I’m a bit late to the party, as far as Tales of an Urban Indian, by Darrell Dennis. I was aware of the show awhile ago, speaking as a regular at Talk is Free Theatre, a company that has done a great deal of good work in Barrie, and occasionally ventured beyond that city. I think the play and its title went over my head when it first appeared. I wasn’t sensitive to its importance in 2009, nor for a long time after that.

Here’s a brief account of the show’s history in the TIFT press release:
With nearly 800 performances, TIFT’s production of Tales of An Urban Indian has
been touring internationally since it premiered in 2009, having played in cities and smaller communities across Canada, the US, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina, Suriname & Japan

Lucky for me that TIFT have now brought the show to Toronto, allowing me to get a chance to see it. It does get around as you can see on this flyer.

Windsor, then Kyoto, before coming to Hope United Church in Toronto. Maybe the reason the play travels effortlessly is because it’s light, unlike the shows I’ve seen recently such as the Kentridge Wozzeck from the COC or even Comfort Food at Crow’s Theatre. No complex set, no video projection. That’s because…
Tales of an Urban Indian is the story of Simon Douglas, a contemporary Indigenous man who grew up on both the reserve and in the “big city”. This dark comedy conjures up many characters that appear in Simon’s life, all played by one actor, Nolan Moberly.

Nolan was all alone on the stage before us telling the epic tale of Simon Douglas and all the other characters in his life.

The space at Hope United is intimate. There’s nowhere for Nolan to hide, but come to think of it, that goes for those of us in the audience, so close to Nolan that we see him sweat, hear him breathing hard, whichever voice he’s using. For 90 minutes he’s giving a virtuoso performance, the story of Simon sweeping us away in its life and death passions.

They call it a dark comedy, which is accurate. Directed by Herbie Barnes, designed by Kathleen Black, Nolan is athletic, bouncing around the stage, sometimes frenetic, sometimes gently vulnerable, sometimes volcanic, sometimes simulating exhaustion (he’s acting after all) before his next explosion of emotion. Is he really exhausted? Maybe.

But wow it’s a huge number of lines. Nolan has been TIFT’s Simon for the past few years, the eighth actor to undertake this mammoth endurance test, a genuine marathon, certainly more lines than one has in a role such as Hamlet. I lost count of how many different personages Nolan assumes in addition to Simon, some male some female and at least one metaphysical being. If you were only a student of drama, going for the purpose of admiring the actor and his chops, you’d love to be swept away by Nolan’s Tales. If you are coming from outside the culture, hoping to understand the complexity of Indigenous sensibility, a subject of endless depths & nuances, you should see this play. There are places where some people laugh while others wince. I wonder how it plays to someone who identifies as Indigenous, but as a Canadian I think it is essential viewing. It’s doing some of the important work demanded by the Truth & Reconciliation Report, at least in helping us understand the contradictions & challenges of being an Urban Indian.

The wide ranging travels of Tales of an Urban Indian are another sample of the creativity of TIFT’s artistic producer Arkady Spivak, the best thing to happen to Barrie. Of course it regularly drives me nuts when I miss one of their shows. When I think of the range of shows they produce, I have to admit that they punch far above their weight, some of the best theatre I saw in the past decade, such as their Candide, Bulgakov’s Moliere, their co-productions of Assassins or The Wedding Party. They’re worth the drive to Barrie, and thank goodness this time they’ve brought their brilliant production to Toronto.

Let me add a personal note, about Arkady whom I was fortunate to meet back in student days around the turn of the millennium (aiieee a quarter of a century ago). As I explained Erika’s indisposition, unable to attend and use my other comp, Arkady brought me to sit beside someone I knew only via social media. Don’t let the serious deadpan photo fool you, he is a social butterfly with terrific instincts. As a result I enjoyed the play far more, and learned a few things in the process. This is how to be true impresario, an artistic entrepreneur. He makes things happen by bringing people together, a nice guy first & foremost.

If you hope to see Tales of an Urban Indian you have a few more chances here in Toronto, as it runs until May 31st. Here’s the link for tickets.