As a Viking warrior in solo show Shield Maiden, Melanie Teichroeb delivers a comedic 10th-century TED Talk on gender equality
Gabriola Island-based artist embarks on a reclamation of female strength in her production inspired by a true scientific discovery
Melanie Teichroeb in Shield Maiden. Photo by Bill Pope
Anvil Theatre presents Melanie Teichroeb’s Shield Maiden on December 16 from 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm
MELANIE TEICHROEB IS brusque, bawdy, and unapologetic in her Viking warrior solo show Shield Maiden. There’s just one problem, though—scientists failed to believe a woman could be a warrior.
Teichroeb’s concept for the show surfaced back in 2017, amid the growing prominence of the #MeToo movement. She was living in her current home on Gabriola Island, reading the stories that women were sharing and connecting to their feelings of rage, disappointment, and frustration.
Around that time, Teichroeb also happened to read a National Geographic article that revealed a shocking new discovery on a well-known ancient Viking warrior gravesite, which was uncovered over 100 years ago in modern-day Sweden. Up until 2017, scientists had assumed the warrior was a man, since the body was laid to rest surrounded by various weapons and two sacrificed horses. In reality, they were wrong.
“They recently did DNA testing on the Viking buried in that site, and it turns out that warrior was a woman,” Teichroeb says in an interview with Stir. “So I thought, what would she have to say right now to all of us? And then at the same time that that discovery was made, she was being gaslit: ‘No way a woman could be a warrior! No way a woman would be buried with all these high-status warrior grave goods, she must have been a slave sacrifice!’ And I just remember thinking, well, this is not a new phenomenon.”
As Garrison Commander Ingrid Larsdottir, Teichroeb delivers a 10th-century Viking TED Talk to the audience in Shield Maiden. Breaking the fourth wall, she embarks on a search for new warrior recruits, encouraging onlookers—who can imagine they’re ancient Nordic warriors in a longhouse right along with her—that women can be warriors, too. Teichroeb addresses themes of female empowerment and inner strength with comedic flair and a bold personality.
“I would describe her as sort of my polar opposite, for starters,” Teichroeb tells Stir of Ingrid with a laugh, “which has made her very fun to play. She’s very forward. She’s very self-confident. She doesn’t care what other people think about her. And she exhibits what I think a lot of people consider typical male traits, but for her, it’s just who she is.”
Melanie Teichroeb. Photo by Bill Pope
Teichroeb was born and raised in Texas and moved to Canada over 25 years ago when she married her husband, Canadian singer-songwriter Dave Teichroeb. Growing up in the ’70s, she says, there were very stereotypical ideas of the respective roles men and women should take on—proper women were expected to dress, speak, and carry themselves a certain way. Over time, Teichroeb began to realize that women didn’t have to be defined so categorically.
A post-show talkback takes place after Shield Maiden, which will allow viewers to mull over their own notions of gender roles. A surprise modern-day local warrior woman is joining Teichroeb to discuss how the themes in Shield Maiden pertain to the special guest’s life. The pair will also invite audience members to ask questions about the show’s subject matter.
“What I’ve found is that the audience is typically not ready to be done with this character and with these themes,” says Teichroeb. “It’s fomenting, it’s bringing things up. They want to talk about it, they want to hear other people talk about it. So I’m always just curious about how each audience is going to respond. And that is the fun part for me in performing, is just that connection, and the curiosity around how it lands.”
A former registered massage therapist, Teichroeb took a leap into the performing arts with the premiere of Shield Maiden in 2018. The following year, the show toured to the Frontera Festival in Austin, Texas, and then to New York City’s off-Broadway United Solo Festival. Teichroeb has since carved out a meaningful niche for herself, with works among the likes of her dream-inspired pandemic short film Sweating With Strangers.
Ultimately, says the artist, performing Shield Maiden over the years has been a cathartic experience.
“I do not move through my life like a warrior, you know,” she shares. “I’m a nurturer. I’m very compassionate. I’m very supportive. And tapping into this warrior spirit has definitely brought a new colour palette into my life of emotion and possibility.”
Related Articles
