Cultural differences in friendship are examined and celebrated in Frozen River nîkwatin sîpiy

Carousel Theatre for Young People (CTFYP) has opened its 2022/23 season with a play that’s timely, educational, entertaining, and very suited for children. Frozen River nîkwatin sîpiy’s kid-friendly story is brought to life with skilled acting and creative puppetry and visuals to inform on Indigenous experience, while teaching what it means to truly listen to others.

Written by Michaela Washburn, Joelle Peters, and Carrie Costello, the show tells the story of two 11-year-olds, both born during the blood moon (lunar eclipse), who meet in a forest (in what will eventually be known as Manitoba) centuries ago. Wapam (Keely McPeek) is Indigenous and Eilidh (Mallory James) is of Scottish decent. After Wapam and her family help Eilidh’s family with the birth of Eilidh’s sister, Wapam and Eilidh forge a strong friendship, despite language and cultural differences. However, over time we witness how one’s perception of cultural differences can impact friendship.

The second half of the play is set in present times, and we meet descendants of Wapam and Eilidh. Like the two characters in the first half, both are 11-years-old and were born during a blood moon, and they are also named Wapam and Eilidh. Through their interactions, we see how truly listening to others can open our perspectives and lead to choices in which cultural differences help friendships flourish.

McPeek and James are great in each of their duo roles, where they essentially play versions of Wapam and Eilidh in the past and present. Since childhood was a lot more rushed hundreds of years ago, I appreciated how both performers’ past versions of their characters seemed a little more grown up and experienced in life, compared to their present-day counterparts.

Through it all, McPeek’s versions of Wapam have an underlying wisdom and questioning of the world around her. Both versions of James’ Eilidh believe they know what should be done for the greater good, but as viewers will see, these two versions make different choices.

Krystle Pederson is fun to watch as the show’s narrator, Grandmother Moon. She also serves as the show’s onstage puppeteer, performing the puppetry for Eilidh’s sister and a school turtle (an audience favourite).

Andy Moro’s set adds a mystic touch, with its use of silhouettes and puppetry, perhaps a nod to Indigenous storytelling. Under the direction of Katie German, there’s great use of the stage and the show runs smoothly.

The show’s script cleverly makes important issues digestible for young audiences. However, at one point during the first half I felt the dialogue and action started to get repetitive. While it’s common to have more repetition in children’s theatre to drive home messaging, in this case there was too much and it affected the flow of the play. The flow is a lot smoother in the second half of the show, and I enjoyed the way the plot points come together at the end.

Frozen River nîkwatin sîpiy does an inventive and admirable job in its messaging and is ideal for kids ages 6 and up. Of course, there’s flexibility with this, as all kids are different. But in general, kids 6-years-old and up should be able to absorb the story and takeaways from this show.  

The show opened yesterday, September 30, which of course marked this year’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. It was a great gesture of solidarity for CTFYP with Indigenous communities, as well as a gesture to illustrate the company’s renewal under the relatively recent leadership of co-artistic and managing directors Dave Deveau and Jennica Grienke. This renewal promises continued playful, imaginative, and accessible theatre experiences for children, within a culture of inclusiveness and respect.

On opening night, this bright and warm culture was very evident in how welcoming and positive Deveau, Grienke, and the CTFYP team were, and there were great, positive vibes all-around. During the opening night reception, audience members were enthusiastic and commented on the renewed culture of CTFYP. Frozen River nîkwatin sîpiy marks a wonderful start to CTFYP’s new season and new beginnings.  

 Frozen River nîkwatin sîpiy, a Manitoba Theatre for Young People production, presented in Vancouver by Carousel Theatre For Young People (CTFYP), plays at the Waterfront Theatre until October 16. Visit CTFYP website for more information.