Prairie Theatre Exchange

Tara Beagan’s Governor General’s Award-winning Rise, Red River is a multilingual vision of Indigenous survivance

“A big part of what I consider this writing to be is an honoring of ancestors that I will never meet in person,” says Beagan. “[That includes Indigenous] ancestors who [may only be] distantly related to me, or not actually bloodline-related to me at all, because it feels like we have to do that wherever we are in this colonized nation."

For director, actor, and educator Allen MacInnis, theatre is a precious opportunity for change

“You can’t perform if you’re self-conscious. It’s absolute death. And that extends to every other artist in the theatre: every designer, every director, every composer,” says the former artistic director of Young People’s Theatre. “If you’re concerned about how the audience will judge what you’ve done, something’s held back.”

For lighting designer Hailey Verbonac, Indigenous design is in the details

Hailey Verbonac is a trailblazing designer — and budding rap lyricist. At least that’s the case with regard to his work on Space Girl, a new play by Frances Koncan that Prairie Theatre Exchange is presenting digitally following a live run in 2023.