Native Earth Performing Arts
Encyclopedia
Native Earth Performing Arts is a Canadian theatre
company located in Toronto
. Founded in 1982, it is the oldest professional Aboriginal performing arts company in Canada. They have been central in the development of a community of Native theatre artists, and have contributed to the creation of several plays which have become canonical in Canadian drama, such as Tomson Highway
's award-winning The Rez Sisters
and Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing
, Daniel David Moses
's Almighty Voice and His Wife and Drew Hayden Taylor
's Someday. Native Earth hosts the annual Weesageechak Festival which is a showcase for emerging Native theatre artists.
In 1986 Native Earth was able to secure government funding, which brought stability to the organization. This funding allowed Native Earth the possibility to program a season and open its own office with full-time staff.
In the same year Native Earth presented its first scripted work, Tomson Highway
's The Rez Sisters
which became a hit and attracted large audiences across Canada. The Play was so successful that it was also invited to the Edinburgh Festival
and received the Dora Mavor Moore Award
and the Floyd S. Chalmers Canadian Play Award
.
In 1989 Native Earth created "Weesageechak Begins to Dance" an annual play festival which developed plays that often turned into full production the following year. One of the plays which was developed through this process was John McLeod's Diary of a Crazy Boy.
In 2011 Tara Beagan took over the Artistic Director position from Yvette Nolan who was in that post since 2002.
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
company located in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. Founded in 1982, it is the oldest professional Aboriginal performing arts company in Canada. They have been central in the development of a community of Native theatre artists, and have contributed to the creation of several plays which have become canonical in Canadian drama, such as Tomson Highway
Tomson Highway
Tomson Highway, CM is a celebrated Canadian and Cree playwright, novelist, and children's author. He is the author of the plays The Rez Sisters and Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing, both of which won him the Dora Mavor Moore Award and the Floyd S...
's award-winning The Rez Sisters
The Rez Sisters
The Rez Sisters is a two act play by Cree Canadian writer Tomson Highway, first performed on November 26, 1986 by Act IV Theatre Company and Native Earth Performing Arts....
and Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing
Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing
Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing is a play by Tomson Highway, which premiered in 1989 at Theatre Passe-Muraille in Toronto.Set in the fictional Wasaychigan Hill reserve in Northern Ontario, Dry Lips is a companion piece to Highway's earlier play The Rez Sisters...
, Daniel David Moses
Daniel David Moses
Daniel David Moses is a First Nations poet and playwright from Canada.Moses, of Delaware descent, was born in Ohsweken, Ontario, and raised on a farm on the Six Nations of the Grand River. He has an Honours BA from York University and an MFA from the University of British Columbia. Moses was the...
's Almighty Voice and His Wife and Drew Hayden Taylor
Drew Hayden Taylor
Drew Hayden Taylor is a Canadian playwright, author and journalist.Born in Curve Lake, Ontario, Taylor is part Ojibwa and part Caucasian. About his background Taylor says: "I plan to start my own nation. Because I am half Ojibway half Caucasian, we will be called the occasions...
's Someday. Native Earth hosts the annual Weesageechak Festival which is a showcase for emerging Native theatre artists.
In 1986 Native Earth was able to secure government funding, which brought stability to the organization. This funding allowed Native Earth the possibility to program a season and open its own office with full-time staff.
In the same year Native Earth presented its first scripted work, Tomson Highway
Tomson Highway
Tomson Highway, CM is a celebrated Canadian and Cree playwright, novelist, and children's author. He is the author of the plays The Rez Sisters and Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing, both of which won him the Dora Mavor Moore Award and the Floyd S...
's The Rez Sisters
The Rez Sisters
The Rez Sisters is a two act play by Cree Canadian writer Tomson Highway, first performed on November 26, 1986 by Act IV Theatre Company and Native Earth Performing Arts....
which became a hit and attracted large audiences across Canada. The Play was so successful that it was also invited to the Edinburgh Festival
Edinburgh Festival
The Edinburgh Festival is a collective term for many arts and cultural festivals that take place in Edinburgh, Scotland each summer, mostly in August...
and received the Dora Mavor Moore Award
Dora Mavor Moore Award
The Dora Mavor Moore Award is an award presented annually by the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts which honours theatre, dance, and opera productions in Toronto. Named after Dora Mavor Moore, who helped establish Canadian professional theatre, the award was established on December 13, 1978...
and the Floyd S. Chalmers Canadian Play Award
Floyd S. Chalmers Canadian Play Award
The Floyd S. Chalmers Canadian Play Awards were a Canadian literary award, given to Canadian plays produced by any professional Canadian theatre company, and having at least ten performances in the Toronto area....
.
In 1989 Native Earth created "Weesageechak Begins to Dance" an annual play festival which developed plays that often turned into full production the following year. One of the plays which was developed through this process was John McLeod's Diary of a Crazy Boy.
In 2011 Tara Beagan took over the Artistic Director position from Yvette Nolan who was in that post since 2002.
Artistic Directors
- Tara Beagan (2011–Present)
- Yvette Nolan (2003–2011)
- Doris Peltier, Glenn Shea, and Marion De Vries (Interim 2002)
- Alanis King (2000–2002)
- (Artistic Directorate) Alejandro Ronceria, Sandra Laronde and Daniel David MosesDaniel David MosesDaniel David Moses is a First Nations poet and playwright from Canada.Moses, of Delaware descent, was born in Ohsweken, Ontario, and raised on a farm on the Six Nations of the Grand River. He has an Honours BA from York University and an MFA from the University of British Columbia. Moses was the...
(1998–2000) - Pamela A. Matthews (Interim 1997-1998)
- Drew Hayden TaylorDrew Hayden TaylorDrew Hayden Taylor is a Canadian playwright, author and journalist.Born in Curve Lake, Ontario, Taylor is part Ojibwa and part Caucasian. About his background Taylor says: "I plan to start my own nation. Because I am half Ojibway half Caucasian, we will be called the occasions...
(1994–1997) - Floyd Favel (1992–1994)
- Tomson HighwayTomson HighwayTomson Highway, CM is a celebrated Canadian and Cree playwright, novelist, and children's author. He is the author of the plays The Rez Sisters and Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing, both of which won him the Dora Mavor Moore Award and the Floyd S...
(1986–1992) - Monique Mojica (1983–1986)
- Dennis Lacroix and Bunny Sicard (1982–1983)
Past Productions
.External links
- Native Earth Performing Arts
- Native Earth Performing Arts at The Canadian EncyclopediaThe Canadian EncyclopediaThe Canadian Encyclopedia is a source of information on Canada. It is available online, at no cost. The Canadian Encyclopedia is available in both English and French and includes some 14,000 articles in each language on a wide variety of subjects including history, popular culture, events, people,...
- Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia