The War Being Waged

by Darla Contois

Overview

The War Being Waged is a poetic and unflinchingly truthful examination of what happens when patriotism and sovereignty collide. An Indigenous mother becomes an activist while her brother becomes a soldier. An grandmother speaks to her granddaughter from prison. A granddaughter, filled with turmoil, struggles to accept her family's history. Three generations of Indigenous women try to connect the pieces of their lives after experiencing all the ways Canada has torn them apart. A mix of three performance genres—monologue, poetry with video and movement, and contemporary dance—are woven together in this stunning work by Winnipeg theatre artist Darla Contois.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781990737183
Publisher:	J. Gordon Shillingford Publishing
Publication date:	10/15/2022
Pages:	48
Sales rank:	827,118
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.20(d)

About the Author

Darla Contois is a Cree-Salteaux performer and playwright from Misipawistik Cree Nation in Manitoba. She graduated from the Centre for Indigenous Theatre's professional training program in 2014, attended David Smukler's National Voice Intensive and premiered her solo show White Man's Indian at Summerworks 2017 in Toronto where she was awarded the Emerging Artist Award. Her most recent work, The War Being Waged was produced by Winnipeg's Prairie Theatre Exchange as part of their 2021-22 season, and has been acknowledged by Toronto critic Lynn Slotkin with a Tootsie award. Darla lives in Winnipeg.

Read an Excerpt

Sometime in the not-so distant future.

A woman speaks. She is in her 60s.

I didn't know you were coming.

Beat.

I'm sorry.

Beat.

I'm going to tell you the truth.

I was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba and so were my older brothers. Although we were raised on treaty five territory on the reserve. I didn't know my dad. We were raised on the shores where the Saskatchewan River meets Lake Winnipeg, the greatest body of water in all of Manitoba. Kisiskatchewani Sipi the rapid flowing river. Hearing the waves crash and the trees blowing in the wind was the music of my childhood. This was my home. Our home for many generations.

My big brother had a problem with me my entire life. I don't know why. I suspected it was because mum had always wanted a girl and he was first born. He was disgusted with my presence and bullied me to the point of nearly breaking my wrist one summer. We were playing "blackout." The rules go, that you choke one person until they pass out and when they wake up they chase you around the neighbourhood. My big brother was it; and I remember when he woke up he chased after only me. Everyone else ran so fast I couldn't keep track of where they were all hiding. Next thing you know he was grabbing a huge log and hitting me in the gut as hard as he could. I fell down and he grabbed my arm and started twisting my wrist further and further when my younger brother showed up. The younger of the two anyhow, he was still older than me. He fought big brother off and brought me inside. He put ice on my wrist and said "You'll be okay, just breathe."

I never tried to play with my big brother ever again.

I remember my youngest brother was always looking out for me and making sure that I didn't feel left out. He became my protector.

Reading Group Guide

Sometime in the not-so distant future.

A woman speaks. She is in her 60s.

I didn't know you were coming.

Beat.

I'm sorry.

Beat.

I'm going to tell you the truth.

I was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba and so were my older brothers. Although we were raised on treaty five territory on the reserve. I didn't know my dad. We were raised on the shores where the Saskatchewan River meets Lake Winnipeg, the greatest body of water in all of Manitoba. Kisiskatchewani Sipi the rapid flowing river. Hearing the waves crash and the trees blowing in the wind was the music of my childhood. This was my home. Our home for many generations.

My big brother had a problem with me my entire life. I don't know why. I suspected it was because mum had always wanted a girl and he was first born. He was disgusted with my presence and bullied me to the point of nearly breaking my wrist one summer. We were playing "blackout." The rules go, that you choke one person until they pass out and when they wake up they chase you around the neighbourhood. My big brother was it; and I remember when he woke up he chased after only me. Everyone else ran so fast I couldn't keep track of where they were all hiding. Next thing you know he was grabbing a huge log and hitting me in the gut as hard as he could. I fell down and he grabbed my arm and started twisting my wrist further and further when my younger brother showed up. The younger of the two anyhow, he was still older than me. He fought big brother off and brought me inside. He put ice on my wrist and said "You'll be okay, just breathe."

I never tried to play with my big brother ever again.

I remember my youngest brother was always looking out for me and making sure that I didn't feel left out. He became my protector.

Editorial Reviews

"The War Being Waged is a stunning piece of theatre. Darla Contois has created a story that is familiar, harrowing, compelling, nuanced, full of love, grace and art." —The Slotkin Letter

"The War Being Waged is not a typical theatre piece—it sets up certain expectations and then upends them completely—and this fresh take on the art form, along with the highly interpretive content, is sure to stir up some intense conversation." —The Manitoban

From the Publisher