THUNDER BAY - Magnus Theatre's newest production, SALT BABY, directed by Natalie Robitaille, opened this weekend to an audience who was captivated by the story and the theme that everybody can relate to; identity.
"It's a very true-to-life story, a delightful true-life story that I think applies to anybody. Like for me, it's very steeped in an Indigenous culture, but anyone has had that experience of, you know, who am I? Where am I going in life?" said Thom Currie, Magnus Theatre artistic director.
"And also the boyfriend of someone from a different culture. Years ago, I remember having a girlfriend when I was in university, and I heard her parents being like, 'well, at least he looks Italian, and you're like, 'oh my god' This is one of the reasons I picked the play. It's because it has that universal appeal."
SALT BABY was written by Falen Johnson and is a semi-autobiographical story about Salt Baby, a Six Nations woman whose light skin sets her apart from her relatives, both on the rez and in the city. She's a fish out of water and, accompanied by her Caucasian boyfriend, Alligator, she's determined to discover how she fits into her two very different worlds.
Brianne Tucker, a Métis artist, gave a powerful performance as the titular character Salt Baby. The audience could feel her connection to the character, and everyone could feel how well she related to Salt Baby's struggle with her identity. There were a few mistakes while delivering her lines, but she recovered gracefully and naturally, a true performer.
"I loved every instant. I loved to be able to be with my Métis sister on stage. It was wonderful. It was heartwarming," said Tucker.
"We love to be back, and we had so much fun up there, and it was a wonderful thing to hear you guys laughing."
Jordan M. Burns, a disabled, Indigenous, two-spirit, neuro-divergent multidisciplinary artist, played dual roles; Alligator, Salt Baby's white boyfriend, and Phillip, an Indigenous man that Salt Baby dates. Jordan gave an incredible performance in both parts, and their comedic timing was impeccable.
Danelle Charette, an Indigenous artist, was a true chameleon as she took on the roles of Grandfather, Clara, Doctor, Psychic, Sheryl, Wanda B., and Elder. Danelle's ability to seamlessly transition between her many characters was a real show of her skill as a performer. Her ability to embrace each character was truly a marvel to see.
"It was an amazing first show for me, and I'm incredibly thankful that I get to do something like this," said Charette.
Jeremy Proulx, an award-winning actor and multi-disciplined First Nations storyteller of both Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee descent, gave incredible performances as both Dad and Terry he knew his characters perfectly, and he stole the show with his silent performances as unnamed background characters.
The set was simple and beautiful with an arch made of windows in frames which, while they also occasionally distracted from the performance with glare from the lights, was a lovely addition that tied the whole set together.
The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous Services, was in the audience and had nothing but nice things to say about the performance.
"Well, first of all, it was great to be at live theatre. I haven't done that since before the pandemic, but the play was very moving. Also really funny, lots of really funny bits." said Hajdu.
"And it had a lot of historical aspects of colonization, including conversations around blood quantum and status but woven in a way that I thought was really accessible to a mainstream audience."
Overall, the performance was a solid 9/10, and if anyone gets a chance to attend while the show is running from March 3 to March 19, they should take it.
For more information on SALT BABY, visit Magnus Theatre's website.
