Métis cast to tour young people’s play throughout Manitoba

Blue Beads & Blueberries will premiere at the Manitoba Theatre for Young People at 2 Forks Market Road, Winnipeg on Feb. 21 and will run until March 2 with a completely Métis cast.

The hour-long performance for young people ages 5 to 12 tells the story of a Métis father who asks his daughters to explain their love for him. The answer he receives from his eldest daughter is not one he approves of.

The father, feeling insulted, banishes his daughter.

“This is a play that started back in about 2016 as a commission from Story Theatre Company in Victoria, B.C. and they are the theatre company that actually gave me my first gig out of university,” said Métis playwright Erin Macklem.

When the offer came for Macklem to put her mind to writing a play, her own daughter was young. Macklem’s goal was to create a play that supported theatre for youth.

“So, I had this idea for adapting a fairytale that I had come across when I was probably the same age, about eight or nine, as she was at that time that had really influenced me and how I looked at the world,” Macklem explained.

Cap-o’-Rushes, an English fairytale, was her inspiration for Blue Beads & Blueberries.

“I grew up with the Disney Cinderella story that many are familiar with, but I came across this sort of related version of that kind of fairytale called Cap-o’-Rushes, which stayed with me because it’s a similar kind of thing where there’s a parent and some sisters and two of the sisters are treated really well and one of them is treated really poorly,” Macklem said.

The twist is, instead of a fairy godmother coming to the rescue and granting a bunch of wishes or giving gifts, the young girl betters herself and her life through her own creativity.

“I loved that empowering kind of message,” said Macklem.

She pitched the idea of how she wanted to write an adaptation, weaving Métis culture and traditions throughout the story.

Originally the play was a half-hour performance but was recreated to be an hour-long performance for Manitoba Theatre for Young People.

“We worked on developing it and expanding it, which I was thrilled to do because I had so many other ideas for songs and dances and other things to incorporate,” explained Macklem.

The title of the play comes from two different aspects of the storyline.

When the father requests his daughters describe their love for him, the eldest said she loves him “as much as pemmican loves blueberries.”

As the story unfolds the daughter’s metaphor is eventually understood.

Blue Beads is from a subplot of the story where the daughter receives a gift from her love interest.

Alanna McPherson has the role of a 14-year-old daughter.

“I’m still somewhat of an up-and-coming actor, so this is a pretty, beautifully personal and a wonderful show to kind of break in a bit in my local scene, my home community, and it’s a precious gem,” McPherson said.

The actress said she wanted to be part of the production because of the message it conveys.

“I love that it touches on the aspect of the importance of our traditions, as well as kind of pushing the envelope of the modern Métis perspective and how both can coexist,” said McPherson. “Both are so important. As the world keeps changing and adapting, so do we.”

The show will be McPherson’s debut.

“I’ve always been interested in theatre. I caught the bug pretty young actually.”

McPherson took classes at Manitoba Theatre for Young People.

“They have a huge theatre school, which is amazing for kids and teens,” McPherson said, adding she received her diploma from the McEwan University Theatre Arts program in Edmonton.

She’s been auditioning and learning since.

After performing for the general public in Winnipeg, the show will then tour 87 schools throughout Manitoba, including many northern communities.

“I hope kids have fun seeing us have fun on stage and embracing the culture and history of our people,” McPherson said. “And I hope that folks who aren’t Métis might be learning, walking away with a new story.”

For more information or to purchase tickets visit Blue Beads and Blueberries | MTYP – Manitoba Theatre for Young People

Local Journalism Initiative Reporters are supported by a financial contribution made by the Government of Canada.