The Drum is Calling You Home is a play that tells the story of Marcel Gagnon.
Gagnon, a former resident of Quesnel, is an Aboriginal Music Award winning and Juno-award nominated musician and an elder of the Lheildi T’enneh band near Prince George.
The story is about his life, growing up as one of 20 children, searching for but also denying his indigenous roots, and looking for a place to call home. In his mid-thirties, Gagnon experienced an awakening which took him back to his roots and led him to become a leader within his community.
The play takes place over four acts, and each of the acts take place in a sweat lodge.
A typical sweat lodge ceremony also lasts four rounds. “We go into the lodge, we bring rocks in and do our prayers and our songs and everything, and then we open the door and we bring in more rocks. We do that four times,” says Gagnon. “So we kind of base the play around those four rounds.”
The first round is about his childhood, the second about his adolescence, the third is about his adulthood while the fourth – and final – considers his elder years.
Although Gagnon, 68, is no stranger to performing, he has never been in a play before.
“This is all new to me,” he says. “But it’s very exciting and interesting; challenging as well.”
He had played music at the Sunset Theatre a few times when Karen Jeffrey, the executive artistic director of the theatre, hinted that the story of his life might make a good stage play, as his songs were already very story-oriented.
Together, they worked on the show, and even received a grant from the Canada Council for the Arts.
Gagnon hopes to use the grant to travel around B.C. and then Canada, performing the show.
Jeffrey and Gagnon have been working on the show, which is part of the Sunset Theatre’s 2018 Exploration series, since February 2017. The Exploration series works with local artists to develop their shows and then perform them at the theatre.
The show will feature storytelling, as well as song and ceremony.
Jeffery, who also directs the show, says the play talks about both Gagnon’s “struggles, and his triumphs.”
She says Gagnon is well respected, and has “inspired many, many people.”
The Drum in Calling You Home will premiere Aug. 2 at 8 p.m. The Sunset Theatre will also be hosting a pre-opening celebration at 5 p.m. for all of the indigenous artists who are currently working with the Sunset Theatre. Additional shows will be hosted at 2 p.m. during ArtsWells, on August 3-4. The play will also be performed August 9, 10, and 11 at 8 p.m.
Visit www.sunset-theatre.com for more information.
heather.norman@quesnelobserver.com
Like us on Facebook