Copper Thunderbird

COPPER THUNDERBIRD

by Marie Clements
Western Edge Theatre, Nanaimo, BC
Two Act, Rated: PG14 Adult content. Not suitable for children
Saturday, August 20th, 7:00pm
Festival Tent $15

About the show:
The play is based on the life of the great artist Norval Morrisseau. Called the ’Picasso of the North’ by none other than Picasso himself, Morrisseau was acclaimed and exhibited around the world. Yet his life story often reads like a Dostoevsky novel as time and again he pits his demons against his genius. "Appearing simultaneously in this highly theatrical, multi-layered drama as a small-boy, a young warrior and an old man, Morrisseau confronts his many selves and the Faustian bargain he made for success.” Written by the award-winning Galiano playwright Marie Clements, “Copper Thunderbird” was first-produced at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. This will be its first full production in BC.

About Norval Morrisseau: (1931 – 2007)
As the soul originator of his "Woodland" style, Morrisseau has become an inspiration to three generations of artists. He has received an honorary degree from the Royal Academy of Arts and is a member of The Order Of Canada, the highest civilian honour in Canada. Morrisseau was a self-taught artist. He developed his own techniques and artistic vocabulary, which captured ancient legends and images that came to him in visions or dreams. He was originally criticized by the native community because his images disclosed traditional spiritual knowledge. However, it is widely acknowledged that Morrisseau laid the groundwork for Canadian native artists to be authentic to their own culture and experiences while still being considered part of the broader artistic scene.

About the company:
Western Edge Theatre is a Nanaimo-based theatre company dedicated to presenting cutting-edge contemporary drama, including original scripts by BC playwrights, and plays intended to expand the range of theatre in the central Vancouver Island area.
westernedge.ning.com

About the co-directors:
Cj Rice is a member of the Snuneymuxw First Nations, and currently in Digital Media Studies at VIU. She has won numerous awards for her work in the arts including the "Certificate of Merit" from the Community Theatre Coalition for outstanding development and use of props in The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged). Cj has also worked for the CBC in various production capacities as well as for Shaw Cable. She is a published poet, and is currently producing a series of music videos.

Frank Moher is the Artistic Producer of Western Edge Theatre. Previous productions for the company include Supreme Dream, Some Random City, Tuesdays With Morrie, Boston Marriage, Sugar Daddies, My Name is Rachel Corrie, The Odd Couple, The Goat, and numerous staged readings for the New Waves Festival. Other theatres at which he has directed include the National Arts Centre, The Banff Centre, TheatreOne, and Island Theatre, for which he directed last year's production of Light Sensitive (first seen at the Gabriola Theatre Festival). Also a playwright, his plays have been seen across North America and abroad. Frank teaches in the Department of Creative Writing and Journalism at Vancouver Island University, and is editor of the online magazine backofthebook.ca

online ticket sales are now ended; please buy your tickets at the door!