The title of Maki Yi’s show is quite self-explanatory. These are stories told by an immigrant to Canada from South Korea, and the trials and tribulations that accompanied that.
And as Yi puts it, she only had the one suitcase when she arrived.
“In coming to a foreign country with just a suitcase, to survive, there were lots of difficulties,” she said. “We all have life struggles. If someone can hear my story and get some courage or find hope, that’s what I’m hoping for.”
Suitcase Stories, the one-woman play written by Yi, is coming to Saskatoon presented by Burnt Thicket Theatre. The show is inspired by Yi’s first decade living in Canada, from arriving in Toronto to eventually moving to Regina and going to school.
The play was originally developed by Yi during her time at Vancouver’s Pacific Theatre. Yi created a series of 10-minute vignettes, scripted versions of her own experiences, to be performed in the lobby before each of one of the company’s main season shows.
Eventually, Yi connected the eight short plays together into one longer story — and Suitcase Stories was born.
Yi said she came to Canada to be herself. As she puts it, she wanted to escape the cultural and societal pressures that she felt would have kept her from pursuing her passions.
Though, it wasn’t until eventually making her way to Regina that she found the thing she’s grown to love: the theatre.
“I felt like I could really be myself and have that freedom,” she said. “Doing theatre wasn’t easy either, but I just kept going, and here I am years later sharing my story with other people.”
All these journeys are captured in different segments of Suitcase Stories. Yi said she wanted the story to capture the ups and downs of her newcomer and immigration experiences, which includes the joys of getting into theatre and making a home for herself but also moments of racism and discrimination.
For Yi, this production is a chance to come back to Saskatchewan. And although she doesn’t live here anymore, Yi still has fond memories of that time in her life and of the heart of Canada.
“I really grew to love the Prairies, that endless sky,” she said. “The Prairies are my Canadian home, and I am excited to bring my story back.”
Suitcase Stories, presented by Burnt Thicket Theatre, runs Feb. 25 to March 1, 2026 at Studio 914. Tickets can be found online at burntthicket.com.
