The Rez Sisters

The women have set up chairs and stools in Pelajia’s basement. They drink tea and beers. Pelajia gives her hammer to Emily to use as a gavel and lead the meeting. Emily asks when they are leaving for Toronto. They debate how long it will take to get there, as well as whose vehicle to borrow, and settle on Eugene’s van. Then, they debate about when to leave and arrange their schedule around Marie-Adele’s medical tests. Annie and Emily are nominated to drive. The women decide to stay with Pelajia’s son, buy groceries and cook at his house. They debate how much money they should contribute toward groceries. After calculations that include the price of admission to bingo, Emily figures that each woman needs to raise $200.

The stage becomes overtaken with their fundraising efforts. The characters perform a montage to music while Nanabush (disguised as a seagull) messes with Marie-Adele’s lines of laundry around the stage. Pelajia hammers on a roof. Emily rings up grocery purchases that Annie, Philomena, Marie-Adele, Zhaboonigan, and Veronique pass across the stage. Zhaboonigan and Annie bring tables onto stage. Philomena, who has a baby attached to her, and Emily move around beer bottles.