This preview was originally written in Dec. 2022 for a reporting class.
The Nattilingmiutut dialect, an endangered Inuktut language, powerfully echoed through the National Arts Centre at the preview of The Breathing Hole on Dec 1, 2022.
With a run-time of three and a half hours, including intermission, the play was a slow-burning critique of colonialism that garnered an enthusiastic standing ovation from the audience.
However, the preview, directed by Reneltta Arluk, was significantly different from the original version of the play that premiered at the Stratford Festival in 2017.
Written by Collen Murphy, the play takes place in the eastern portion of the Kitikmeot region of Nunavut. It follows a death-defying polar bear named Angu’řuaq over 500 years.
When first approached with the Breathing Hole, Kevin Loring, Artistic Director of Indignous theatre at the NAC, says he was hesitant to take on the production because an Indigenous person did not write it. He says he felt there had to be various changes to ensure the accurate representation of Inuit peoples.
“For us to be on board, there had to be a more meaningful connection to the community where the story came from,” he said.
With the help of translator Janet Tamalik McGrath and language director Nilaulaaq Miriam Aglukkaq, a large portion of the play was performed in Nattilingmiutut.
“When we did do the work of bringing authenticity to the Inuit culture, the play then went through a transformation, and you can see it in the company. The strength of the artists onstage is amazing,” Loring said.
Loring credits the cast, who speak dialects of Inuktut other than Nattilingmiutut, for being dedicated to vividly portraying the language.
The Breathing Hole is now the largest written work of the Nattilingmiutut dialect.
Audience members were excited to witness the rich representation in the Breathing Hole.
Mona Belleau says she was eager to get tickets when she heard about the unique production.
“I’m an Inuk, and we don’t see many plays that are based around Inuit culture, Inuit life, Inuit history, so I thought it was important to come,” she said.
Another attendee Odette Laurin, who previously worked at the National Arts Center for 27 years, said she was curious to see a production by Indigenous theatre for the first time.
“It’s great to see how things have changed because there was no Indigenous theatre when I was here. It’s very new,” she said.
The play, a tragedy, tackles the link between climate change and colonialism in the North. With an often misty, multi-layered set featuring large-scale puppetry, the current relevance of the play could be felt in the audience’s energy.
This tragedy is foreshadowed when the character of Hummiktuq, portrayed by Else Charlem Danielsen, predicts the transformation of society’s concept of time.
“It is not in the shape of a circle but in the shape of a line,” the character declared.
The Breathing Hole will premiere at the National Arts Centre on Dec 2.
Olivia Grandy 