White Noise returns to the Firehall Arts Centre with its biting look at Truth and Reconciliation, to May 7
Frank, smart story of a dinner party gone awry attracted rave reviews last year
Braiden Houle in White Noise. Photo by Moonrider Productions
Savage Society and the Firehall Arts Centre present White Noise at the Firehall from April 15 to May 7
WHEN IT DEBUTED almost exactly a year ago at the Firehall Arts Centre, Taran Kootenhayoo’s White Noise made an instant impact. The story of two families—one Indigenous, the other non-Indigenous—was a biting comedy that hit a chord at a time when everyone was grappling with internalized racism, white privilege, and what Truth and Reconciliation means on a personal level.
Critics raved and crowds turned out, but the success of the short run, produced by Savage Society, was somewhat bittersweet: Vancouver-based, Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation member Kootenhayoo had died on December 31, 2020, at just 27 years old, and never saw the premiere of his smart, timely, and stunningly frank play.
Now, as part of its 40th anniversary season, the Firehall is offering audiences a chance to catch the work again. This time out it has a slightly new cast, spanning the two generations that sound off over the dinner table: Jonathan Fisher, Braiden Houle, Cheri Maracle, Mike Wasko, Anita Wittenberg, and Anais West. Renae Morriseau directs again. And the clever design elements are also back, including Lauchlin Johnston’s angular set, which alludes to the modern technologies that preoccupy the show’s younger generation, but is also faceted, like the play’s many-sided issues. Candelario Andrade’s projections add further levels of visual depth and meaning.
The dinner party goes hilariously awry, but amid all the laughter, expect some compelling food for thought.
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