Father Tartuffe: An Indigenous Misadventure uses humour to pry into more difficult social issues
For this fresh twist on Molière classic, actor Danica Charlie says it’s been a challenge to travel back to the Canada of 1967
Nuu-chah-nulth actor Danica Charlie.
The Arts Club Theatre Company and Touchstone Theatre present Father Tartuffe: An Indigenous Misadventure at the Granville Island Stage from February 22 to March 24.
PUTTING A FRESH SPIN on Molière’s quintessential play, Father Tartuffe: An Indigenous Misadventure showcases the joys and pitfalls of the Indigenous experience.
Written by Herbie Barnes, Father Tartuffe: An Indigenous Misadventure follows Orin, played by Sam Bob, the patriarch of an Indigenous household who has recently become wealthy—thanks to his government job with Expo 67. But when he welcomes the seedy Catholic priest Tartuffe, played by Aidan Correia, into his home, his family must rally together to uncover Tartuffe’s true intentions.
Nuu-chah-nulth actor Danica Charlie plays Maryanne, the daughter of Orin. Marianne is engaged to her longtime boyfriend Valant, played by Frankie Cottrell, but her plans go awry when Tartuffe enters the scene.
“I definitely resonate with Maryanne’s joy,” Charlie says in a phone interview with Stir. “She is so full of life and expressive of her emotions.
“I think Tartuffe is the perfect play to put an Indigenous twist on because there are so many parallels between the Catholic Church and residential schools, and how religion can be used as a form of evil, when originally it's not supposed to be that way,” she continues. “But people can use it and twist it into something that is not for their benefit.”
Charlie admits it was a challenge to ground herself within the setting of Canada in 1967. “Indigenous people had only had the right to vote for 10 years at that point, and the play is set during Expo 67,” she says, “which was a celebration of Canadian federation, when not everyone wanted to celebrate Canada.”
Through this retelling, Barnes is able to transform Molière’s classic text into a poignant modern production that explores Indigenous social issues. Father Tartuffe hosts a cast of colourful characters who reflect the Indigenous experience. Take Orin’s character, who is gullible but wants to provide the best for his family after being treated as less because of his identity.
“I think it's so important to see ourselves on stage like that,” Charlie says. “I didn't have that kind of representation growing up. I never saw myself in any characters, in the sense of what they look like and what their core values are, or their traditions. So that's been really valuable to me, and especially the practices that we bring into the room.
“On the first day of production, we had this beautiful potluck, and we had dancers come in and welcome us to the land,” she adds. “There's just so much family and hope when we’re able to tell our own stories.”
Tartuffe’s comedic aspects are also revamped to suit an Indigenous audience, creating space for joy and laughter that complement the depth of the issues the play covers. Charlie says that humour is paramount to the production, and that she hopes to see more cultural spaces devoted to the uplifting aspects of Indigenous identity.
“There’s lots of humour that is for Indigenous folks specifically, so I think it's going to be really great to hear those big auntie laughs in the audience,” Charlie says. “It’s so important to see Indigenous joy on stage showcased, because not everything has to be about our trauma and all the hardships that we went through.”
“I hope Indigenous people see themselves and see their families in this production,” Charlie concludes. “And I hope that people who aren't Indigenous get to see that perspective, especially around the context of Indigenous rights in 1967.” 
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