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The Candy Palmater Show

New work by playwright Falen Johnson looks at Indigenous identity in the city

Two Indians is a darkly comedic look at the landscape of being Indigenous, she says.
CBC Radio ·
Falen Johnson's play, Two Indians, is said to be 'a darkly comedic look at the landscape of being Indigenous.' (Courtesy of Falen Johnson)
The Candy Palmater Show12:00New work by playwright Falen Johnson looks at Indigenous identity in the city

Ever since she was a kid, Falen Johnson loved the arts. She would put on shows with her sister in her grandmother's basement, throwing a blanket over a clothesline to set the stage.

They started out doing Christmas carols that featured Ewoks, and even wrote an original musical together.

During high school, Falen took part in a theatre workshop. The participants put on a show about the residential school system at a time when no one was talking about this terrible chapter of Canadian history.

She was shocked at first at how little she knew about the history that surrounded her.

Since then, Falen has been telling stories that explore what it means to be Indigenous today.

Her play, Two Indians, is being performed at the SummerWorks Performance Festival this month. It takes a look at the significance of ceremony for Indigenous people living in the city.

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