From the Kwantlen First Nation village of Squa’lets comes the tale of Th’owxiya, an old and powerful spirit that inhabits a tempting feast dish, full of beautiful foods from around the world. But even surrounded by this delicious food, Th’owxiya herself craves only the taste of children. When she catches a hungry mouse named Kw’at’el stealing a piece of cheese from her dish, she threatens to devour Kw’at’el’s whole family, unless he can bring Th’owxiya two child spirits. Ignorant but desperate, Kw’at’el sets out on an epic journey to fulfill the spirit’s demands. With the help of Sqeweqs (a raven), two Spa:th (two bears) and Sasq’ets (a sasquatch), Kw’at’el endeavours to find gifts that would appease Th’owxiya and save his family. Like “Hansel and Gretel” and the northwest First Nations stories about the Wild Woman of the Woods, TH’OWXIYA is a tale of understanding boundaries, taking responsibility for one’s actions, forgiving mistakes and finding the courage to stand up for what’s right. The play integrates masks, song, and dance and features a diverse cast of characters of woodland creatures and spirits. Show is appropriate for ages 4 - 104! Running time is 58 minutes.

Kwantlen playwright, poet, and storyteller, Joseph A. Dandurand wrote the script Th'owxiya: the Hungry Feast Dish. He was also our Silversides Theatre Artist Talk Speaker this term at Waterloo. We we're so fortunate to hear his stories and receive his guidance in the early stages of our production. Joseph is a member of the Kwantlen First Nation, located on the Fraser River about twenty minutes east of Vancouver, BC. He resides there with his three children. Dandurand is the director of the Kwantlen Cultural Centre and the author of several children’s stories and books of poetry including The East Side of It All (Nightwood Editions 2020), which was shortlisted for the Griffin Poetry Prize. In 2021, Dandurand received the BC Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Literary Excellence. You can read some of his poems online or you could support him by purchasing one of his books. You can also buy the script of Th'owxiya if you'd like to a keep a copy for yourself!

In our program, one of the advantageous elements of a large-scale production such as Th'owxiya: The Hungry Feast Dish is the level of involvement of students. Every aspect of the production has stemmed from student leadership and effort. On the technical side, carpentry/paint, props, wardrobe, sound, lighting, and publicity all have student heads of department, who work under professional theatre makers and mentors to bring the vision of our guest artist designer to life. In this third-year course, they build on the skills they learned as crew members in previous terms, and lead the current crew made up of second-year students. These crew members are learning and implementing new skill sets throughout the process. The students acting in the production are from all over the university. This is a course for them, where they not only rehearse and perform a large-scale production but also work with an acting coach who gives them strategies for creating a character, techniques for warming up and using their body and voice as tools for performance, as well as guidance on professional etiquette. Our dramaturgy students this term range from capstone actors, to production heads, to any student interested in the class. They do in-depth research on the play, including its background, premise and themes; their work acts as a resource for those working on the production, which keeps the creative vision of the production grounded in the script. Their contributions have enriched audience outreach initiatives, the digital dramaturgy hub, and the pre-show engagement space. This production features Theatre and Performance majors in their final year of an undergraduate degree, working on the staging of Th'owxiya as their capstone project. This means that they work at an advanced, independent level with faculty, staff, and visiting artists, to create and reflect upon a mainstage production. In this production, two students pursuing a capstone designation as actors, one as stage manager, and one as co-props designer. In other years students have pursued their capstone designation as production managers, associate designers, and associate directors. We create our productions with high production values based on professional industry standards. The goal is for students to have an immersive experience of what it is like to work in a professional setting but with the safety net of an educational environment. Each student is mentored at their level and their growth is based on their capacity, drive, and passion.