subhead

--- Local theatre owner publishes two plays inspired by Indigenous legends

Jordan Gowling

It was in March, during the beginning of the lockdown that author Dominik McNicoll decided to publish a book entitled Wyantsé Aki, the earth will soon change. The book consists of two plays, both presented at the McNicoll Theatre School located on Rue Principale back in 2017. 

McNicoll founded the theater school 10 years ago and is co-owner. She also owns the Outaouais Film School and has spent the last 25 years providing private coaching for actors and actresses in the region.  “Out of all the plays I have written, I wanted to publish these first, because I found that right now humanity needs hope and inner light in order to live in love and mutual aid,” said McNicoll. 

The plays are inspired by Indigenous legends and are meant for young audiences. The first play is called “The Adventure of Nanabush,’ which centres around the magical world of Nokomis, the Grandmother in Ojibwe traditional stories. The second play is called “The Eighth Fire,” and is set around a campfire during summer camp, where young people learn about the Ojibwe legend of Nanabush, the grandson of Nokomis. 

McNicoll says she hopes the book will inspire creativity and help children during this pandemic, by reading and acting out the plays. The self-published book is available at etmcnicoll@gmail.com.