Ministry of Grace begins its run tonight at Making Treaty 7.
A play written and directed by Tara Beagan, it is a story based on the life of her grandmother.
“The story is inspired by my mom’s mom’s story,” she says, “She was taken into residential school in the 1950s.”
World War II had ended and there was a need for labourers. Beagan’s grandmother worked at a cotton plantation.
“My grandmother somehow got recruited by a travelling evangelical minister to read the Bible on stage as a heathen act,” Beagan continues, “She was literally an Indigenous woman on stage reading the Bible to prove that the Christ is Almighty.”
That time in her life was not something Beagan’s grandmother talked about.
“She passed away when I was only five,” Beagan says. “I got permission from her sister to tell the story, Thanks to grandma, and grand auntie.”
The relationship Indigenous people have with Christianity is complicated.
Beagan says, “They can be deeply spiritual in their traditions, and will attend Catholic Mass or Anglican Church.”
After working on many productions in the past for the stage and screen, Beagan continues to find motivations to tell Indigenous stories.
“That is where my heart lives, where my heart beats,” she says. When working on non-Indigenous projects, “It is more challenging to buy in especially when it is a long run. What to do is look at the artists around you and be open to be inspired by them. When it comes to Indigenous stories, it is my raison d’etre.
Four actors are in the cast for the production.
Quelemia Sparrow plays Mary. She has performed at Gateway Theatre and Stratford.
Stafford Perry plays the villain Brother Cain. Perry is known for the many theatre roles he has played in Calgary.
Bernard Starlight plays Clem. He is a Genie-nominated film actor for the 2004 film Hank Williams First Nation.
Lara Schmitz plays Lizzie Mae. She performed in a production of Ministry of Grace for Belfry Theatre in Victoria.
They are seasoned actors that helped bring the script to life, which allows a small gesture with a prop in one scene to have significance later on in the show.
The production is from April 13-April 23 at The Grand 1 Street Southwest Calgary.
For more information and tickets visit www.makingtreaty7.com