Taran Kootenhayoo’s White Noise returns to the Firehall Arts Centre, April 15 to May 7

Remount of play produced with Savage Society questions internalized racism in Canada

SPONSORED POST BY Firehall Arts Centre

Braiden Houle and Anais West in White Noise. Photo by Mark Halliday

Due to audience demand, The Firehall and Savage Society are pleased to bring back to the stage, their 2022 co-production of award-winning Taran Kootenhayoo’s beloved play White Noise from April 15 to May 7, as part of the Firehall’s 40th anniversary season.

Previews of the show from April 15 to 19 will lead up to opening night, which is April 19 at 7:30 pm. Performance times throughout White Noise’s run are at 7:30 pm from Tuesdays through Saturdays, and at 3 pm on Saturdays and Sundays. Tuesdays are pay-what-you-can.

A comedy about two families who have dinner together for the first time during Truth and Reconciliation week, White Noise explores what it means to live in Canada from two different paradigms. The important work asks us to consider how we deal with internalized racism in our day-to-day lives.

The play will feature performances by Jonathan Fisher, Braiden Houle, Cheri Maracle, Mike Wasko, Anita Wittenberg, and Anais West. It juxtaposes comedic moments with a powerful, thought-provoking plot surrounding the history of Indigenous people on Turtle Island and in Canada.

White Noise honours the life and legacy of its playwright, Kootenhayoo, who passed away suddenly in 2020.

Born in Cold Lake, Alberta, Kootenhayoo was Denesuline and Stoney Nakota, as well as a member of the Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation. Known as “Standing Sunrise,” he was a storyteller and Indigenous rights activist, whose deep care for the land and people led him to weave advocacy and art.

At once an actor, director, screen and stage writer, poet, and spoken word artist, Kootenhayoo had the gift of captivating an audience with his work. The multi-talented creator was well-known for his role as Niki in the indie film Bella Ciao!, which premiered at the Whistler Film Festival in 2018.

White Noise is brought to life with the help of many talented individuals, including remount director Donna Spencer, assistant manager Cameron Peal, stage manager Jenny Kim, and sound designer Cheyanna Kootenhayoo, Taran’s sister.

Also vital to its creation are costume designer Crystine Booth, set designer Lauchlin Johnston, projection designer Candelario Andrade, and lighting designer Brad Trenaman.

The Savage Society, led by artistic director Kevin Loring of the Nlaka’pamux Nation from B.C.’s Lytton First Nation, tells stories that are sourced from traditional and contemporary Indigenous perspectives.

Tickets to White Noise can be found here.

Post sponsored by Firehall Arts Centre.

Taran Kootenhayoo.