Echoes of the Land: Immersive show allows audiences to drift off
Posted Jun 25, 2026 4:50 pm.
An immersive show in Calgary this week is asking audiences to do something unusual, lie down and close their eyes.
Echoes of the Land is back at the Werklund Centre’s Big Secret Theatre, inviting people onto the floor for a 60-minute experience built around live drumming, poetry and music as part of National Indigenous History Month.
Audience members are encouraged to bring a yoga mat or pillow, with eye masks provided. From there, the performance unfolds around them, with performers positioned along the edges of the space.
The show features Elder Clarence Wolfleg and traditional drummer and knowledge keeper Skip Wolfleg, alongside Kris Demeanor, Cedric Biggie Lightning, Alanna Bluebird and Kenna Burima.
It’s a remount of the production that premiered at the 2025 High Performance Rodeo, where director Eric Rose says demand was so strong many audience members bought tickets more than once.
“There’s something… beautiful and ancient about listening to, for instance, a grandfather drum,” Rose says, describing the atmosphere inside the room. “It’s something to be experienced.”
Unlike a traditional theatre setup, there’s no expectation to watch closely or react, you could even drift off.
“In this show… the audience doesn’t have to perform,” Rose says. “If what you need is to rest and let the sound and music wash over you… that’s absolutely fine.”
Rose says that approach is intentional, making the experience accessible for a wide range of audiences, including those who may feel unsure about where to start when it comes to Indigenous cultural experiences.
“…especially as a white settler, sometimes maybe you feel like… it might feel like almost like too much courage to go to a powwow. I think that this is a beautiful invitation to dip into the waters of First Nation knowledge in a way that is really open, inviting, and welcoming.”
While lying on the floor is part of the concept, seating and accessibility options are available.
Echoes of the Land runs June 25 to 28 at the Big Secret Theatre at the Werklund Centre. Tickets are available here.
