Getting fresh with history

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 27/02/2020 (2364 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

As I drove home from the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre’s production of Frances Koncan’s Women of the Fur Trade, I tried to keep my hands warm within the beaded gauntlets I found in Value Village for $19.99. Like all good Winnipeggers, I’m thrifty.

I didn’t mind that I had to spend more than $7 for parking because all of the free spots on the streets were taken, because not only are Manitobans thrifty, we’re hardy and we enjoy going out on cold nights in February to support our arts and culture.

Unfortunately, despite these virtues, many of us suffer from a common ignorance. We don’t know our own history. The history of the land we live on. The history of the people who have lived here longer than any other. The history of the settlers who came to create a new home for themselves.

As I drove down Main Street I looked to my right and saw what remained of Upper Fort Garry and the place where Thomas Scott was executed by the Red River Settlement’s provisional government, reminded that we live with our history, ancestors and their actions every day, but forgetting who they were or that they lie beside us or beneath us.

Women of the Fur Trade is a timely, provocative piece of theatre written from a perspective and voice we need to hear. The play follows three women of the fur-trade era, Marie-Angelique (Métis), Cecilia (British) and Eugenia (Ojibwe), who exist within a room, within a fort, on a river, on the land. In an absurdist style, their stories of want, necessity, desire and survival are told through the Winnipeg playwright’s able command of English both past and present. A fluid melange of pop, movie and meme references spoken by women living in the 19th century provides several hilarious juxtapositions and surprises.

The unexpected is the root of comedy — it’s what makes us laugh — and one might not expect a play about Manitoba’s history to be so funny. Koncan — who is a Free Press arts reporter — provides a refreshing take on a story that is a part of all of us. This fresh use of language also serves well to connect us, as a modern audience, with the lives of our ancestors. And although there are several comedic moments, Women of the Fur Trade goes to darker places as well, since much of our past is rooted in trauma and tragedy.

It is so encouraging to see how Canadian theatre has grown and evolved over the decades, because in many ways, our theatrical tradition of telling our stories is still relatively new. It is heartening to see artists who have developed in Manitoba’s educational, training and theatre community performing on a regional theatre’s stage.

The young cast and director are particularly talented, delivering an entertaining but thoughtful show. Kathleen MacLean as Marie-Angelique strikes a balanced tone in her portrayal between a human being wanting love and the rage that can ensue when your expectations are not met. Elizabeth Whitbread’s performance as Cecilia is full of hope, denial and pathos, and she transitions among these states with grace. Kelsey Kanatan Wavey plays Eugenia with fervour, passion and humour; her outbursts of fearless anger are often the source of audience laughter.

John Cook portrays Louis Riel with an understated assurance of destiny that’s refreshing, and Toby Hughes as Thomas Scott has a manic desperation that tells his character’s story with humour and subtle menace.

The scenes involving Riel and Scott are as well written as the rest of the play, but it’s the interactions among the women that are captivating, watching their struggles with one another and their humanity. Director Audrey Dwyer excels in the use of space and the creation of location; she and the cast have a command of pacing that ensures there’s never a dull moment in this modern, relevant evening of theatre.

At one point in the play, it is stated, “Opinions are good.” I agree. It could even be argued that Koncan has laid out a good many salient opinions about Canada and its current state. However, not only does Women of the Fur Trade provide opinion, it also raises many worthy questions. Good theatre always does this, and this play is no exception.

For instance, why do we forget our history? Why have we forgotten the women who shaped our history? Do we remember that Canada was founded in betrayal to Indigenous peoples? What is the cost of not listening or remembering those who have passed before us?

In a clever way, Koncan shows us how we live with that cost today. Currently in Canada, we are dealing with reconciliation, rail blockades, extremely high rates of child poverty, Indigenous children in care and on and on. But despite this, Women of the Fur Trade provides us with a way forward. We often see the women of the play writing letters expressing themselves and their stories, a simple but powerful example of a perspective that has been overlooked but is finally being heard.

This play has a fresh, youthful vibe and it is realized by talented, youthful artists. And it is the youth of today who will shape our country’s future. This is comforting, for I fear it may be too late for those of us who are older, set in our ways and mindsets.

A prophecy of Manitoba’s founder, Louis Riel, is repeated several times in the play, where he speaks of the artists 100 years from his time, awakening his people and giving them back their spirit. I see that spirit in this production and as long as we remember, it gives me hope for Canada’s future.

Ian Ross is a Winnipeg playwright. His latest work, The Third Colour, was produced at Prairie Theatre Exchange in October 2019.