Night

Piuyuq holds Gloria in her arms and weeps and weeps and weeps. Photo by Chris Gallow

Production History and Cast

Night premiered on 4 January 2010 at the National Arts Centre as a co-production between Human Cargo and the National Arts Centre, English Theatre. It then toured to the community of Inuvik, the Northern Arts and Cultural Centre (Yellowknife), and the Yukon Arts Centre (Whitehorse). It had the following cast:

PIUYUQ AUQSUQ/PAINGU (Voice-over)    Abbie Ootova

DANIELLA/TEACHER    Linnea Swan

GLORIA    Michelle Monteith

JAYKO AUQSUQ/THE MAYOR/VOICE/APAK/CANDY MAN/CONSTABLE DANCKERT    Mike Bernier

RADIO MAN/MOON/IMOSIE/PAINGU (Voice-over)    Spencer Naqitarvik

Production Artists

Playwright/Director    CHRISTOPHER MORRIS

Set and Costume Designer    GILLIAN GALLOW

Lighting Designer    MICHELLE RAMSAY

Sound Design    LYON SMITH

Stage Manager    MELISSA ROOD

Apprentice Stage Manager    ELIZABETH MCDERMOTT

Dramaturgy    PETER HINTON and PAULA DANCKERT

Pronunciation Notes

Piuyuq Auqsuq is pronounced: Peeooyooq Owqsah

Lamech is pronounced: Laymahkee

**Text prefaced with (Inuktitut) indicates that these lines are spoken in Inuktitut.

SCENE ONE—A Voice

(Utter blackness. It's very quiet, and still. The northern lights appear. An Inuit teenager materializes from the darkness. It is Gloria.)

Gloria:

(English.) Hi! My name is Lamech Piuyuq Auqsaq. I'm named after my grandfather, Lamech Auqsaq, but you can call me Piuyuq, it means beautiful, LOL. I am sixteen years old and I've lived in Pond Inlet, Nunavut all my life. A long time ago you took my grandfather. He was sick. But he never came back. Today, if my dad's out hunting and he doesn't get a seal, or if his snow machine won't start, he says it's because my grandfather is missing. Sometimes I say his snow machine wouldn't start because there was no gas, but it doesn't do any good. I told my dad one time that grandfather's not coming back, that's all, and that he should try to move on. The next day my mother died on the land. It was a terrible accident, but my dad said it happened because he grew up without my grandfather. My grandfather's gone, but it's like he never left, he's present, but missing. And now, my dad is starting to disappear. I think you know my grandfather. That's why I'm writing to you. His number is E5-1087, but his name is Lamech. Lamech Auqsaq. Can you bring him back?

SCENE TWO—Airwaves

(Darkness. Tinny square dancing music is heard for a bit. Then.)

Radio Man:

(Inuktitut.)

(Good afternoon, hope everyone is having a gooood Sunday in Pond Inlet. It's cold out there today, cold and dark, but it will change tonight, colder and darker—)

(Phone rings in background.)

Radio Man:

(Inuktitut.)

(Hi ... yes ... yes ... where? ... okay. Jordan Kyak lost his dentures between his house and the Co-op, anyone finds them call 8838, reward offered ... 8838 ... )

(Pause.)

(His breathing.)

(Click and square dancing music comes on and plays for about five seconds, then stops.)

(The phone rings.)

Radio Man:

(Inuktitut.)—. (Hi. Go ahead.)

(Click, it's Gloria, she's on the air.)

Gloria:

(English.) Hello everyone this is Gloria Muktar. Today is my best friend Piuyuq Auqsaq's sweet sixteen birthday. (Inuktitut.) (Piuyuq, you're my best friend. I love you. Happy sweet sixteen.)

(She sings.)

Happy birthday to you,Happy birthday to you,Happy birthday dear Piuyuq,Happy birthday to you!

Gloria:

(Inuktitut.) . (Happy sweet sixteen girlfriend, I love you. See you at the Co-op.) (English.) Bye.

(Click.)

Radio Man:

(English.) Happy sweet sixteen to Piuyuq Auqsaq, sweet sixteen....

(Britney Spears' Baby One More Time starts. Over the music.)

Radio Man:

(Inuktitut.) ... ... 8838

( ... lost dentures 8838 ... )

(Britney Spears gets louder.)

Oh baby, baby Oh baby, baby Oh baby, baby How was I supposed to know, That something wasn't right here, Oh baby...