A one-woman show written and performed by Dana Hunter.
It is based on the personal experiences of Dana herself, a young woman of mixed African/ Cherokee/ English/ Irish/ Scottish heritage. It bears the imprint of these various cultural traditions, and is filled with lots of pizzazz and humour. ironies abound for a relatively pale woman born to a black mother and white father, not accepted as indigenous since she grew up Cherokee in a Cree part of the continent.
Dana Hunter is an accomplished actor, singer and dancer, a graduate of the Canadian College of Performing Arts with impressive credentials in terms of training and performance.
She is directed by Lina De Guevara of PUENTE, whose long career in theatre has focused on the exploration of issues of displacement and identity. Working with the raw material of Hunter’s script, the two have managed to craft a personal and intimate show, which traces Hunter’s search for self-image in her complex family past, and in her community today. They beautifully integrate a number of theatrical forms in the production: a Ballymore ballad, an Indigenous dance, an African-American spiritual song, and even Reggae/Rap music.
Heinz 57 dramatizes the sometimes funny, sometimes frightening predicament faced by a person of mixed heritage – a person who embodies the multicultural reality of modern Canada – and so invites its audience to reflect on issues of identity and tolerance, issues which involve us all. It is a production that will appeal to all ages, especially young people, as it offers a fresh perspective on their own struggles for identity and a new understanding of the experience of difference.
Hunter’s performance is supported by Musical Director Enrique Rivas and Stage Manager Melodie Collins. The set is designed by Ian Rye.
