


About The Play
A reading of a brand new play commissioned by the festival.
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3 sisters are on their own to survive a curse that has transformed their mother. They set out to make it on their own each battling their own form of curse. As each sister learns how to navigate through this new territory, their survival methods take a dark turn. Find out more in this fantasy inspired new play by Ashley Cook, made possible in part by co-operation with Manitoba Association of Playwrights.
CONTENT CONSIDERATION: Depictions of substance use and domestic abuse. Generational trauma.

Playwright
Ashley Cook
Ashley Cook is a Métis and Anishinaabe theatre artist with over 15 years of experience as an actor and graduated with honours from Studio 58’s acting program. Recently, she has become interested in playwriting. Her first play The Mixolydian, a theatre for young audiences play produced by Green Thumb Theatre toured throughout western Canada. She has a focus on fostering a love for the arts for the next generation and has dedicated time to working with kids and teens at MTYP and the former Native Youth Theatre. Recent acting credits include Zhaboonigan in The Rez Sisters at the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre. She is excited to continue developing her playwriting practice at this year’s festival and seeks to add to the already prolific and dynamic tapestry of plays by Indigenous playwrights.

Director
John Cook
John Cook is an accomplished actor with a strong presence in both theatre and film. His standout film performances include Lenny in Of Mice and Men (Argyle Sox), a role that earned him the Best Actor award at the American Indian Film Festival, and O for a Thousand Tongues, which was nominated for Best Short Film at the Cannes Film Festival.
In theatre, John is best known for his portrayal of Chief Bromden in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (Studio 58), Louis Riel in Women of the Fur Trade (Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre), and Freddie Seven Horse in Dreary & Izzy (Theatre Northwest). Working with these respected companies has brought him across Turtle Island, enriching his artistic journey.
This marks John’s first time stepping into the role of director, and he looks forward to bringing this experience to future stage and film projects. John is thrilled to be part of this festival and is honored to collaborate with his wife, Ashley Cook, on her new works.
John trained at Studio 58 and Langara Arts Film Program, where he developed a diverse skill set that includes acting, voice work, stage combat, and playwriting. His dedication to his craft is reflected in his contributions to both classic and contemporary works on stage and screen.

Performer
Alyx Buhler
​Alyx Buhler is a performer of Métis (Shoshone, Cree, Whitmore, Hourie), Pennsylvania Dutch, English, Belgian and Scottish ancestry. Performing has been a part of Alyx’s life since the age of 5, with her most recent roles being Bea Case in Nuclear Family at The Fringe Festival in 2024, chorus for Li Keur: Riel’s Heart for the North (Manitoba Opera,2023) and Smokey Joe’s Café (Piper Pride Productions, 2022). Off the stage, Alyx is a stay-at-home mom who plays lots of board games with her two-and-a-half-year-old son. Looking ahead to 2025, Alyx is hoping to return to work while pursuing more theatre opportunities.

Performer
Keely McPeek
Keely McPeek (she/her) is a member of the Anisininew (Oji-Cree) Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug First Nation in Northwestern Ontario, with Irish and German settler roots. She holds a Bachelor of Music and Post-Baccalaureate in Vocal Performance from the Desautels Faculty of Music at the University of Manitoba. Winning the Rainbow Stage Trophy at the Winnipeg Music Festival encouraged her stage performance career. You may have seen Keely in Manitoba Opera’s Li Keur: Riel’s Heart of the North as Marie Serpente, Manitoba Theatre for Young People's recent seven-month tour of Frozen River, Dry Cold’s production of A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, or the Winnipeg Fringe Festival.

Performer
Dezarae Meade
​Dez is a member of the Berens River and Hollow Water First Nations. Currently, she is a fourth-year university student specializing in Indigenous Studies and Cree Language. Dez began her acting journey as a student with the Native Youth Theatre program and has since progressed to roles as a Teaching Assistant and now a Teacher. She is deeply committed to making a positive impact on the lives of Indigenous youth in Manitoba, actively engaging in respite care, youth councils, and Native Theatre Outreach initiatives.

