(Photo Credit: Northwestern Polytechnic Circle of Indigenous Students)

By Nathaniel Leigh

GPLT

Comedy Drama The Cab Ride Home opens at NWP Grande Prairie campus Saturday April 13

Apr 12, 2024 | 10:31 AM

A true story adapted into a comedy/drama production opens at Northwestern Polytechnic Saturday, April 13.

NWP Circle of Indigenous Students and the Native Counselling Service of Alberta present the Cab Ride Home, written by Elder Theresa Gladue.

Director Elizabeth Zazula says the play adapts Gladue’s experience with a friend in their youth after celebrating their graduation from the Alberta Basic Education Grade 10 program, when they land themselves in trouble with the police.

“The play starts with them waking up in jail and not knowing why they’re there,” Zazula says. “It’s a bit of a dark comedy, although as we’ve worked with it, it’s become more serious with the issues that happen for Indigenous women in our society.”

Zazula says the comedy/drama covers important topics including missing Indigenous women and the residential school system.

Meaningful Mementos

Remembering Someone You've Lost at Christmas

Dec 03, 2024

Seasonal Sorrow

How Do You Get Through The Holidays When You're Grieving?

Nov 01, 2024

Upcoming Events at Oliver's

Grief & Loss and Estate Planning Seminars

Oct 02, 2024

“I’ve always been an advocate for our Indigenous peoples,” she says. “As a school councillor of 30 years, I’ve done a lot of work with the First Nations, Metis and Inuit workers, and this is just an opportunity for me to do some reconciliatory action.”

Zazula says despite the heavy themes, the play will still provide audiences with plenty of laughs.

“There are Cree words that they use, so the Indigenous audience members will at least know what that means, and other people will have to figure it out or maybe ask an Indigenous audience member what the actors are saying,” she says. “I think they will just learn a lot.”

The Cab Ride Home opens Saturday at 7:00 p.m. at Collins Recital Hall at NWP’s Grande Prairie campus, with a Sunday at 2:00 p.m. and an extra performance at Dawson Creek on May 5, to coincide with the National Day for Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women.

(Photo Credit: Northwestern Polytechnic Circle of Indigenous Students)