Upstage - Salt Baby

A GREAT PLACE TO READ ABOUT GREAT THEATRE · APRIL - MAY 2018

VOLUME 4 / ISSUE 4

Falen Johnson Salt Baby, Falen’s modern comedy about finding out who you are, starts April 17

Hello!

Welcome to the Belfry and our production of Salt Baby.

In an interview Falen Johnson spoke

put a mixed audience in the room

about her comedy and the impetus

and say, ‘We’re all Canada now. We’re

behind it.

all here. No one’s getting on a boat

“It’s funny! I know there’s a bit of a

and going back home,’” said Falen.

stigma out there in the world about

If you are still leery, search out Falen’s

First Nations theatre being hard

story, Invisible Toronto, on The Moth

and heavy and difficult, but what I

website - it’s well worth a listen.

wanted to do with this piece was

As always, we look forward to seeing you at the theatre.

UPSTAGE is produced

BELFRY THEATRE

four times per year

1291 GLADSTONE AVENUE

and can be found at

VICTORIA, BC

branches of the Greater Victoria Public Library, the Belfry

V8T 1G5

and online at issuu.com/belfrytheatre. If you would like a digital copy please drop us a line at hello@belfry.bc.ca.

WWW.BELFRY.BC.CA

B4Play

Gregor Craigie Photo by Don Craig

SATURDAY, APRIL 14 AT 11 AM

Belfry Theatre, Studio A, 1291 Gladstone Avenue Free Event. A live talk show hosted by CBC Radio’s Gregor Craigie and featuring Falen Johnson (Playwright and Director) and

Join Us

Dakota Ray Hebert (Actor) from Salt Baby, along with experts from the community.

facebook.com/belfrytheatre

youtube.com/belfrytheatre

B4Play is streamed live on Facebook.

twitter.com/belfrytheatre

issuu.com/belfrytheatre

Our podcast of B4Play is available at

vimeo.com/belfrytheatre

soundcloud.com/belfrytheatre

Cover photo - Falen Johnson

Salt Baby is generously supported by

Tickets 250-385-6815

Upstage is supported by

belfry.bc.ca/podcasts.

LOVE, DIGNITY

&

HOPE

BY MONIQUE GRAY SMITH “H OW I NDI A N A R E YO U T RYING TO BE?” The words still sting, almost 25

Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. Even from my own family and

years later. I was picking my mom up to take her out for dinner and

friends. There are days when I am blindsided by the racism. Especially

had Pow Wow music playing in my car when she got in and asked

when it comes from someone I love or someone who I thought

me that question. I was almost 2 years sober and a huge part of my

understood the pain of looking one way and feeling another way on

recovery and healing was reconnecting with my Cree and Lakota

the inside.

cultures.

Not long after my mom’s comment to me, I was in Toronto and

Perhaps her words stung because they came from my Mom or

struggling with how to walk in two worlds, Indigenous and non-

perhaps because they were such a powerful indication of the

Indigenous, especially when I didn’t feel accepted in either. I was

internalized racism woven within her heart and mind.

with friends at an outside bar and about to drown my pain and throw

I have many memories where I saw my mom shrink in response to the racism hurled her way. There is no question my mom is Indigenous, but me, I often get asked if I’m Italian or Greek. I didn’t inherit my mom’s dark skin or her black hair. I did inherit her high cheek bones and dark eyes. I remember as a child, that my mom used to run her hands over my arms and along my face and smile at the difference

away my sobriety. Just as the waitress approached, an Indigenous gentleman with a beaded medicine wheel around his neck walked by. He stopped, looked directly at me and said, “never question it, it’s in your heart and it’s in your eyes” and walked away. It happened so fast, I wondered if he had been a figment of my imagination, but in my heart, I knew he and his message were real.

in our skin colour. I think it brought a sense of peace to her to know

That gentleman taught me an important lesson; identity is not about

that I wouldn’t experience the same racism she did. However, I

skin, hair or eye colour. It’s about what’s in my heart, about a life long

have experienced racism and I do experience racism. From both

journey of learning my culture and language, self-love and being a »

Monique Gray Smith / Photo by Centric Photography

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healthy role model for my children. And it’s as simple and as complex as knowing I am the descendent of my Ancestors and an Ancestor to my descendants, and within that, there are immense responsibilities.

I may not have the right skin tone for some and there may be a lot about me that’s ‘not right’ for the boxes people want to put me in. But I’m not really interested in boxes, or other forms of colonization. I’m interested in love, dignity, and hope.

Monique Gray Smith is of Cree, Lakota, and Scottish descent and is the proud Mom of fourteen-year-old twins. She is an award winning author, international speaker and sought after consultant. She is grateful to live, write, play & raise her family on the traditional lands of the Lekwungen & WSANEC people. ©Monique Gray Smith

Cast & Creatives

Why I Chose This Play

I was in Saskatoon doing auditions when I met both Dakota Ray Hebert and Colin Dingwall – members of this cast. As they both had Salt Baby on their resume, I enquired about the play.

Dakota Ray Hebert

Colin Dingwall

Timothy L. Hill

GRANDFATHER + OTHERS

DAD

SALT BABY

Intrigued, I later asked Nathan Howe – also in our cast – to send me a copy of the script. He did; I read it; I fell in love.

I love plays that show us a world that we don’t know, and this play does that for so many of us in the audience. It does so with a wide-open heart and an easy sense of humour. It pokes fun at itself, and I love that Salt Baby’s white boyfriend, Alligator, worries about putting his foot in his mouth and making the same mistakes that most of us worry about.

Nathan Howe ALLIGATOR

Falen Johnson PLAYWRIGHT / DIRECTOR

Salt Baby’s need to understand her identity should be easy for most of us to understand and relate to. Who among us doesn’t wish that there was more information about our heritage?

Don’t we all want more specifics of the who, why and where of our ancestors and our blood mix? For Salt Baby, heritage and culture are obviously of even more importance to her sense of who she is.

Tamara Marie Kucheran

Alan Brodie LIGHTING DESIGNER

Malcolm Dow SOUND DESIGNER

I am the last repository of the beautiful and sometimes wild stories my mother told me about long-departed relatives.

SET & COSTUME DESIGNER

Those stories will die with me, and where will they go? Into the ether with all the stories from the centuries that preceded us. The same place that theatre experiences go when the final curtain falls. But maybe not Salt Baby: this play has already had a busy history, and seems destined to play on for a long time to

Jennifer Swan

Sadie Fox

STAGE MANAGER

ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER

Tickets 250-385-6815

come.

Michael Shamata, Artistic Director

Belfry Librarian The wonderful librarians from the Greater Victoria Public Library have compiled a list of books and videos to help you get even more out of our production of Salt Baby.

LIVE EVENTS

—

Throughout Salt Baby we’ll host a number of events that will deepen your theatre experience or just plain astound you.

B4PLAY SATURDAY, APRIL 14 AT 11 AM

Free Event. Join us in Studio A for a live talk show hosted

by CBC Radio’s Gregor Craigie, featuring Falen Johnson (Playwright and Director) and Dakota Ray Hebert (Actor) from Salt Baby, along with experts from the community.

AFTERPLAY Facilitated discussions – audience member to audience member – will follow every evening performance of Salt Baby (except Opening Night and Talkback Thursday). These are a great opportunity to share your thoughts and hear fellow patrons’ reactions to the production and the ideas it presents.

TALKBACK THURSDAY THURSDAY, APRIL 26

Meet some of the actors post-performance when they return to the stage to answer questions and provide insight into the play.

Bearskin Diary: A Novel

by Carol Daniels Birdie: A Novel

by Tracy Lindberg The Break

by Katherena Vermette Funny, You Don’t Look Like One

by Drew Hayden Taylor Half-Blood Blues

by Esi Edugyan Halfbreed

by Maria Campbell Monkey Beach

by Eden Robinson “Real” Indians and Others

by Bonita Lawrence

Urban Tribes: Native Americans in the City

by Mary Beth Leatherdale Speaking Our Truth : A Journey of Reconciliation

by Monique Gray Smith The Rez Sisters

by Tomson Highway Where the Blood Mixes

by Kevin Loring DNA is Not Destiny : the Remarkable, Completely Misunderstood Relationship Between You and Your Genes

by Steven J. Heine Compiled by Adam Reese, Library Assistant, Greater Victoria Public Library

Urban Thunderbirds by lessLIE

VOCALEYE SUNDAY, MAY 6 AT 2 PM

For our patrons with low or no vision, we offer this VocalEye performance during Salt Baby. Trained Audio Describers provide descriptions of the visual elements of the show, allowing people with low vision to enjoy the theatrical experience without missing any of the details.

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SPOTLIGHT ON SUPPORTERS

Peter and Lorna enjoying a trip through the Netherlands in 2014.

Peter & Lorna Bray Since the late 1970s, the Belfry Theatre has been a constant in the

in just about anything, and most recently, Tiffany Ayalik in Café

lives of Lorna and Peter. It has become a dearly held tradition to

Daughter, presented during the 2018 SPARK Festival. Lorna points out

enjoy a Belfry play with a group of friends on a weekend matinee,

that the message of Café Daughter about the challenges and barriers

followed by dinner.

to First Nations students getting through their education is one that

The Brays have watched the Belfry develop, supporting us along the way by increasing their annual donation and supporting our 2000 and 2016/17 Capital Campaigns by purchasing theatre seat

we all need to be aware of.

“You have to support what you enjoy,”

name plate dedications. They like the way the most recent capital

according to Lorna, while Peter appreciates that “the Belfry is willing

renovation incorporated the original stained-glass windows into

at times to go out on a limb and put on plays that broaden your

the lobby, “maintaining the old while bringing in the new.” Lorna,

minds in terms of looking at what motivates the writers. Victoria is

who is legally blind, prefers front row seating when available, and

quite small and yet it is exposing us to pretty damn good theatre,” he

has also experienced our VocalEye program, featuring live play-by-

says emphatically. We thank the Brays for their unequivocal support

play by trained describers, which the Belfry offers once during each

and encouragement for the Belfry to continue to commission new

mainstage show.

Canadian work and program adventurous and diverse theatre.

Lorna (then Popham) spent over 20 years in private practice as a psychologist. Previously both Lorna and Peter worked in various ministries in the government. Peter held internal auditor and senior financial officer positions, while Lorna worked in the area of alcohol and drug treatment.

A few of the performers that they describe as exceptional over the years include Nicola Cavendish in Shirley Valentine, Celine Stubel Tickets 250-385-6815

For more information on the variety of ways to contribute to the Belfry including the Name a Seat program, please contact Susan Stevenson, Director of Development at 250-385-6835 ext. 229 or development@belfry.bc.ca

Calendar Salt Baby PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

April 17 – May 13, 2018 Tuesdays – Thursdays at 7:30 pm Wednesday Matinees at 1 pm ( April 25, May 2, 9 ) Fridays & Saturdays at 8 pm Saturday Matinees at 4 pm

Contemporary.

Seductive.

And really good.

Our 2018 – 2019 Season features the work of these playwrights and so much more.

Sunday Matinees at 2 pm Free Childcare – Saturday, April 21 at 4pm / Sunday, April 29 at 2 pm Audience Engagement Schedule B4PLAY · Saturday, April 14 at 11 am TALKBACK THURSDAY · April 26 AFTERPLAY · Following all

evening performances* VOCALEYE · Described performance

Sunday, May 6 at 2 pm * Except opening night and Talkback Thursday

How to buy tickets By telephone 250 385 6815

Please have your credit card ready, as well as the date and time of the performance you wish to attend.

Online

Visit belfry.bc.ca/tickets and buy your tickets online, anytime.

In person

Drop by our Box Office.

Watch your mailbox for details.

2018 – 2019 Season tickets go on sale April 16.

We accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express, debit card, cheques, and, of course, cash.

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Up Next

AN ARTS CLUB THEATRE COMPANY PRODUCTION, VANCOUVER

SUMMER COMEDY

July 24— August 12 2018

Mom’s the Word 3: Nest ½ Empty Written and performed

by Jill Daum, Alison Kelly, Robin Nichol, Barbara Pollard & Deborah Williams

2018 Season– 2019 h o l d e r s t i c ke t get a

25 %

D i s co u n SALT BABY PRODUCTION SPONSORS

SEASON SPONSORS

PUBLIC FUNDERS

Belfry Theatre 1291 GLADSTONE AVENUE VICTORIA, BC

V8T 1G5

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