Danlie Rae debuts the role of Eugene in Ian Cusson’s Indian on Vacation.

We proudly announce Indians on Vacation, a new opera based on the novel by Thomas King composed by Ian Cusson with a libretto by Royce Vavrek. AtG, in partnership with Edmonton Opera and supported by the Yukon Arts Centre. We are delighted to be presenting this work from May 8th to 10th, 2026.

Originally developed as a part of Edmonton Opera’s Wild Rose Project, this mini-opera adaptation of Thomas King’s novel has been expanded into a full opera starring Marion Newman as Mimi and Evan Korbut as Bird.

In Thomas King’s Indians on Vacation, we meet a contemporary Indigenous couple: Bird and Mimi. We find the couple on a trip through Europe they decided to take after discovering a trove of old postcards from Mimi’s late Uncle Leroy, who absconded to Europe with a family heirloom 100 years ago. As the couple ventures across Europe, trying to unravel the mystery of Uncle Leroy, Bird confronts his inner demons.