Sum Theatre hits the trail for Winterruption
Sum Theatre is continuing its long-standing tradition of breaking the boundaries of traditional theatre with its latest production Theatre on the Trail. This one-of-a-kind winter experience marks the group’s first collaboration with the Broadway Theatre for the city’s Winterruption Festival.
Starting at the University of Saskatchewan’s President’s Residence, audiences will walk along Saskatoon’s beautiful Meewasin Trail, experiencing a free, large-scale, original performance. The wintertime beauty of our city is the focal point as the show celebrates the history of the treaties through brand new artwork and
Rapper Ali Kharsa and actor Wanita Bird (l-r) star in Theatre on the Trail. (Britainy Zapshalla)
performances created by a group of Indigenous and Newcomer artists from Syria, China and Malaysia.
“This piece has been a treat to work on. It’s exciting to watch two groups of people explore shared and separate history and what it means to be connected to a place,” says director Charlie Peters. “We are all Treaty people and we all share this land. This performance is a microcosm of our community as we learn to live together.”
“This piece has been a treat to work on. It’s exciting to watch two groups of people explore shared and separate history and what it means to be connected to a place,”
The total performance walk will last about 20 minutes (40 minutes for the whole experience). There will be a chance to warm up with a hot chocolate at the end of the show. It will happen at 5:00 p.m., 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. nightly. The audience is encouraged to dress for winter, as we will be out in the elements.
For those wanting to depart from Broadway, there is a special tour to the performance site with the Happy Soles walking group scheduled for 4:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. on Thursday and 5:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. That group will leave from the stone stage at Victoria School on Broadway Ave. and 11th Street.
Torien Cafferata and Wanita Bird tell a story of where we come from and where we are going in Theatre on the Trail. (Britainy Zapshalla)
This show is our way of marking Canada’s 150th anniversary and finding a way forward together by celebrating cultural diversity and community. The show is meant as a time for families and friends to come together and honour the community in a moving and ultimately uplifting experience.
Sum Theatre is also partnering with the Broadway Theatre to present a double bill of shows. Evalyn Parry’s SPIN which takes audiences on a journey through the history and cultural impact of the bicycle and Vanessa Smythe’s In Case We Disappear a show that delves into how we would like to be remembered when we die. Both performances will be at the Refinery Jan. 18 – 20, 2018.
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