A Walk with Raven and Coyote: Stories of Transformation
THREE STARS | What recommends this show is its honesty, its intimacy, and its total lack of pretension
Rating: ★★★
Company: Urban Indigenous Theatre Company, Winnipeg
Genre: Storytelling
Venue: 4 — Onstage at Pantages
"Transformation" seems an appropriate theme for this show — given that what you'll likely see are storytellers in a transitional stage in their artistic development.
Beginning with a traditional tale about the trickster Raven, Urban Indigenous Theatre Company's Columpa Bobb introduces the theme of transformation, and invites some of the aspiring storytellers working with her at UITC to share their stories — including 21st-century takes on the theme, trickster tales of their own creation, and achingly honest and personal stories.
What recommends this show is its honesty, its intimacy, and its total lack of pretension.- Joff Schmidt
The storytellers and stories may vary from performance to performance, so your experience might be different.
And to be clear, except for Bobb — who has a honed grace and wit — the storytellers on opening night were not polished professionals.
But they were sincere and sometimes endearing in their slight awkwardness. And what recommends this show is its honesty, its intimacy, and its total lack of pretension — pre-show, Bobb welcomes us to what's intended to feel less like performance, and more like "we're sitting in the living room having bannock and tea."
There are much worse ways to spend 45 minutes than that.
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