Annual Cree Christmas Play Features Adventures of Kohkums
- EFN Staff | November 27, 2013
Tomorrow is the opening of Saskatchewan Native Theatre Company's annual Christmas show.
The company is excited to present a Cree Christmas, as the play will reacquaint theatre-goers with the Cree language. For those unfamiliar with the language, there will be English surtitles.
Mékiwin: The Gift follows the adventures of three kohkums: Zula Merastee, who is expecting her first grandchild; Sihkos Sinclaire, who is hospitalized due to a snowblower accident; and Clare Bear, who is convinced Sihkos' condition is worse they originally thought. Watch this video of the kohkums in action.
Waylon Machiskinic plays Sihkos, and he says in a way, it's a natural fit. He has based his character off of his own kohkum, whom he says is a bit wild.
"I remember as a kid, we used to make fun of kohkums, because we used to like how they talked because they had bad accent, broken English. We'd make fun of that as kids. I never thought growing up that I would actually be doing that and getting paid to do that!" he jokes.
Machiskinic has been with the company now for 10 years, and this is his fifth Christmas production. He says being with SNTC has changed his life.
"I came from a dark place. Dysfunction home, dysfunctional community, and I was suppressed growing up," he explains. "I wasn't allowed to express, but I had artistic skills, and therefore, I kind of got pushed away, bullied by my family."
He says being pushed away led him to performing arts and SNTC, where he began his training with the 2003 Circle of Voices program, which produced and toured AWOL.
"From then on, I was bit by the theatre bug."
Machiskinic says performing arts have helped him with personal skills.
"Way back when, I wasn't able to speak out or speak up for myself, or anything. But now I feel like I have the tools."
Mékiwin: The Giftruns runs November 28 until December 7 with matinees and evening shows at Studio 914 20th Street West in Saskatoon.
For more information, see our Events listing.