Tales of Africa visit Morinville Cultural Centre

Anansi is a major player throughout African and Caribbean folk tales. A bit of trickster he often takes the shape of spider or a skinny old man and is considered to be the spirit of all storytelling knowledge.

Best known among the Asante people of Ghana, Anansi delivers his tales in the traditional oral tradition. A wily being, he has the gift of turning the table on powerful oppressors through cunning and trickery.

And in the many tales told of Anansi’s exploits, he could gain the upper hand on plantation overlords and inspire resistance among African slaves.

The Victoria-based Story Theatre is touring Canada and will present Anansi’s Gift of Stories at the Morinville Community Cultural Centre on Saturday, April 8.

“Anansi was a childhood hero of mine, a trickster storyteller from Central Africa who would tell stories to the gods. The kids’ stories about Br’er Rabbit and Tar-Baby are all descended from Anansi stories,” said Story Theatre artistic director David MacPherson.

In this one-hour program, Nyami, the all-powerful Sky God, steals all stories on Earth. Anansi cares for the puny humans and believes all mankind should have access to the stories’ teachings.

He confronts Nyami, who commands the spider fulfil three seemingly impossible tasks before he will relinquish the stories to mankind.

Anansi must trap Onini, a python capable of swallowing a buffalo; make Minoatia, a puckish invisible fairy gremlin visible; and capture Osi, a dangerous panther living in the jungle.

“Anansi confronts each character and tricks them into trapping themselves. He then trades them to Nyami for the stories.”

Each task requires a Herculean effort. Yet using his wit, Anansi traps the python through his vanity, the panther with deceptiveness and the fairy gremlin through hubris.

Anansi’s role as a teaching tool of the oral tradition “goes back to the sands of time,” MacPherson notes.

The show was first developed four years ago as part of Story Theatre’s touring school program, and has since travelled throughout Canada and the United States.

“The first part, about 40 minutes, is the scripted story. Then we have a 10-minute improvisational story-telling section and we end with The Nursery Rhyme Review using different recognizable pieces of music. We’ll be also be making some American Sign Language, but we won’t be interpreting in ASL. I want to make that clear.”

For additional information visit storytheatre.ca.