The Impact of Pochinko-Based Clown Theatre at Debajehmujig Storytellers

Debajehmujig Theatre Group was founded by Shirley Cheechoo in 1984 in M’Chigeeng on Manitoulin Island. It was the first professional theatre company to operate on-reserve and the first to tour to other reserves across Canada. The company mandate is to contribute to the vitalization of the culture, language, and heritage of the Anishnabek by creating original work, by and about the Anishnabek, to share and educate Native and non-Native people. In this article, Bruce Naokwegijig (Artistic Director) and Joahnna Berti (Outreach and Education Director) reflect on the role that Pochinko-based clown training has played in the work and productions of their company. The artists at Debajehmujig began formally working with these Clown through Mask techniques in 2002 when they invited John Turner to provide training for the company. Over the past eighteen years, Turner has served as a teacher, collaborator, and director and helped to deepen Debajehmujig’s connection to these clown techniques, originally developed by Richard Pochinko. This article offers an opportunity for Naokwegijig and Berti to reflect on the ways that these clown techniques resonate with Anishnabe teachings and world-view. In particular, they consider the symmetry between the ‘clown rules’ and traditional storytelling, the ‘free-flowing’ nature and multiplicity of the character work as a vehicle for expressing iconic Anishnabe characters, and the power of creativity and direct audience interaction for connecting cross-cultural audiences with culture-based performances.