THE NATIVE THEATER FESTIVAL IN NEW YORK CITY

DECEMBER 5 - DECEMBER 9
FREE EVENTS!

The Native Theater Festival is dedicated to supporting and presenting extraordinary theater from today’s Native artists. The festival will include 4 FREE readings, a FREE staged presentation plus one event at Joe’s Pub.

NATIVE THEATER FESTIVAL
From the New York Times, Friday, November 30, 2007 by Steven McElroy A dedicated New York theater-goer might be justified in thinking that this town has plated host to every kind of theater featival possible, including not only those dedicated to genre (musical, fringe, clown) but also those devoted to artisitc identity (Latino, Asian, gay). But the Public Theater, which doggedly tends to uncover the new, is offering a festival next week featuring the work of American Indian artists from the United States and Canada. Oskar Eustis, the Public's artistic director, created a similar event when he was the artistic director of Trinity Repertory Company in Rhode Island, but this Native Theater Festival is his first time doing it in New York.

"There is clearly a significant number of Native theater artists in this country who are talented and original," Mr. Eustis said in a telephone inteview. "The stories of the Native experience are extraordinary, and yet we have no Native theater movement here."

The festival will include four play readings and one production: "Tales of an Urban Indian," written and performed by Darrell Dennis. It's the tale of an American Indian born on a reservation who is trying to find his way in a big city. the five-day festival also includes postshow discussions with teh authors and other invited guests and a concert by Joy Harjo, above, and the Arrow Dynamics Band at Joe's Pub.

In conjunction with the featival, the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in New York and Washington and the American Indian Community Hose in New York are offering an art market, with original paintings, sculture, jewelry and other items for sale. "My hope is that we're going to start making people aware that there is an exciting boy of artists they don't know about," Mr. Eustis said. (Wednesday through Sunday, Public Theater, 425 Lafayette Street, at Astor Place, East Village, 212-967-7555, publictheater.org; free for readings and "Tales of an Urban Indian"; tickets for Joy Harjo and the Arrow Dynamics Band are $12)

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:
Each reading will be followed by a post-show discussion with the playwright, director and special guests. All readings/staged presentation will be in the Anspacher Theater.

(Joy Harjo, Photo: Paul Abdoo)

Wednesday, December 5 at 7PM
IN A WORLD CREATED BY A DRUNKEN GOD
Written by DREW HAYDEN TAYLOR (OJIBWAY)
DIRECTED BY KENNETCH CHARLETTE (CREE)
While Jason packs up his Toronto apartment, looking forward to starting a new life by moving home to his family’s reserve, he is interrupted by an unannounced visitor who drags him into the past he had long ignored. A finalist for the prestigious Canada Council for the Arts Governor General’s Literary Award.

Post-show Discussion Guests: Terry Gomez (writer/director/actor), Jennifer Podemski (actor/writer/producer), and Randy Reinholz (Artistic Director, Native Voices at the Autry/Interim Director, School of Theatre, Television and Film at SDSU)

Wednesday, December 5 at 9:30PM
SPECIAL JOE'S PUB EVENT
JOY HARJO AND THE ARROW DYNAMICS BAND
Poetry-Rock-Jazz-Reggae Gone Native
Featuring Larry Mitchell, Keith Golden, Alex Alexander and Rober Muller!
Tickets $12. To listen to Joy Harjo’s music, visit joyharjo.com or myspace.com/joyharjo. Please note that Joe's Pub has a $12 food or 2 drink minimum per person. Click here to buy tickets.

Thursday, December 6 at 8PM
SALVAGE
Written by DIANE GLANCY (CHEROKEE)
Directed by SHEILA TOUSEY (MENOMINEE AND STOCKBRIDGE-MUNSEE)
This dark drama, about lives colliding in the aftermath of a car accident, is also part of the Fall 2007 Festival of New Plays at Los Angeles’ Native Voices at the Autry, where it will premiere next year.

Post-show Discussion Guests: Daniel David Moses (playwright/poet) and Randy Reinholz (Artistic Director, Native Voices at the Autry/Interim Director, School of Theatre, Television and Film at SDSU)

Friday, December 7 at 8PM
A STRAY DOG
Written by WILLIAM S. YELLOW ROBE, JR. (ASSINIBOINE)
Directed by PETER DUBOIS
Alec returns to his home on the reservation and has to fight the ongoing struggle of Tribal recognition with his family, like a stray dog returning to its pack. William S. Yellow Robe, Jr. is one of the leading Native playwrights in the United States.

Post-show Discussion Guests: Hanay Geiogamah (Director of Project HOOP at UCLA), Terry Gomez (writer/director/actor) and Yvette Nolan (Artistic Director of Native Earth Performing Arts)

Saturday, December 8 at 6PM
WINGS OF THE NIGHT SKY, WINGS OF MORNING LIGHT
Written by JOY HARjO (MVSKOKE/CREEK)
Directed by LISA PETERSON
Join us for a sneak-peek at the first piece written for the theater by internationally known poet, performer, writer and musician Joy Harjo, who has performed on “Def Poetry Jam” on HBO, is recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Native Writers Circle of the Americas, and has recently received the First Nations Composers Initiative composers grant.

Post-show Discussion Guests: Hanay Geiogamah (Director of Project HOOP at UCLA) and Daniel David Moses (playwright/poet)

Sunday, December 9 at 8PM
STAGED PRESENTATION
TALES OF AN URBAN INDIAN
WRITTEN AND PERFORMED BY DARRELL DENNIS (SECWEPEMC)
Darrell Dennis tells the tale of Simon Douglas, an Indian born on a reservation and named by the government who tries to find his way in the big city.

Post-show Discussion Guests: Hanay Geiogamah (Director of Project HOOP at UCLA) and Yvette Nolan (Artistic Director of Native Earth Performing Arts)

PARTNER EVENTS:
THE SMITHSONIAN NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN'S HOLIDAY ART MARKET
Saturday, December 8 and Sunday, December 9, 10AM–5PM
National Museum of the American Indian, Rotunda
One Bowling Green

AMERICAN INDIAN COMMUNITY HOUSE’S 25TH ANNUAL INDIAN MARKET
December 1–9, 12PM–8PM
Judson Memorial Church
243 Thompson Street (between West 3rd Street & Washington Square South)