Awoowaakii: Theatre Calgary brings Blackfoot family drama to life
By Josie Simon, May 1 2025—
Theatre Calgary’s production of Awoowaakii invites audiences into a Calgary apartment where a Blackfoot family navigates identity, forgiveness and belonging.
Written by local playwright Sable Sweetgrass, Awoowaakii tells the story of Chrissy Sipatsimo, a transgender Blackfoot woman raising her late sister’s son Richie. They share their apartment with Chrissy’s friend Toni, a drag queen with big dreams and a big personality.
The plot unfolds when two events collide. Toni arranges a traditional Blackfoot naming ceremony with elder Rosie Running Eagle, saving money from his drag shows and asking Chrissy to prepare the feast. Meanwhile, Chrissy’s father, Joseph Two Guns, arrives after years of alcoholism and prison, hoping to reconnect with the child he abandoned.
After years away, Joseph thinks Toni is Chrissy. This mistake creates comedy but also helps Sweetgrass show the contrast between birth family and chosen family.
The audience feels like family members in the living room in the Big Secret Theatre (rather than Theatre Calgary’s usual Max Bell venue). Designer John Doucet’s rotating set shifts between the kitchen, living room and bedroom, creating a sense of being inside this home.
This intimate staging heightens the impact of the performances. Marshall Vielle’s portrayal of Chrissy carries emotional weight. Vielle, also Blackfoot and Two-Spirit, brings protective caution to the role – a woman who built walls to safeguard herself and her son. When Chrissy confronts Joseph about his past, Vielle’s controlled anger gives way to vulnerability.
Garret C. Smith steals scenes as Toni, delivering one-liners with timing while revealing the character’s desire for cultural connection. Kevin Lance Littlelight plays Joseph with regret — a man seeking redemption but unsure how to earn it. Jenova Calixto captures Richie’s confusion, while Cherish Violet Blood brings gravity to elder Rosie Running Eagle in the second act.
Blood’s arrival as Rosie signals the play’s emotional shift toward the naming ceremony, the production’s heartfelt center. Vielle explained, “When you receive your name, you’re receiving your place in the world. Because it’s not just a name that you’re given, it’s the stories that go along with the name.” Watching this ceremony on stage feels significant, considering how Indigenous cultural practices were historically suppressed.
Director Alanis King brings cultural sensitivity to the material. The costumes communicate character – Chrissy’s clothing blends contemporary style with Blackfoot elements, while Toni’s wardrobe brings flash and drama. King explains that the design reflects that “Indigenous people are not stuck in the past. We are here, we are modern and we are thriving.”
This modern Indigenous perspective extends to the play’s treatment of gender identity. Awoowaakii addresses how colonization altered Indigenous views on gender. Before settlement, Two-Spirit people held respected positions in communities. The title Awoowaakii means “Two-Spirit person” in Blackfoot, reclaiming terminology that residential schools and Christian influence tried to erase.
When the performance concludes with a communal round dance involving the audience, Awoowaakii has accomplished something significant. It has told a specific story that feels universal. The play reminds us that families — biological or chosen — are complicated, messy and essential.
This achievement matters not just artistically but culturally. This work represents a commitment to local voices and Indigenous storytelling for Theatre Calgary. It offers audiences a family story we haven’t seen before on Calgary’s stages.
Awoowaakii runs until May 11 at the Big Secret Theatre in Arts Commons. Don’t miss your chance to see this unique production.