Acclaimed Ojibway playwright explores Indigenous art forgery and its implications in new work

Drew Hayden Taylor's new work, The Undeniable Accusations of Red Cadmium Light, runs April 18 - May 3 at the Firehall Arts Centre. Photo by Sara Cornthwaite

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Ojibway playwright and author Drew Hayden Taylor has never shied away from tough topics.

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The legacy of colonialism has informed shows such as Only Drunks and Children Tell the Truth, Someday, and Cottagers and Indians. His latest work, The Undeniable Accusations of Red Cadmium Light, dives into the world of Indigenous art forgery and its implications on creators and communities.

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He takes the well-documented cases of counterfeit works by acclaimed Anishinaabe artist Norval Morrisseau as a launching point for the new work. It becomes an investigative drama about who you can, or can’t, trust.

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Director Jamie Kastner’s 2019 documentary There Are No Fakes, exposed a massive Morrisseau art fraud ring that, by some estimates, might have flooded the market with almost 10 times as many forgeries as there were real pieces. Hayden Taylor’s play incorporates the painter’s famed 1982 piece Red Cadmium Light as a title and plot device.

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When a Morrisseau work dated before 1982 — but containing the pigment — arrives at a respected local gallery specializing in renowned Indigenous artists, things began to unravel for the gallery owner Nazhi and her daughter Beverly. Secrets are discovered that need to be resolved.

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“I was at a cocktail party at the Kleinberg Museum where I struck up a discussion with a guy who had a company called Morrisseau Consulting that was one of the two firms that people took their paintings to to get them authenticated,” said Hayden Taylor. “The more he talked about it, the more interesting it became. As I bounced it around in my head, it became more about people stealing the Native voice and counterfeiting or authenticating it to their benefit.”

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Along with the exploration of appropriation and economic exploitation of Indigenous cultures and voices, the playwright cast a story that contains elements of mystery. He refuses to expand any further on the plot, only allowing that it includes a big reveal that “blows everything wide open” in a larger rumination on identity and lived experience.

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Such hot-topic content can lead playwrights getting preachy. One of the thing that sets all of Hayden Taylor’s work apart is how he can dive into the tough issues but still bring big guffaws. His plays can leave audiences sore from laughing.

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“On a broader scale, this is just a fun thing to explore, both as a revelation and as a comedy,” he said. “As I age, my work is getting a lot darker, as dealing with theft of culture and identity isn’t a light topic. But humour is always there and how I present the Indigenous perspective to the dominant culture.”

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One thing that will certainly help in delivering The Undeniable Accusations of Red Cadmium Light to Vancouver audiences is having award-winning Coast Salish actor, artist and playwright Columpa Bobb directing. Bobb won a 1997 Jessie theatre award for her work in the Firehall Theatre’s production of Hayen Taylor’s Only Drunks and Children Tell The Truth.