“A play that shines in its oral storytelling. Marsha Knight is luminescent as Maggie Mooswa.”

I’ll admit that when I heard the title of this play, I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to attend. When I taught high school English, the boys in Grade 12 and OAC who had to read ‘Jane Eyre’ and ‘Wuthering Heights’ used to call these classic tales ‘Chick-lit.’

To those of us who are literature lovers, that's an unfair label, but that’s what high school boys do. The girls had no problem with literature.

Would ‘The Secret to Good Tea’ be considered another example of ‘Chick-lit?’

Mea culpa. I’m wrong on that account.

Playwright Rosanna Deerchild’s ‘Tea’ addresses an issue Canadians need to understand and reconcile fully—the horrors of residential schools and their role in Canada’s history.

The play opens with well-known radio host Gwynn Starr (Michelle Bardach) visiting her widowed mother, Maggie (Marsha Knight), for tea and bannock. This ritual has become part of the mother and daughter’s routine. Gwynn has been hosting a radio series of stories detailing the experiences of residential school survivors. She would like her mother to be part of a healing gathering for these individuals.

Maggie is reluctant to join this healing circle because she has had nightmares about her time at the school. In these dreams, she is visited by the Crow (an incredibly stunning solo dance movement by Emily Solstice Tait). Gwynn keeps insisting her mother deal with her past, but Maggie would like to " leave the past in the past.”

Gwynn does not have fond memories of her deceased father, George, an alcoholic who beat up his wife and daughter. Maggie also had an alcohol problem but has been sober for years. John Joseph (JJ), an unseen brother, left because of these problems. Gwynn and Maggie’s relationship also appears to run hot and cold.
Additionally, Gwynn’s marriage to her lawyer husband, Michael (James Dallas Smith), is on the rocks. Michael has had an affair with his executive assistant and left his wife and their two unseen daughters, Ruby and Lucy.

Gwynn’s boss, Mr. Big Chief (solid work by Jeremy Proulx), pressures her to have Maggie appear on the radio show. Big Chief insinuates some hurtful and unprofessional remarks to Gwynn. likes to do things his way at work. The one person Gwynn turns to during these troublesome times is her best friend, Nicki (Kelsey Kanatan Wavey). They worked together at the radio station for a few years, but now Nicki is a news reporter. Maggie sometimes says some awful things about Nicki’s sexuality and personal life.

There are some wonderful, eye-catching visual creations of the set building and painting courtesy of the Grand’s scenic art team—a comfortable-looking, well-worn kitchen setting with lush green foliage behind greets the audience during the pre-show. Cande Andrade’s video and projection designs of Maggie’s nightmares serve as horrific reminders of what the children most likely had endured in these schools. At the beginning of Act 2, a wooden teepee is constructed courtesy of the entire cast (and a few stagehands). The teepee becomes increasingly fascinating to watch as it is pieced together. The way the ensemble got the structure intact through ropes and joints on the floor is impressive. Tim Rodrigues’ lighting and Olivia Wheeler’s sound designs hauntingly re-create the fear and the horror the young Margaret would have experienced at the school.

Rosanna Deerchild’s telling script is brought to life under Director Renae Morriseau’s adept and insightful navigation of the play’s subject matter.

Tea’s first act sets the plot in motion as usual. As radio show host Gwynn Starr, Michelle Bardach speaks her mind. She’s direct, especially when she tears into Michael about his marital infidelity. Yet, Gwynn’s patience is also tried many times regarding her husband and mother. She lashes out at Michael, and rightly so, for his indiscretion. Gwynn tries to be calm and reassuring for Maggie, yet her discussion with Mr. Big Chief about her job and mother puts her at odds. Bardach remains grounded in truth. She never allows her emotional level to veer out of control.

James Dallas Smith effectively plays the husband who got caught. Smith adeptly uses his physical stature several times. There are moments when he seems to realize that his infidelity is wrong, and he looks as if he has his tail between his legs. Yet, there are also moments when Smith conveys that the relationship between him and Gwynn may have faltered and needed work. I’m not saying the character's actions are justified in having an affair. However, Smith highlights that communication is vital between husband and wife.

Kelsey Kanatan Wavey’s Nicki is forthright in performance as Bardach. There’s some terrific, quick banter between Wavey and Marsha Knight in the second act.

On a personal note, I have a minor quibble regarding the script by the end of the play. Gwynn and Michael’s relationship seems to be wrapped up a bit too neatly. It’s a small issue but might warrant another look in future revisions.

The second act is where the production shines, and it is far different from the first. After Maggie and Gwynn’s arrival at the healing grounds, the raising of the teepee, and the smudging, the act becomes more of an oral storytelling staging. It’s an intriguing dramatic technique, and Director Morriseau takes full advantage of it.

Marsha Knight is luminescent in the second act. I trusted her completely as she began to tell of the frightening events that had happened to her at the residential school. Knight remains purposeful in her storytelling narration. She pauses periodically to allow the audience to ponder what she just said before moving on to the next event.

When I taught high school English and during my undergraduate years, I recall reading what was then called the Bible of Canadian Literature: Margaret Atwood’s ‘Survival.’ Over forty years ago, as an undergraduate, we had to explore novels and short stories that focused on survival.

‘The Secret to Good Tea’ is not a story of survival.

It is a story about what Canadians must do to ensure that the atrocities that occurred regarding residential schools never, ever happen again. ‘The Secret to Good Tea is not a play or story that is placed on the shelf once it has been performed.

‘The Secret to Good Tea’ must be performed again and again.

I still have so much to learn about what happened.

Running time: approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes with one interval/intermission.

‘The Secret to Good Tea’ runs until March 8 on the Spriet Stage at London, Ontario’s Grand Theatre, 471 Richmond Street. For tickets: grandtheatre.com or call the Box Office (519) 672-8800.

GRAND THEATRE in co-production with NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE INDIGENOUS THEATRE present
‘The Secret to Good Tea’ by Rosanna Dearfield
Directed by Renae Morriseau
Costume Designer: Yolande Skelton
Lighting Designer: Tim Rodrigues
Sound Designer: Olivia Wheeler
Video/Projection Designer: Cande Andrade
Fight Director: Anita Nittoly
Stage Manager: Suzanne McArthur

Performers: Michelle Bardach, Kelsey Kanatan Wavey, Marsha Knight, Jeremy Proulx, James Dallas Smith, Emily Solstice Tait