Native Earth Announces WEESAGEECHAK 29 Line-Up

Native Earth Performing Arts has announced the line-up for their 29th annual festival of Indigenous work, Weesageechak Begins to Dance. From intimate relationships to dystopian futures, comedy, dance, poetry and everything in between, Weesageechak 29 will showcase new Indigenous works in Native Earth's Aki Studio from November 9th to 19th, 2016.

This year's festival will feature five full-length staged readings of works-in-development, beginning with award-winning playwright Drew Hayden Taylor (Curve Lake First Nation). Opening the festival, Taylor's new comedy, The Boneyard Blues, is about love, hidden passions, mysterious graves and chocolate. The first week also features another comedy, this time by newcomer Frances Koncan (Anishnaabe). Hailing from Winnipeg, Koncan's zahgidiwin/love is about truth, reconciliation, and contemporary love amidst a backdrop of the past, present, and the retro-future. Rounding out week one, Order of Manitoba recipient and renowned actor, Billy Merasty (Cree) will share a deeply personal and tragic drama, Godly's Divinia, which he developed as Native Earth's 2015-16 OAC Playwright-in-Residence.

In week two, Native Earth will host Australia's Moogahlin Performing Arts with a full reading of Cuz by William McPherson (Kamilaroi). This autobiographical story explores the lives of two Indigenous Australian cousins (or cuzs) and members of the stolen generations. Bringing week two to a close will be a fully staged reading of Ménage à Trois by award-winning, Alberta-born playwright Brad Fraser (Métis). The author of Unidentified Human Remains and the True Nature of Love offers audiences a new non-linear theatre piece about an unlikely trio and the aftermath of abortion.

In addition to full readings, throughout the festival are evenings that showcase works in Early Stages of development. The first evening includes Group, a drama by Dora Award-nominee and member of CBC's Royal Canadian Air Farce, Craig Lauzon (Anishnaabe); Wounded Heart Stampede, an interactive piece by Founding Artistic Director of ACME Theatre Co., Dean Gabourie (Métis); In-cor-ri-gi-ble: The Legend of Thunder Voice by 2016 Banff Playwrights Colony participant Josh Languedoc (Saugeen First Nation); and If This Is The End by Shandra Spears Bombay (Anishnaabe), developed in part at SummerWorks 2016.

Another evening of excerpts includes 2016 Vancouver Fringe New Play Prize winner Deneh'Cho Thompson (Dené) and his dystopian exploration of colonization, The Girl Who was Raised by Wolverine; Animikiig Traning Program graduate Cheyenne Scott (Coast Salish of the Saanich Nation) and her multi-media family drama, SPAWN; and finally, Fancydance: The Musical, an exploration of Indigenous identity in the context of a love triangle by Saskatchewan-based playwrights Tenille Campbell (Dene/Métis) and Andréa Ledding (Métis).

Continuing our celebration of Indigenous dance, four contemporary dance works will take center stage at the festival. Returning to Weesageechak are choreographer/dancers Olivia C. Davies (Métis/Anishnaabe) and Christine Friday (Temagami First Nation), each with a piece celebrating women. Davies' Crow's Nest and Other Places She's Gone highlights the need for women to go beyond their comfort zones, and Friday's Maggie & Me: The Healing Dance Journey explores the role of women as healers. Joining them is Aria Evans (Mi'kmaq), with her intimate exploration of trust, RElaps. Finally, composer Jeremy Dutcher (Wolastoqiyik/Maliseet) has teamed up with dancer/choreographer Andrew Tomlinson to tell a story of enlightenment in their dance piece Tettpokak // They Dance in Step.

This year Native Earth will introduce audiences to a new generation of creators from the Animikiig Training Program, including dancer/choreographer Aria Evans, opera librettist Ian Cusson (Métis/French Canadian), and playwrights Yolanda Bonnell (Obijbwe), Cathy Elliott (Irish/Mi'kmaq/Acadian), Sarah Gartshore (Ojibwe), Suzanne Keeptwo (Algonkin/Kitchesipirini), Celeste Sansregret (Métis) and Gein Wong (First Nations/Asian).

Finally, following a special screening of a film selected by imagineNATIVE, Native Earth will partner with Buddies in Bad Times Theatre to introduce the first ever 2-Spirit Cabaret. Hosted by Gwen Benaway (Odawa/Potawatomi/Cherokee/European/Métis), and featuring DJ Ariel (Blackfoot/Cree/Anishnaabe), the cabaret will include a line-up of 2-Spirit, Trans and Queer-identified Indigenous artists from across Canada and around the world. More details on this and our Professional Development Series to come.

WEESAGEECHAK BEGINS TO DANCE 29 LINE UP - Week One

Wednesday November 9th, 2016 @ 7:30pm
The Boneyard Blues by Drew Hayden Taylor

Thursday November 10th, 2016 @ 7:30pm
Wounded Heart Stampede by Dean Gabourie
In-cor-ri-gi-ble: The Legend of Thunder Voice by Josh Languedoc
Group by Craig Lauzon
If This Is The End by Shandra Spears Bombay

Friday November 11th, 2016 @ 7:30pm
imagineNATIVE Film Screening
2-Spirit Cabaret hosted by Gwen Benaway, featuring DJ Ariel
in partnership with Buddies in Bad Times Theatre

Saturday November 12th, 2016 @ 7:30pm
zahgidiwin/love by Frances Koncan

Sunday November 13th, 2016 @ 2:00pm
Godly's Divinia by Billy Merasty (FREE)

WEESAGEECHAK BEGINS TO DANCE 29 LINE UP - Week Two

Tuesday November 15th, 2016 @ 7:30pm
Animikiig Training Program
Aria Evans, Cathy Elliott, Celeste Sansregret, Gein Wong,
Ian Cusson, Sarah Gartshore, Suzanne Keeptwo, Yolanda Bonnell

Wednesday November 16th, 2016 @ 7:30pm
Cuz by William McPherson

Thursday November 17th, 2016 @ 7:30pm
Contemporary Indigenous Dance
Crow's Nest and Other Places She's Gone by Olivia C. Davies
RElaps by Aria Evans
Maggie & Me: The Healing Dance Journey by Christine Friday
Tettpokak // They Dance in Step by Jeremy Dutcher and Andrew Tomlinson

Friday November 18th, 2016 @ 7:30pm
Fancydance: The Musical by Tenille Campbell and Andréa Ledding
SPAWN by Cheyenne Scott
The Girl Who was Raised by Wolverine by Deneh'Cho Thompson

Saturday November 19th, 2016 @ 7:30pm
Ménage à Trois by Brad Fraser

Evening Tickets: $15
Sunday Reading: Free Admission
Festival Pass: $60

Aki Studio | Daniels Spectrum
585 Dundas Street East
Box Office: 416-531-1402 or boxoffice@nativeearth.ca

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#Weesageechak • Full Festival Schedule

Native Earth Performing Arts is Canada's oldest professional Indigenous theatre company. Currently in our 34th year, we are dedicated to creating, developing and producing professional artistic expressions of the Indigenous experience in Canada. Through stage productions (theatre, dance and multi-disciplinary art), new script development, apprenticeships and internships, Native Earth seeks to fulfill a community of artistic visions. It is a vision that is inclusive and reflective of the artistic directions of members