A gritty dark comedy that explores contemporary Indigenous life is onstage at the Anvil Centre in February.
Tales of an Urban Indian, written and performed by Darrell Dennis, is onstage Saturday, Feb. 9 at 7:30 p.m.
The show is described as a “semi-autobiographical” story of Simon Douglas, a contemporary First Nations man born in the 1970s and raised on a reserve in B.C. and Vancouver. Dennis – known for his work in the starring role of Brian Potter on the hit CBC drama Northwood - inhabits the role of Simon as he conjures up an array of characters that come in and out of his life. His mother and grandmother, his girlfriends and every other character are portrayed through Simon’s mimicry.
“I wanted to tell a story in which an Indigenous character is not defeated by his victimization, but rather, comes to the realization that all human beings possess the power of choice when reacting to their life experience,” Dennis said in a press release. “It was also important, in dealing with the difficult subject matter that we do in this play, to approach it with humour, since humour is perhaps the most important and prevalent survival mechanism in Indigenous society.”
Tales of an Urban Indian was nominated for two Dora Awards (Best Original Play and Best Performance by an Actor) in Toronto’s annual theatre awards. It has been produced for multiple tours across North America. Dennis’s feature film adaptation of Tales of an Urban Indian was one of 13 international screenplays accepted into the prestigious Sundance Screenwriters Lab.
Tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for students and seniors, available through www.ticketsnw.ca or 604-521-5050.
