Cathy Elliott (Cormier) is an Acadian / status Mi’kmak member of the Indian Brook Band in Nova Scotia.
Cathy’s artistic journey started when her mother (a painter) put a pencil in her hand and demonstrated how to draw a three dimensional box, then a face, then, well everything. Since then, she has pursued a life in the arts that envelops and sustains her: visual arts, (painting, sculpture, jewelry making, photography, digital art, graphics and advertising) theatre, (performing, playwriting, lyrics) music (musical theatre, roots, guitar, piano, computer) and film (direction and musical scores).
This summer was filled with firsts: She wrote and directed the first originall All Aboriginal Musical at the Confederation Centre in Charlottetown, PEI. "The Talking Stick" was performed for Will and Kate during their visit and telecast live worldwide. She wrote and directed the documentary "Fill My Hollow Bones", for DAREart's pilot Aboriginal Arts program, Nee-tum-ochi-bek, which premiered at the TIFF Centre.
Her musical "Moving Day" continues to play in different venues, the most recent this fall at the historical Orillia Opera House.
Her Yukon Based musical “Fireweeds” has earned her a reputation as a gifted writer.
"Fireweeds: Women of the Yukon is a feminist musical. In fact, it's an ass-kickin', tear-jerkin', history-tellin' satisfying episodic musical about women who live in the dark six months a year and survive -- no, thrive -- to tell about it." -Joanne Huffa, Eye Magazine ••••
"It's refreshing to be able to tell you about a songwriter who doesn't shrink from warm, open melodies and who is able to match them with succinct lyrics that mix the sugar of poetry with the spice of reality. That's what you get in the work of Cathy Elliott." -Richard Ouzounain, Toronto Star •••
She has been performing her one woman 60’s based musical, Moving Day which was directed and dramaturged by Jeannette Lambermont Morey for Talk is Free Theatre in Barrie, Ontario. It was performed to great acclaim at Dartmouth’s inaugural SuperNova Theatre Festival in 2008. Just previous to that it was invited by jury to participate in Toronto’s Next Stage Theatre Festival.
"Elliott has a robust, expressive voice...What Moving Day does right is present the historical struggles of women to be taken seriously — both in and out of homemaking roles — with a light but precise touch. There is a lot of heart in Elliott’s tale of Sharon Sharpe, a 1960s housewife stuck packing up her family’s home alone on the night of the moon landing...Elliott gives a warm and believable performance.” Meghan Harrison, Eye Weekly
"Backed up musically onstage by the talented trio of Cyndi Carleton, Jane Miller and Konrad Pluta, Elliott’s singing resonates with longing and despair." NNN Now Magazine
Despite the fact that Moving Day takes place more than thirty years ago, Elliott paints a picture that is sadly far too recognizable even today. In what is clearly a heartfelt tribute to her own mother, Elliott recognizes the resilience and potential inside all women. She does it with warmth, humour and a tender understanding that holds the audience captive from start to finish. Jennifer Jaensch, Barrie Examiner
