Passionate Performances Upcoming at the Port Stanley Festival Theatre by Peri Hayes Inner Elder As an award-winning solo performance, the multi-faceted Mich- elle Thrush wrote Inner Elder in 2017. After premiering this story in her home of Calgary, Michelle has proceeded to tour this performance across Canada. With 40 years dedicated to the film and television industry, Michelle thoroughly enjoys directing, performing, producing and writing theatre. As well, Michelle enjoys celebrating the arts on a national scale with youth in Indigenous communities. Inner Elder follows the story of an Indigenous girl navigating hardship, with the spiritual presence of her guiding grandmothers and more. Michelle details what inspired this narrative: “This is a character that I’ve been doing for over 30 years – a clown comedy entity within herself, and her name is Kookum.” Kookum translates to ‘grandmother’ in Cree, a character who came to Michelle in the early ‘90s: “As an artist, I feel like things channel through me, and this is what happened with her.” Solidifying this well-established character, Michelle has been bringing Kookum the Clown to conferences and gatherings across the country for 30 years and counting. When the opportunity arose to create a larger theatrical show surrounding this figure, Michelle utilized a four-week window to collaborate with a director of her choosing. Alongside Karen Hines, Michelle devoted herself to rehearsals – bringing this hour-long, captivating solo performance and tragic comedy to life.
“This is like a memoir of my life,” Michelle declares. “I grew up in a home with two chronic alcoholic parents, which was an instigator for me to pursue my imagination. With that said, it is important for me to not be seen as a victim. This experience pushed me into my career.”
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Page 4 Real Living • Spring 2026
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