HBC history revealed through youth performance
Ally Martindale, Avery McDermott, Molly Lydon and Leah Oikawa-Cave rehearse for the upcoming performance of the Shadow Project, recounting the history of the Hudson’s Bay Company.
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Kids tackle all facets of the production
The beaver felt hat is why we’re here and why we call ourselves Canadians, 13 young historians discovered.
For the past three years, the team of young people belonging to Tumbleweeds Theatre have researched the history of the fur trade, developed characters and wrote a script to share what they’ve learned.
“Indigenous people lost their land because of this hat; an entire species was almost eradicated; a new economy was built,” announces a shadow puppet in a performance exploring how the Hudson’s Bay Company shaped Victoria.
“Every word, everything you see has been created by the kids,” said director Kim Denness-Thomas.
The multimedia Shadows Project opens at St. Ann’s Academy in 1860, with Mrs. Helmcken and her class putting on a puppet show. Through the puppets, the audience learns the history of the fur trade.
“They just had an amazing time learning about their history in a way that isn’t touching them in the school system,” Denness-Thomas said.
A series of monologues, including the Hudson’s Bay department store ribbon cutting in 1920 and scenes from various employees’ lives through the present, transport the audience through the decades.
“In ’40s and ’50s we meet a girl who really wants to work in ladies’ wear and ends up in the hunting and fishing section,” said Denness-Thomas. “They’re all inspired by true stories.”
Tumbleweeds Theatre is about encouraging artistic expression without the obstacle of cost, she explained. Kids sign up for a $50 annual membership and they stay.
“We’re really lucky with sponsors making sure the show could happen without compromise,” she said, noting that the Hudson’s Bay Company is not a sponsor.
Spanish Fly Music, one of many groups that made in-kind donations, composed original music to play between scenes, changing in style depending upon the era.
The show takes place this Saturday (Nov. 14) at 8 p.m. and Sunday (Nov. 15) at 4 p.m. at St. Ann’s Academy. Donations are accepted but not expected. For details on the show or the theatre company, visit www.tumbleweedstheatre.ca.
rholmen@saanichnews.com
