PLAYING GAMES/THE GAME IN TOMSON HIGHWAY’S REZ CYCLE.

Abstract

T: Award-winning Cree author Tomson Highway has created memorable characters for the stage and has continued to fascinate both theatre audiences and critics for decades. Set on the Wasaychigan Hill Indian Reserve, Manitoulin Island, Ontario (Canada), his Rez Cycle—The Rez Sisters (1986), Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing (1989) and Rose (1999)—revolves around playing games, be it bingo or hockey, as a way of coping with the challenges of reserve life. Relying on decolonizing perspectives, this article demonstrates how practices such as storytelling and using humor promote solidarity on stage. Also, Highway’s characters are proven to be winners who have mastered the art of playing the game, that is, of following the rules of life and surviving inimical circumstances