A revered Saskatchewan play, first produced in 1978, is set for a revival thanks to Dancing Sky Theatre in Meacham. “Paper Wheat” chronicles the development of the province and its people from the turn of the 20th century in this Saskatchewan original.
The play was created by Saskatoon’s 25th Street Theatre. The production grew in popularity outside the province’s borders thanks to a national tour which spawned a documentary and countless “offshore” productions. Ironically, while the play’s popularity hasn’t waned, it simply hasn’t seen a stage in Saskatchewan of late – that is until this revisiting.
“Paper Wheat’s” first production in 1977 predates the arrival of Dancing Sky Theatre artistic director Angus Ferguson as an immigrant in 1978, but he’s certainly no stranger to its lore.
“I saw it pretty soon after I got here,” Ferguson states. “We performed a companion piece called ‘Street Wheat,’ but strangely enough, Dancing Sky Theatre has never performed ‘Paper Wheat’ in our thirty years.”
The absence of “Paper Wheat” on the stage for so many years was the impetus for putting it on at this point, Ferguson says. It also aligns with Dancing Sky’s creative collaborations that have resulted in many of its scripts, particularly the beloved pantos.
“The writers and artists created it by going out and talking to the community, and it was in a very Saskatchewan way.”
The focus on rural Saskatchewan, the evolution of communities and cooperation, the emergence of that spirit into what became the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool were all homegrown ideals. Ferguson says he was talking to some performers of a younger vintage, many from Saskatchewan, who had never heard of the production.
“That sort of cracked my mind,” Ferguson concluded. “This was terrible that this new generation of theatre artists don’t know about it. Then of course, that means there is a whole generation of audience members who don’t know about it. It was time to bring it back – for artistic reasons, for political reasons, for all kinds of reasons.”
Ferguson says the influence of the play on him was profound, especially in the way the play was written as a collective.
“I didn’t know you could write that way. You don’t have to have a Shakespeare waiting in the wings. You can get a bunch of actors together and talk about things, research things, and create your own play.”
“Paper Wheat” has taken on a life of its own over the years with several rewrites and iterations of the play having been performed. For the Dancing Sky remount, Ferguson went back to the source – longtime friend and colleague Sharon Bakker, who was one of the original authors. Bakker helped Ferguson decide on the definitive version of the project.
As for the new generation of performers, Ferguson has secured one such talent for the production. Savana Gallant’s musical theatre background fits in well with the varied format of the play. It’s her second production with Dancing Sky but her first exposure to the “Paper Wheat” family. Gallant’s Ukrainian background also comes in handy with supporting and consulting some of the other characters.
“I had never actually heard of Paper Wheat before Angus introduced it to me,” Gallant admitted. “I didn’t actually know the importance or impact it had had on Saskatchewan until we started working on it. It’s so cool hearing about the history of it and its legacy. Now I feel it’s important to continue telling the story, especially in this day and age. I honestly feel proud to be part of it.”
The play itself is about pride – not in a boastful or self-aggrandizing way – but as the originators of cooperative agencies, medical, community and social values in action. Ferguson says that some of those sensibilities may have been lost to an extent, and that there’s no better time to remember the leadership the province demonstrated to the country.
“Paper Wheat” starts its run at Dancing Sky Theatre with its opening night Friday, April 25. The show wraps up on May 11. As always, the pre-show gourmet meal is available prior to select shows. For more information and tickets, head to dancingskytheatre.com.