Otîhêw
Written by PJ Prudat
Directed by Philip Geller
Shakespeare in the Ruff presents Otîhêw, an Indigenous reimagining of Shakespeare’s Othello by PJ Prudat.
Set during the fur trade era, Otîhêw is the story of an Indigenous woman warrior bound in the historical “custom-of-the-country” to Desmond, a fur-trader under HBC conquest. Otîhêw will be directed by Philip Geller.
Seeking:
Magpie – Female/non-binary identifying – Age 25+ – Indigenous.
Outlier and fiercely defended by sister Otîhêw. She is the oracular voice and their language is expressed through strong physicality.
Hamish (Iago) – Any gender – Age 30+ – Indigenous.
Not your typical Iago. Fuelled by an insatiable hunger for control, they are the colonial construct of a perfect storm. Sibling to Otîhêw.
Production Details
We operate under the Equity Indie 2.2a Policy.
Rehearsal start date: July 25th, 2022
Opening: August 19th, 2022
Closing: September 4th, 2022
Fee: $650/week
There will be a workshop of Otîhêw with the available cast on June 20th and 21st, 2022.
Workshop fee: $111/day
Rehearsals for this production take place outdoors in Withrow Park (Danforth and Logan) with comprehensive and extensive weather protocols in place. Performers are required to assist with the set up and tear down of set pieces and equipment during the run of the show to the best of their abilities.
COVID-19
Shakespeare in the Ruff will adhere to strict COVID-19 protocols for the rehearsal process and show run. We will be offering regular Rapid Testing and staying physically distant when possible.
Accessibility
Accessibility is a core value of our company and should not be a barrier to you submitting for this audition. If you require any accommodations for your audition or for the contract itself, please let us know and we will work to meet your needs. You can reach Patricia Allison at patricia@shakespeareintheruff.com.
Submissions
Please submit a headshot, resume, and short (1 page/5 minute maximum) statement of interest to info@shakespeareintheruff.com indicating which role you’d like to be considered for. For your statement of interest, we will accept any format including writing, short video, or audio recording.
Auditions with director Philip Geller will be held in person on June 10th and 11th, 2022. If you are in isolation for COVID-19 or are out of town, we can arrange for a Zoom accommodation to be made.
Proof of vaccination will be required in advance of the audition. The team from Shakespeare in the Ruff will remain masked for the entirety of the audition, but you may choose to remove your mask during your audition piece. Physical distancing will be in place.
Please submit by June 6th, 2022. If you have any questions, please contact patricia@shakespeareintheruff.com
About Shakespeare in the Ruff
Founded in 2012, Shakespeare in the Ruff is dedicated to decolonizing the Shakespearean canon by challenging who creates these stories, and who they are for. The three pillars of our company are Re-envisioned Classics, Education, and Community. Ruff is a collectively run, professional outdoor theatre company serving Toronto’s diverse East End.
Our work strives for the integration of our Five Key Values: Creative Audacity, Education, Accessibility, Anti-Racism and Decolonized Practice, and Respect. We create original, radical adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays, seeking to flip the Eurocentric, colonial gaze and give platform to marginalized voices. We push the boundaries of form and content for outdoor theatre. We offer integrated education programs for youth, providing hands-on, one-on-one mentorship with professional artists. We bring together local residents, emerging artists, businesses, and non-profit organizations through our activities to build a stronger community. All of our programming is free or pay-what-you-can, ensuring financial accessibility for everyone.
About the Artists
PJ Prudat (she/her) is a Treaty 6 born, proud Métis~nehiyaw. Her direct ancestors were Buffalo hunters, Résistance fighters and Treaty 6 signatories (roots to Meadow Lake, Batoche, Red River, Qu’Appelle). She is an actor, writer, playwright and arts educator. PJ holds artistic residencies with Nightswimming and the Theatre Centre and has performed as a company actor at the Shaw Festival, the NAC and in luminous IBPOC-creative-led shows across the country. She is a jubilant one-fifth of the Co-Artistic Leadership at Shakespeare in the Ruff and can be heard on the CBC Radio’s “This Place: 150 Years Retold” as the real-life, ever-deadly Annie of Red River.
Philip Geller (he/him|they/them) is a Métis (Red River) and Jewish (Ashkenazi) theatre director, artist, and educator, who is focused on decolonizing his process by listening to and dialoguing with ancestral and cultural knowledge. Their practice includes land-based creation, circular storytelling, and destabilizing hierarchical power structures in the rehearsal process, with a focus on anti-oppressive/anti-racist modalities. He has worked across Turtle Island as an actor, director, dramaturg, producer, clown and devisor with companies and festivals including Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, Stratford Festival, Theatre YES, and many more. They have been through a BFA (acting) from University of Alberta and an MFA (directing) from York University. He is pursuing an MEd in Urban Indigenous Education from York University. Although, more importantly, he learns from all the incredible relations – human and more than human – he has the fortune of visiting with.