Root Sky Theatre, in association with Theatre Incarnate, is proud to premiere Rattle: A Sixties Scoop Play at the University of Winnipeg’s Asper Centre for Theatre & Film, June 3 – 7, 2026.
Written by Brandon University (BU) professors Darrell Racine and Dale Lakevold, Rattle is based on the true stories of Sixties Scoop survivors and former BU students Robert Doucette and Roberta MacKinnon.
Dan and Bobbie have lived on the same North End street for decades and consider themselves family. They also share a similar history — both were taken from their Indigenous mothers as small children and adopted out into white families. They lost their family, their culture, their identity. Dan, now working for a Métis organization, has faced his past and is fighting for the future of fellow Sixties Scoop survivors. Bobbie is not so sure she wants to know why her mother gave her up as a newborn infant. Both their lives, and their families’, will be changed in unexpected ways as they struggle to understand who they are and where they belong.
Rattle received an award for Best Full-Length Play in the Theatre BC Canadian National Playwriting Competition for 2022. It is the fourth in a series of plays by Racine and Lakevold that explores Indigenous culture and history in Canada.
According to playwright Racine, “Rattle gives the artists and our audience the opportunity to participate in reconciliation.”
“The play provides a healing moment for Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities alike. It will bring us together in understanding our shared history.”
Rattle features Melanie Badger as Bobbie, Mackenzie Wojcik as her son Jordan, Josh Ranville as Dan, Dezarae Meade as his daughter Crystal, and Alissa Watson* as his wife Lina.
The artistic team includes: Director Charlene Van Buekenhout*, Assistant Director Cory Wojcik*, Apprentice Director Nodin Hiltz-André, Set Designer & Production Manager Brenda McLean, Costume Designer Amy McPherson, Lighting Designer Eric Bossé, Sound Designer & Composer MJ Dandeneau, Set Mentor Brian Perchaluk, Stage Manager Michelle Lagassé*, Production Assistants Laura Cyre & Paul Duncan, and Intimacy Coach Heidi Malazdrewich*.
Producers are Darrell Racine and Dale Lakevold of Root Sky Theatre, and Brenda McLean and Christopher Sobczak of Theatre Incarnate.
The producers are very grateful to the Cultural Consultants for the show: Robert Doucette, Roberta MacKinnon, Leticia Racine, Deborah Tacan, Frank Tacan, and Tanis Grimolfson.
* by agreement with Canadian Actors Equity Association
“It will bring us together in understanding our shared history.”
Playwright Darrell Racine
Performances:
7:30 nightly (June 3 to 6) 2 p.m., matinée (June 6 and 7)
A bus trip to Winnipeg for the June 6 matinée is being organized for BU students, employees and alumni. The registration deadline is Friday, May 29, and details are available at Events.BrandonU.ca.Sharing Circle for Survivors & Those Affected:
June 3 to 5 (2 to 4 p.m.) / June 6 and 7 (10 a.m. to noon)
Venue:
Asper Centre for Theatre and Film, 400 Colony St., Winnipeg
Tickets:
$25 | $35 If You Can | $10 Limited Income
Rattle: A Sixties Scoop Play is sponsored by the Riverton & District Friendship Centre, and received major funding from the National Sixties Scoop Healing Foundation of Canada, from the Manitoba Arts Council (Present Grant), and the Canada Council for the Arts (Creating, Knowing and Sharing: The Arts and Cultures of First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples)
About Root Sky Theatre:
Root Sky Theatre Company was formed in 1997 by Darrell Racine and Dale Lakevold to produce theatre and other arts projects with a cultural and political focus. Root Sky is devoted to raising the profile of Indigenous theatre and offering Indigenous artists the chance to work on Indigenous-led productions in a culturally safe way. The company also seeks to challenge and inspire audiences.
About Theatre Incarnate:
Theatre Incarnate believes in the power of live performance to transform space, ignite imagination, and make the ephemeral unforgettable. Founded in Winnipeg in 1996, the company creates compelling, visually driven work, with 28 productions and co-productions to date. Guided by artists Eric Bossé, Brenda McLean, and Christopher Sobczak, Theatre Incarnate develops image-rich, physically playful, and highly theatrical work through workshops, rehearsals, and performance.
Contact
- Brandon University
- communications@brandonu.ca
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About BU
Success is built at Brandon University. Our growing, progressive campus welcomes a diverse and inclusive community that combines proud tradition with shared ambition. Through our excellence in teaching, research, and scholarship, we educate students to make a meaningful difference as engaged citizens and leaders. Join us at BrandonU.ca.