I first started acting in Grade 11 in North Peace Secondary School in Fort St. John, British Columbia under the instruction of Daniel Vecchio. During that year I had done quite a few ensemble cast productions where we wrote the performances which were performed for different audiences on different topics. That year Mr. Vecchio asked me if I was planning on returning the following year because he had a play he had wanted to do, but felt he couldn't until he found a dedicated Native actor, like myself. He asked me this after he asked me if I was Spanish. :-)
The following year in Grade 12 we had done more ensemble cast productions, and had done some on Remembrance Day (which caused a controversy with the veterans because it had an anti-war theme) and for Christmas celebration. We also did some drama work related experience where we got to teach some kids drama in elementary schools. We also did scenes from a locally written play, "The Peace River Chronicles," and scenes from "The Chrysallid."
Like he had mentioned he held auditions for this school play with a great Native lead role. I did audition even though he expressly wanted me for it. "Canadian Gothic," was written by Joanna Glass set in rural Saskatchewan through the 1930's to the 1950's. It's a tragic love story between a 20 year old Cree Native and a 15 year old white girl. The story comes to a turbulent end when the two characters confront her bigoted father with their unexpected relationship and pregnancy, changing their lives forever. I was cast as Ben Redleaf... my first romantic lead... my first lead at all in a play that was entered in the 1992 Peace River Drama Festival held in Dawson Creek, BC.
The adjudicator was thrilled with our performance despite the adult tone and disturbing content of the play. She paid my co-star (Jamelia Telford) and myself a compliment by asking us if we were going out. She even went so far as to say that we could have done certain scenes naked, and she wouldn't have been offended because she seriously thought we were in love. She gave our play two awards for our performance: "Quality of Spoken Word;" and an award for Jamelia and myself, "Most Memorable Scene--Love Scene." Despite her raving, the adjudicator judged us second best to Dawson Creek's "Juvie." The play was about troubled teenagers, cast with... teenagers, while our play's characters aged throughout the play up to thirty years, without make-up changes usually required for such scenes. I know it sounds conceited when I say we should have won, but even cast members of "Juvie," thought we should have won with the powerful performance and tone of the play. But, oh well, life goes on. :-)
