS Pinafore, Carmen Up Close and Personal (Vancouver Opera); Beautiful Man (PI Theatre); assistant costume design for Romeo and Juliet, Coriolanaus, Taming of the Shrew, Macbeth (Bard on the Beach); set design for God Said This (Pacific Theatre); and Seventeen (Western Gold). She has worked on a variety of smaller shows throughout Vancouver and has a passion for costuming dance. Alaia is a graduate of the UBC Theatre Design program (2017) and holds an English literature degree (2012).
Jeff is a four-time Jessie Award winning lighting designer for his work on Carousel Theatre’s Pharaoh Serket & the Lost Stone of Fire, Patrick Street Theatre’s Floyd Collins, Pi Theatre’s Blasted and Arts Club’s Hand to God. He is a graduate of SFU’s School for the Contemporary Arts, attended the Banff Centre for the Performing Arts and is a member of the Associated Designers of Canada.
Aaron Macri is an Edmonton-based composer and sound designer. He has created music and sound design for theatre, dance, television and video for over twenty years. His work has been on stages across Canada and off-Broadway, as well as nationally broadcast. Tiny Plastic Men on Superchannel and CAUTION: May Contain Nuts on APTN. Aaron has worked with Savage Society in the past as a tour technical director for a previous version of, You used to call me Marie. He’s happy to be joining Savage Society again this time as a sound designer for this latest production of the show.
Candelario Andrade is a video editor and media designer based in Vancouver. Recent theatre design credits include: Women Of The Fur Trade (NAC, Native Earth, GCTC); Zahak (The Biting School); Julius Caesar (Bard on the Beach); I Carry Your Heart With Me (egg theatre); Little Red and His Lawyer (Savage Society/Belfry/NAC); Tree Drum (Theatre Terrific); Mom’s the Word Talking Turkey (Arts Club); White Girls in Moccasins (The Frank); Six of One (Studio 58); White Noise (Savage Society/Firehall); Clean/Espejos (Neworld) and DYMISH (Theatre Replacement). Recent editing credits include Bard on The Beach feature film Done/Undone; Belfry Theatre digital productions (2020-2021), as well as the short films: Common Law; a film about a uterus and The Day My Cat Saved My Life. In recent years, Cande has edited several short films and projects for Mochizuki Studios and has worked as an editor and promo producer for Knowledge Network and the Vancouver International Film Festival.
Stephanie Elgersma is a Studio 58 graduate who mainly works in puppetry in both Canada and the UK. As a puppet maker, she has worked for Wilton’s Music Hall, The Old Vic, Birmingham Rep, Disney Paris, and Nick Barnes Puppets (UK), as well as The Cultch, Brock University, Ghost River Theatre, Carousel Theatre, and the National Arts Centre (CA). She last worked for Savage Society on the puppets in their show Skyborn in 2020. She is now based in Vancouver where she builds and directs puppets for theatre and teaches puppetry at Studio 58.
Rebecca Eamon Campbell is a freelance stage manager based out of Kemptville, Ontario. She has worked in stage management and fundraising with performing arts organizations across the country including Bard on the Beach, Firehall Theatre, Pi Theatre, Alberta Theatre Projects, Globe Theatre, Soulpepper, National Arts Centre, Ottawa Fringe, St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival, and the Upper Canada Playhouse. Rebecca worked for the NAC Foundation for 10 years and taught at Queens University for eight years. Most recently, she was Stage Manager for The Waltz (GCTC) and will be in Gananoque this summer at the Thousand Islands Playhouse for Mary’s Wedding and Sequence.
Michelle Olson is a member of the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in First Nation and the Artistic Director of Raven Spirit Dance. She studied dance and performance at the University of New Mexico, the Aboriginal Arts Program at the Banff Centre and was an Ensemble Member of Full Circle First Nations Performance. Michelle works in areas of dance, theatre and opera as a choreographer, performer and movement coach and her work has been seen on stages across Canada. Selected choreography/theatre credits include Gathering Light (Raven Spirit Dance), Salmon Girl (TYA – Raven Spirit Dance), Map of the Land, Map of the Stars (Gwaandak Theatre), Frost Trees Exploding Moon (Raven Spirit Dance), Mozart’s Magic Flute (Vancouver Opera), The Ecstasy of Rita Joe (Western Canada Theatre/National Arts Centre), Death of a Chief (Native Earth Performing Arts/National Arts Centre) and Evening in Paris (Raven Spirit Dance). She was the recipient of the inaugural Vancouver International Dance Festival Choreographic Award. She graduated as a Certified Movement Analyst from Laban/Bartenieff and Somatic Studies Canada and is currently teaching at Langara’s Studio 58. She recently received her MFA in Directing from the University of British Columbia.
Matt Oviatt is a professional live event contractor and member of IATSE Locals 118 & 250. He manages cycling events such as the Megavolt and the BC Bike Race, a 7-day mountain bike stage race, and has been technical director or production manager for many BC-based companies, including Ballet BC, Theatre Under The Stars, the Roundhouse, URP, Savage Society, Itsazoo Productions, and Dancers of Damelahamid. He is also a key member of the operations teams for Rifflandia, Harmony Arts, and Sunfest music festivals, among others. He’s pleased to be joining Savage Society again on You used to call me Marie..., and hopes you enjoy the performance.
Yvonne Chartrand is a choreographer and dancer as well as a national award-winning master Métis jigger. Her ancestors come from the Mitchif (Métis) community of St. Laurent, Manitoba. In 2000, she co-founded V’ni Dansi (“come and dance” in Mitchif) where she continues to act as Artistic Director. Yvonne’s Métis dance work was passed to her through many Métis Elders; she is one of the only people in Canada who holds this traditional knowledge. As a cultural keeper, Yvonne is dedicated to preserving traditional Métis dance in Canada.
Her contemporary works are always informed by her Métis identity. As a contemporary dance choreographer, she has conceptualized and co-choreographed company group works: A Poet and Prophet 2003, Gabriel’s Crossing 2004, and The Crossing 2006. Her first full-length dance-theatre work Cooking It Up Métis 2013 created for young audiences.
Yvonne’s solo work includes Marguerite in 2000, inspired by the lives of the Métis Women who endured the Resistances, Stories from St. Laurent, 2009. Her mentor Robin Poitras created the commissioned solo Sara Riel: The Long Journey 2014 with Edward Poitras. Her solo Eagle Spirit premiered in Vancouver at V’ni Dansi’s annual Louis Riel Day Celebration, 2016. In 2022, her collaboration with Rulan Tangen of Santa Fe’s Dancing Earth, La Mitchin di Mitchif, premiered in Vancouver. In 2023 she was honoured to choreograph the opera, Li Keur: Riel’s Heart of the North for the Manitoba Opera in Winnipeg.
Yvonne was awarded a 2011 Victor Martyn Lynch-Staunton Award from the Canada Council for the Arts.
Jessica Campbell-Maracle (she/her) is a mixed Kanien’kéha:ka / settler theatre artist from Toronto. She is a graduate of Humber College’s Theatre Production Program (2017) and recently just graduated from the National Theatre School of Canada in the Production Design and Technical Arts New Pathways Program. Select theatre credits include Almighty Voice and His Wife (Soulpepper Theatre), Honour Beat (The Grand Theatre), The Breathing Hole / Aglu (National Arts Centre), John and Beatrice (National Theatre School of Canada).
Castor Angus (he/they) is stepping into the role of Apprentice Stage Manager, marking his debut with Savage Society. Castor currently resides on the land of the Songhees and Esquimalt nation (Victoria). Castor brings a wealth of experience in the theatre scene, having worked on productions of Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Birds, and Spongebob the Musical. In the latest phase of his career, he is the Arts Administrative Assistant at Pacific Opera Victoria for the upcoming year.
Outside of the hustle and bustle of the backstage, you can find Castor writing away on his laptop. As a writer, Castor caters to a younger audience, with his book about bears in Alaska designed for middle school and high school readers. Castor recently participated in Audible’s Indigenous Writing Circle, where he had the privilege of being mentored by Renulta Arluk. Embracing a journey filled with creativity and dedication, Castor continues to leave his mark both behind the scenes and on the literary stage.
Credits
You used to call me Marie…
Playwright, Co-Creator, Performer (Iskwewo)
Tai Amy Grauman
Performer (Napew)
Aren Okemaysim
Performer (Horse 1/Dancer/Narrator)
Cole Alvis
Music & Composition, Performer, Fiddle, Mandolin, Banjo, Band Captain
Kathleen Nisbet
Music & Composition, Performer, Keyboard, Guitar, Vocal Captain
Krystle Pederson
Composer
Andrea Menard
Performer (Spirit Horse, Horse 2, Dancer)
Rebecca Sadowski
Director
Lois Anderson
Set Designer
Cecilia Vadala
Co-Costume Designer
Evan Ducharme
Co-Costume Designer
Alaia Hamer
Lighting Designer
Jeff Harrison
Sound Designer
Aaron Macri
Projection Designer
Candelario Andrade
Props Designer
Stephanie Elgersma
Stage Manager
Rebecca Eamon Campbell
Assistant Director
Michelle Olson
Technical Director
Matt Oviatt
Métis Jigging
Yvonne Chartrand
Assistant Stage Manager
Jessica Campbell-Maracle
Apprentice Stage Manager
Castor Angus
NAC Indigenous Theatre
Artistic Director
Kevin Loring
Managing Director
Lori Marchand
Technical Director, Theatre Department
Spike Lyne
Producer
Michelle Yagi
Associate Producer
Brit Johnston
Producing Resident
Jessica Campbell-Maracle
Associate Producer #ReconcileThis
Josh Languedoc
Cultural Advocate
Mairi Brascoupé
Education Coordinator
Kerry Corbiere
Communications Strategist
Ian Hobson
Marketing Strategist
Marie-Pierre Chaumont
Senior Marketing Manager
Bridget Mooney
NAC Production Team
Head Carpenter
Charles Martin
Head Properties
Michel Sanscartier
Head Electrician
Eric Tessier
Assistant Properties
Martin Racette
Head Audio
Jon Carter
Assistant Audio
Sarah Waghorn
Head Fly
Alex Griffore
Head Wardrobe
Linda Dufresne
International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees