DFC focuses on global warming in An Honourary Elf play

Intrigue and global warming headlined two Dec. 12 presentations of An Honourary Elf by students at Dennis Franklin Cromarty First Nations High School.
“What was Mrs. Claus trying to do,” said Carol Barkman, a Grade 10 student from Sachigo Lake who performed the Tippy role in the play. “Global warming — it was actually Mrs. Claus.”
Although Frosty the Snowman, performed by Darrell Fiddler, thought that Santa, performed by Sage Mawakeesic, was behind the global warming that was melting him and the winter wonderland at the North Pole, it turned out that Mrs. Claus, performed by Antonia Meekis, was behind the whole affair.
“Mrs Claus was the one that caused that (global warming),” said Nancy Currie, director of the play and teacher at DFC. “(Frosty was starting) to melt away and (there were) the tired reindeer. Everything worked out for the better.”
Fiddler, a student from Sandy Lake, noted that Frosty had melted down to just his head at one point in the play.
“We were just trying to capture how global warming can affect the world,” Fiddler said. “Frosty was just suffering from the effects of global warming.”
Currie said the drama class students have performed seven plays over the past few years and other students have also performed some plays.
“The kids just love doing them,” Currie said. “It’s super for the skills they gain through the drama and they have a lot of fun. That’s what it is all about is having fun and being proud of what you did.”
Currie said the play was “basically just a comedy for entertainment.”
“Jeanna (performed by Robyn Turtle) had to go to the North Pole and there was a little message there I guess about her mom because she was so uncaring,” Currie said. “But at the end of the play she was caring.”
Jeanna ran away to the North Pole with a couple of unstable elves and discovered that something foul was afoot in Santa’s workshop. So she set out to uncover the truth despite threats of re-education by the elves.
“We started rehearsing the play three weeks ago,” said Meekis, a student from Deer Lake. “I felt really nervous but then after a while I got used to it.”
Alicia Koostachin, another student from Deer Lake who performed the Snooble role, signed up for the play to “be more outgoing.”
“This was my first play,” Koostachin said. “It was fun.”
Rachelle Pelletier, a student teacher at DFC, stepped in to play a couple of roles due to actors who were back home in their communities.
“Everyone was having a great time,” Pelletier said. “There were a couple of folks who hadn’t even read before who had to step in. There were a lot of hurdles but we pulled through in the end.”
Other performers in the play included Paige Meekis, as Boolie, Brittany Sainnawap, as Snog, Monica Wassaykeesic, as Yobo, and Joshim Kakekagumick, as Blitzen.
Students from the Grade 10 Integrated Arts and Grade 10 Clothing classes also created the set design and many of the costumes for the play.