You Used To Call Me Marie…
An epic Métis love story.
A love story, a historical epic and a celebration of Métis song and dance, ‘You used to call me Marie…’ paints the stories of the Callihoo women in Alberta. Music plays, and ponies dance as the story of Marie Callihoo unfurls through generations and time. We follow Iskwewo, Napew, and Mistatim in eight intertwined stories of love and resilience as the Métis nation emerges across the plains. As we experience the love stories of Alberta’s Metis women, through stories of the fur trade, governance and organizing in the 1930s and into the present day, we witness generations of Callihoo women unfold.
Playwrights notes
Marie Callihoo was born sometime in the mid 1840s. Somewhere is Alberta, somewhere along the North Saskatchewan river. In history, she is mentioned by 4 different last names and 5 different birth dates. Marie Callihoo is my Great Great Great Great Great Great Grandmother and she was in fact one of the first generations of Metis women in Alberta. Marie was and is the ancestor to a large amount of Metis peoples in Alberta and she is arguably our very own Metis eve from the garden of eden, or in our case, the North Saskatchewan river. After Marie Callihoo, women were named Marie for her namesake until very recently. When I started this journey 9 years ago, Marie Callihoo was hardly traceable. Even though she was married to arguably one of the most famous voyageurs in Metis history, her story was missing. His story has been written for years while her continues to exist under different names, different years and different places. You used to call me Marie… was my way of starting to rewrite Metis women’s histories in Alberta. It was my way of giving Marie a voice and her story came to me as a love story.
You used to call me Marie… has, in fact, changed my life. She became a “Metis caravan” tour across the prairies in 2022. She became my masters thesis in 2023. She became my first professional production which toured to the National Arts Centre. And finally, she had me elected as the first Provincial Women’s Representative at the Metis Nation of Alberta in 2023. Marie was a reminder to me, that Metis women’s stories are not erased from history, they just haven’t been found yet.
So for tonight’s purposes, Marie is a story on a stage. She is history embodied and a reminder that women’s stories are in fact everywhere as are our ancestors. I hope she reminds you of the women you come from, who they were and what they did. And here is a reminder that you are loved by your ancestors, even if you haven’t found them yet.
I hope the magical Metis ponies visit you in your dreams.
Reviews
“The greatest strength of You used to call me Marie… is Grauman’s writing. Through recurring motifs, Grauman highlights how the love story between Iskwewo and Napew transcends time. For example, in at least two of the different love stories, Napew searches in the dirt to find something to use as an engagement ring for Iskwewo. Similarly, a horse, Mistatim, almost always appears in their stories. Through these details, Grauman reveals the depth of their love.
This play, above all else, showcases the resilience of the Métis community. For many people, this production may be their first time hearing these stories, particularly those of the Métis women who Grauman centres in her writing. You used to call me Marie… opens the door for audiences to research more about these stories, which have been historically obscured by societal pressures and forced assimilation policies.”
Production History
Workshop showing of ‘You used to call me Marie’ at Caravan Farm theatre — July 2022
Workshop presentation of ‘You used to call me Marie’ Metis community tour — July 2023
Production of ‘You used to call me Marie’. Metis community tour across Alberta and Saskatchewan — July- August 2023
Production of ‘You used to call me Marie’. The Cultch’s York Theatre — April 2024
Production of ‘You used to call me Marie’. The National Arts Centre Indigenous Theatre — June 2024
Production of ‘You used to call me Marie’. The Arts Club theatre with a lower mainland tour — September-November 2025
