Heartfelt opera written by Indigenous storyteller debuts this week in Toronto

An Algonquin-Anishinaabe storyteller and researcher in London, Ont. launched an opera called Canoe which made its debut on Tuesday in Toronto at Trinity-St. Paul's United Church. 

Spy Dénommé-Welch, an associate professor at Western University, said the inspiration for the opera came to him about 14 years ago. 

It all started when an idea popped into his head wondering what it was like for the first canoe to be created,  said Dénommé-Welch, who serves as Western's Chair in Indigenous arts, knowledge systems and education.

He built a story imagining what the first-ever canoe journey might have looked like — and exploring the theme of human connection with the land.

"The most exciting part of it was exploring different world spaces," he said.

Unlike traditional operas, Canoe is a mix of musical theatre, opera and storytelling. It follows the story of twin sisters Constance and Gladys and how they cope with different obstacles they face together.

The opera is set in the mid-1980s and also showcases harsh realities Indigenous peoples faced, such as children being forcibly taken and put into residential schools.

For over a decade, Dénommé-Welch worked on the libretto, opera text, and story for Canoe, and collaborated with musician Catherine Magowan to compose the music.

Creating an engaging, minimalist opera was one of the biggest challenges he faced, he said. 

"I really want to see this work as something that can be very portable, minimalist, applying minimalist-theater aesthetics… and something that can be taken into almost any setting," he said. 

'I was so happy that were people laughing'

Benjamin Stein, assistant music director of the production, said that working on Canoe was a long process that spanned  about 10 years. But the four-week process of getting together to put the show together was very intense, he said. 

Stein said the team was overjoyed at the positive feedback they received from the audience at the debut show.

"I was so happy that people were laughing and carrying on, and they brought the cast back for an extra bow at the end." 

Canoe runs until Saturday at Trinity-St. Paul's United Church at 427 Bloor St. W. in Toronto. It is an Unsettled Scores production in collaboration with Native Earth Performing Arts, The Toronto Consort and Theatre Passe Muraille.