Cameron Peal is an emerging Indigenous playwright who participated in a residency at Eighth & Eight to develop a new play for youth in grades 10-12, called “Hold on to the Question”. The play is about a journey towards learning to celebrate the intersectional nature of contemporary indigenous life, especially for younger indigenous folks — the intersection at which modern life and its luxuries collide with the multi-layered history of indigenous peoples on turtle island, and in the country we call Canada. During this residency, Cameron shared a reading of his play with young Indigenous students and participated in a feedback session with these youth.

“My time with Massey Theatre was extremely valuable for my process, as it’s not often that a company is able to provide generous space for exploration, especially in the early stages of theatre development,” said Cameron. “Having a creative space where I could experiment with process deeply informed the work, and that is something that I am always interested in trying out, as often as possible.”

Cameron Peal (he/him/his) is a Vancouver based (Musqueam, Squamish, and TseilWaututh territories) theatre artist, from the Nisga’a Nation of Northwest BC. His current passion is in exploring the abstract: “how can I express something beyond the boundaries of what’s literal, what’s already clear?” His work looks to blur the boundaries between art forms and genres.

Recent credits: Assistant Director – White Noise (Firehall Arts Centre, Savage Society), Writer/Performer – 4 Directions Cabaret (Rumble Theatre), Ensemble – In My Day (Zee Zee Theatre), Director – enough is enough is enough (Studio 58), Producer/Creator – Where Is This Going (Butcher Shop Collective), Assistant Director – Bunk #7 (The Raven Collective), Co-Director – Cerulean Blue (Studio 58), Writer/Performer – Gather: Stories in Nature (Pacific Theatre, and Neworld Theatre), Production Coordinator – Indigenous Cities (Savage Society), Assistant to the Director – She Sells Seashells (United Players), Ensemble – Reframed (Electric Company Theatre), MC – Backyard Sessions (Savage Society), and Writer – The Transformation Project (National Arts Centre, and Pi Theatre). Actor/director/writer, Studio 58 graduate.

This program has been made possible thanks to funding by the Province of British Columbia, BC Arts Council, BC Touring Council, and the City of New Westminster.