Log in & Sign up
You are not logged in.
Most Commented
Inook and the Sun shines at German school
'Students learned about native culture'
Karen Seidman
The Gazette
Sunday, February 24, 2008
OHN MAHONEY, THE GAZETTE Connor Seidel (left) plays Ino
A play about an Inuit boy that was written in English and translated into German may sound like an unusual theatre experience, but Inuk und das Geheimnis der Sonne - Inook and the Sun - resonated with its audience at the Alexander von Humboldt German International School this month.
It's about a boy who, during a long Arctic winter, sets out on a journey to find the sun.
In any language, that ought to strike a chord with a Montreal audience this month.
Director Rolf Kraus said the Feb. 14 play spoke to its audience not only about the weather, but about aboriginal culture and living in peace with the environment.
"There's a strong message about living with the world around you, about living with nature," said Kraus, a German and history teacher at the Baie d'Urfé school. "The students really learned about native mythology and culture."
In the play, Inook is desperate to find the sun so his people can warm up and have lots of food to eat. He finally discovers the sun, which was covered in ice, and is able to return it to his people.
Kraus first heard the author, Canadian playwright Henry Beissel, read from the play two years ago.
Although it had been written in English, Beissel, who is German, translated it into German.
Kraus believed it was a story that would interest his students, so Inuk und das Geheimnis der Sonne went into production last September.
"It has been a wonderful experience," said Kraus. About 50 students were involved in the production - mainly senior high school students - and Kraus said they enjoyed doing everything from acting to building sets to singing in the choir.
He was also impressed that the students have a strong enough command of the German language to perform a play, especially since more than half of the students don't speak German at home but learn it only through the private Baie d'Urfé school.
"The students are not only learning the language, they are developing a taste for theatre and they are seeing how language can connect you with people," Kraus said.