The Maydee Box

A person's hands holding a computer tablet in front of a group of cardboard boxes. Pictured on the tablet is a cardboard box labelled "Métis Stuff". Emerging from the box are drawings of flowers, carrots and roots. — Photo credit: Murdoch Schon and Rebecca Cuddy

The Maydee Box

By Rebecca Cuddy

Showtimes

Friday June 10, 1:00pm, 2:00pm, 6:00pm
Saturday June 11, 1:00pm, 2:00pm, 4:30pm, 5:00pm, 6:00pm ET

Buy Tickets

NOTE: Tickets are purchased for the hour of the performance and assigned in 15 minute increments. Participants will be contacted with their time slots by the Box Office after the time of purchase.

Friday June 10

Artist Demo Friday June 10, 5:00pm ET – free online

Artist Demo

Saturday June 11

Tickets are pay-what-you-choose
$15/ $20 / $25

Venue

In-person only in the Art & Media Lab at the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts

Sighted Guides available. More info

Description

ALPHA— The Maydee Box is an augmented reality (AR) installation for one viewer at a time.

Individual audience members enter a space to find a cardboard box labelled “Métis Stuff”. As objects are pulled out of the box, audience members will use a smartphone to view audio and visual animations that tell the stories of those objects.

This work explores the intersection of live theatre, digital art, Cuddy’s Métis heritage, and her beadwork and visual arts practice.

Please be aware that The Maydee Box delves into sensitive material such as Indigenous identity, loss/grief, and Canada’s history.

Artist Statement

When your Grandpa passed on to the spirit world, he left you a box.
It’s not much, just a cardboard box marked
‘Métis Stuff’
Grandpa
He always pronounced Métis like MAY-dee
It always makes you smile
Your Maydee Box.
He left you a box.
He left you a box filled with the memories of many generations.
A box with the hopes of understanding a past gone missing.
A box with names and papers that tied you to a place and people.
A box full of voices and stories you long to hear.
A box full of maps.
A box full of effort.
Full of time.
Full of worry.
Of loss.
Of dreams.
A box that leaves you as you were before.
Incomplete.

Credits

Rebecca Cuddy – concept, direction, performance, visual art, and sound design
Murdoch Schon – digital dramaturgy, technical direction
Alex Theofanopoulos – AR developer
Yvette Nolan – concept dramaturgy
Troy Slocum – sound design mentor
Mackenzie Wojcik – voice actor
Calla Adubofour-poju – voice actor

Acknowledgements

Commissioned by SpiderWebShow Performance through Canada Council for the Arts Digital NOW program.