Owl Calling is a national award-winning play written by Darrell Racine, Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Native Studies, and Dale Lakevold, Assistant Professor in the Faculty of English. On October 3rd at the Evans Theatre, the audience was treated to a live stage reading of the play. It was marked by amazing live performances that were brought to life by the talented cast. The play included quite a few touching songs, that offered a small window of insight into an emotional character arc.
The live stage reading boasted a cast that did not hold back on the tough source material covered. The cast had the audience roaring with laughter, along with quite a few teary-eyed onlookers, as we all watched with weighted breath to see what would unfold next.
Owl Calling is a story of healing and reconciliation. It is a local story, a familiar story. It takes place in the summer of 2011 in Winnipeg. It follows two best friends and brothers-in-law, Eddie and Jim, who are faced with the decision to share their experiences of the years they spent in Canada’s residential school system. The story introduces a different perspective on how this subject directly effects the younger Indigenous generations - the descendants that grew up in the households of the survivors. The daughters and sons, our mothers and fathers. It is a conversation that often gets forgotten about. This story highlights the effects of multigenerational trauma.
Jim is the everyday man. He is the character that holds it together for the family - he represents stability, he is the man that would take care of you as if you were his own kid. Jim is a leader and survivor. Jim is clearly the father figure of the family.
Eddie’s story is an important one. He was the character that had musical talent beyond his means; a man that could make anyone laugh, who made everyone around him happy. Throughout the story, Eddie is faced with the ultimate decision of whether he wants to open up for the first time and share his experience of abuse. It is during this pivotal moment that Eddie’s character disappears for a few days. His family is left worried, wondering if this is the time they can not find him, if this is the time they get a call from the police. Was this going to be the time Eddie does not come home?
Eddie shares his story in a powerful moment, and with this moment his character is finally ready to move forward and grow. Eddie is the family member that all Indigenous families have - the family member everyone has come to accept and understand. The family member everybody loves no matter what.
Owl Calling left me with a strange feeling, a familiar feeling. It was a story I had seen before, but with an alternate ending. I was reminded of a memory that hit me with a tidal wave of emotion. The memory was of my mother crying hysterically, when she had gotten the news that her father had been found unresponsive downtown. I was a small child at the time. I never understood that there was anything wrong with my grandfather. The few memories I had with him, I remember all he wanted to do was make me laugh; he was silly, he was nice, just what a small child wants from a grandparent. But I guess some perspective on life helps you understand things a little better when you get older. I remember when I was younger my family would drive around downtown Brandon at night looking for my grandfather. My mother would load me up in the back of the car. I remember looking for him more than I ever got to spend time with him. My grandfather was an Eddie.
The stories told and shared in this play are important, not just for the casual viewer looking for some different perspective, but for people that have lived and experienced these things. A part of the process is understanding who you are, and where you come from. I think that it is important. In my household growing up we never talked about these things, and there are many family stories I will never get to hear.
I share a small personal story like this, as an Indigenous male and someone who has lost a lot of his family, as a part of my journey to healing. The multigenerational trauma that follows Indigenous peoples is something I never fully understood, and will never understand, but that is okay.
Owl Calling was a beautiful play that had a lasting impression on me. I encourage any others to get out of your comfort zone, go out and enjoy the many things that are offered at Brandon University.