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Civil Blood
by Josh Languedoc & Neil Kuefler
CHOOSE BETWEEN TWO INTERTWINING STORIES IN THIS EPIC TWO-PLAY ADVENTURE
Which path will you follow in the historically authentic 1876 Amiskwaciwâskahikan fort (ᐊᒥᐢᑲᐧᒋᐋᐧᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ ). Tensions are high. The fur trade is collapsing, settlers are encroaching into the territories of the First Nations, and the newly founded Canadian government is attempting to define itself through law and order. Tribes are suffering from scarcity of food, destroyed hunting grounds, starvation, and the ever-burdensome whiskey. Follow Ekah, a nehiyaw huntress or Lily, an European idealist in this immersive contemporary tale inspired by the signing of Treaty #6, the love story of Romeo and Juliet, and the lessons learned about what it means to be treaty people. See the present truth by discovering our collective past.
Originally developed at the Truth and Reconciliation through Theatre workshop at the Banff Centre for the Arts in 2016, the play has gone through development process with support from Theatre Network’s Nextfest, Common Ground Arts’ Found Festival, Flying Canoe Volant, and the Dreamspeakers’ Rubaboo Festival. This incredibly ambitious and immersive production reaches across generations and cultures.
Production History
July 24-August 4, 2024 - World Premiere Fort Edmonton Park co-presented by Common Ground Arts
May 28, 2023 - Workshop Presentation Fort Edmonton Park
2022 - Play Reading Flying Canoe Volant
2022 - Play Reading Rubaboo Arts Festival
2021 - Play Reading Common Ground Arts’ Found Festival
2019 - Staged reading Theatre Network’s Nextfest
CAST & CREATIVE TEAM 2024
Playwright JOSH LANGUEDOC
Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and Cultural Consultants WILSON BEARHEAD, MJ BELCOURT, HUNTER CARDINAL, JACQUELIN CARDINAL, LEWIS CARDINAL, JERRY SADDLEBACK, JO-ANN SADDLEBACK, NICHOLLE WEASEL TRAVELLER, RON WALKER
Co-Directors MARK VETSCH & NEIL KUEFLER
Choreographer REBECCA SADOWSKI
Fight Director NATHAN LOITZ
Fight Captain GABRIEL RICHARDSON*
Dance Captain ELENA PORTER*
Cast EMILY BERARD, REBECCA BISSONNETTE, MARIA BUFFALO, IVY DEGAGNÉ, DOUG MERTZ*, CHRISTINA NGUYEN*, CODY PORTER*, ELENA PORTER*, GABRIEL RICHARDSON*, COLBY STOCKDALE, AND DYLAN THOMAS-BOUCHIER*
Stage Management ANDREA MURPHY, ISABELLE MARTINEZ
Community Gathering Coordinator DANIELLE LAROSE
Producer MONICA GATE
Emerging Artist Producer KATELYN CABALO
Community Gathering Sound Technician AMELIA CHAN
*The participation of this Artist (these Artists) is arranged by permission of Canadian Actors’ Equity Association under the provisions of the DanceOperaTheatre Policy (DOT)
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“The relevance of the piece is immediate and urgent. ‘What does it mean to be a Treaty person?’ It’s a prime question for our moment in history.”
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