Ever! That Nanabush a hot ticket at theatre

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The open air stage constructed in the Holy Cross Mission ruins of Wikwemikong has attracted many avid theatre fans this summer. The De-ba-jeh-mu-jig troupe, famous for innovative productions since 1986, has created another crowd-pleaser.

This year's presentation entitled Ever! That Nanabush! is based on the storytelling of artist Daphne Odjig.

The legendary mystical trickster speaks to people of all ages, according to Chris Wemigwans, who plays the male Nanabush in "Nanabush is a positive role model because he learns life lessons the hard way," Wemigwans says. "He is a spiritual being, but he still makes errors the same as humans do."

Annette Peltier, De-ba-jeh-mu-jig director of marketing, shares Wemigwans' affection for the sometimes naughty but always vulnerable Nanabush. "The play offers lessons about how it is to be human," she says. "The audience learns a lot through the character getting into different difficult situations. We are reminded of how the balance came to exist between humans and nature."

Some of the moral tales explain why geese fly in a V-formation, why the chipmunk has stripes on her back and why the rabbit has long ears and split lips. Other vignettes illustrate how Nanabush learned not to be greedy and how the Sun and Thunder learned to co-exist in harmony.

The set, built to accommodate the antics of Nanabush and his various companions, has a playful feel. The animals scramble through a set of old tires, clamber up ladders, hide behind evergreen bushes and balance on a teeter totter. A woodchip-strewn floor with old logs and potted plants adds to the outdoor atmosphere.

And sometimes the Spirit of Thunder co-operates in a dramatic way by sending a spectacular real-time lightning show to underscore the theme of the evening performance.

Resident wardrobe manager, Bill Shawanda, emphasized the importance of the costumes in conveying the play's message.

With donated fur for the bear, raccoon, rabbit, chipmunk and skunk, he fashioned costumes easily changed and adapted by the actors.

"We thought it was important to illustrate the vulnerability of each character," he said. "We try to show that quality through the stencil work on the costumes. The designs represent what beliefs the characters hold true and cherish."

Portraying the animal characters required extensive training, according to actor Cameron Courtorielle. "This was a whole new experience," he said. "We had to research each animal and decide how a human would play a duck or a weasel or a bear. Every gesture had to be different."

And since Courtorielle assumes the role of eight different creatures, he has learned to be a quick change artist. "It is fun and exciting for the actors and the audience," he said. "Some nights everything is very funny; you have to change in ten seconds."

Associate artistic director Audrey said, "I love working in the theatre because of the messages we can convey to the young people. Traditionally the Anishinabe people have always used humor to deal with sensitive subjects or to get through difficult times. We have found that young people really respond to humor; when we do plays we reach people better through jokes and laughter."