Started in 2017, the Indigenous Artist Spotlight series was created to foster greater awareness and understanding of the strength and diversity of Indigenous artist in Canada.
This month, we spoke with Jeremy Proulx (Bemaashi-Niisonge), a stage actor, writer and storyteller of Anishnabek (Ojibwe) and Haudenosaunee (Oneida) heritage. Jeremy is currently remounting Beautiful Scars at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa this September.
Jeremy's Links: Website • Next Production (Beautiful Scars)
From Neyaashiinigmiing to Tkaronto
I was raised and grew up in the community of Neyaashiinigmiing in southern Ontario but have been based in Tkaronto for the past 27 years. I belong to the Anishnabek (Ojibwe) and Haudenosaunee (Oneida) nations. Both of my communities have had a major impact on the way in which I approach storytelling and theatre. My Indigenous community has been the backbone of my cultural knowledge and upbringing in terms of Anishnaabemowin language and ceremony.
The First Spark
As a young boy growing up on the rez I recall seeing many touring theatre productions performed in my community by the Debajehmujig Theatre Group from Wiikwemkoong First Nation on Manitoulin Island, as well as Native Earth Performing Arts from Tkaronto. Some notable touring productions include Moonlodge written and performed by Margo Kane, Toronto at Dreamer's Rock written by Drew Hayden Taylor, If Jesus Met Nanabush written by Alanis King, and the landmark production of Lupi, The Great White Wolf performed entirely in the Anishnaabemowin language.
These touring productions I witnessed at a very young, impressionable age had a powerful impact on me. Until then it never occurred to me that I could become a professional actor. But I was struck almost immediately at seeing professional Indigenous actors bring original characters and unique stories to life onstage. These experiences were probably some of the very first times in which I saw myself reflected onstage. I guess you could say something ignited within me that made me think I could pursue a career in the performing arts.
Uniquely Me
The blending of my mixed ancestry is a crucial part of what makes me a unique storyteller and artist. It has taken years to embrace my intricacies and to proudly hold myself up as someone who is uniquely like no other person working and creating today. There is no one exactly like me; that beautiful awareness is also something I cherish and hold as sacred and special.
I value my cultural background as an Indigenous artist in whatever I do onstage and it greatly affects how I approach the work. But I still have to fight to be heard in an industry that sometimes wants to pigeonhole me and put me inside a tightly conformed box. People can want to see me as Indigenous only, which can be suffocating and limiting if you let it be. My growth and evolution as an artist has been deeply impacted by the types of work and projects I have fought for or chosen to be part of. I am also human and sometimes question why I continue to remain a working artist/storyteller. It's a challenging way of life, not just from a financial standpoint. Artists put their hearts and souls on the line every day through their work, and the struggle and process of creating art can often come from a very painful but honest place.
But if there's one thing about theatre artists, we know how to persevere and endure because we recognize how storytelling is a vital part of the fabric of our culture. We often work so hard to lift up voices that are marginalized. Through the work, we bring awareness to issues that need to be addressed in hopes that it makes us more connected and less alone. There is nothing more powerful than seeing great theatrical work that accomplishes these things.
Finding Your Circle
Indigenous theatre has always been evolving; there are more artists and storytellers out there than ever before, emerging on a much wider and greater scale. I can remember when I first started out as an actor over 25 years ago, there weren't as many Indigenous actors working as there are today that I felt I could look to for guidance. As a young artist, I often yearned for positive mentors and role models within an industry that oftentimes felt so competitive and overwhelming, and still does to a certain degree.
As an artist, especially an Indigenous artist, you are always trying to find your 'family' or 'crew' within the bigger community, people who understand you, share your passions, have your back and want to help you grow, evolve and succeed. There's nothing better than finding that circle of people.
The Magic of Theatre
I would like to be remembered as someone who always led with integrity, kindness, empathy and compassion in whatever project I was a part of. One of the aspects I love most about live theatre is that it's such a living and tangible entity. It shifts, moves, changes and grows depending on who is witnessing and interacting with it. The audiences that come out to experience live theatre are such an integral part of the storytelling happening onstage; they are part of a conversation that exists only within that one performance on that particular day. People have left the theatre being forever changed by what they just witnessed, then another audience on a following day might have a totally different experience with the same show. It's all based on what they bring of themselves to that sacred experience of sitting inside a dark theatre with complete strangers and witnessing a unique story unfold to which they will hopefully relate, empathize, connect or see themselves. The beautiful thing is that it will never be repeated the exact same way. That is the power and magic of live theatre.
Living Proof
Nothing brings me greater happiness than knowing I have impacted someone's life in the audience. I have seen people break down into tears, encountered audience members who feel the need to hug or console my character after a show, and other reactions ranging from joy, to shock, to elation, to empathy.
These personal interactions are lovely because they are from people who simply want to express their joy and gratitude. I have heard from mothers who have brought their children to the theatre for the first time, middle-aged people struggling to navigate their identity and paths through life, packed audiences of high school students at special matinees, grandparents who have been together for decades.
The reactions of young people in the audience have always had the biggest impact on me. I can always feel whether or not they are really listening to the story onstage. Many of them are probably experiencing their very first play, so I am honoured that they are getting that experience through me. I hope to connect with the youth especially because I am living proof of how much theatre can positively impact the life of a young person. Theatre can be such a valuable tool to help educate and change worldviews for the better. If I've made someone think a little differently about something meaningful, I can be proud of that.
Beautiful Scars
I am excited to be remounting the production of Beautiful Scars at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa this coming September. I play the fun, boisterous and charismatic role of Bear. It's a production I am very proud of, which I first performed 2 years ago at Theatre Aquarius in Hamilton. It's also a role in an original musical that I helped to originate onstage, which is very rare for me. ■