Margo Kane - Acting, Teaching, and Cultural Work

Acting, Teaching, and Cultural Work

Margo received national attention during the late 1970s with the play The Ecstasy of Rita Joe by George Ryga, performed at Citadel Theatre in Edmonton Alberta. During 1982, Kane toured with Prairie Theatre Exchange’s production of The Ecstasy of Rita Joe. Margo has also involved herself with a national youth caravan which brought theatre to small native communities across Canada.

During the 1980s, Kane became involved with the National Native Role Model Program, which highlights the accomplishments of ordinary First Nations, Metis, and Inuit Youth. Through this program, Kane went to Prisons, recovery centres, and group homes. It was around this time that she landed a small part on the CBC's first nations tv series, Spirit Bay, in which she was cast as the school teacher.

Margo became the “first Native artistic director of Spirit Song Native Theatre School in the 1980s”. It was here that she realized that she was teaching performance more than performing herself. “I realized there weren’t a whole lot of roles for me out there – particularly since I was too old to be an ingenue and too young to be an interesting old lady” (Kane). She used her experience as a “cultural worker” to create roles for herself. Most of her work is autobiographical. She is probably best known for her acclaimed solo-voice drama Moonlodge which has toured for over ten years. Her performances blend traditional ritual with storytelling, song, poetry, and dance. A list of her most notable works can be found below.

Kane won a Canadian Achievement Award from the National Capital Commission in Ottawa in 1991.