Indigenous playwright debuts new play on the national stage
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Minnesota playwright and founder of New Native Theatre, Rhiana Yazzie is believed to be the first Indigenous woman to write and direct a show at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C.
The accomplishment comes at a time of turbulent changes and layoffs at the arts center. As a result, some shows have been canceling their performances at the center. Yazzie says such things would not discourage her from debuting on the national stage.
“I think even in the best of times, it’s very difficult to get Native American work on large stages,” Yazzie said. “It’s a much stronger statement to say, no, we’re going to stay on this stage and we’re going to be seen.”
Yazzie’s play, “The Other Children of the Sun,” is based on the Navajo creation story and follows celestial siblings in their journey to becoming superheroes to help save humanity. Through trial and error, the siblings learn wisdom and humility.
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While the play is geared towards children, Yazzie says it is a learning opportunity for all audiences.
“It’s so important to know more about the people who were originally here on this land,” she said. “It’s not often that the rest of the country gets to learn about legends and creation stories about the people of this land.”
The play is a part of a larger project. Yazzie says she was commissioned to create the play through The BIPOC Superhero Project, a project that pairs BIPOC playwrights with theatres to write and produce a show about superheroes, while also exploring the themes of issues that BIPOC youth may encounter.
While she wrote and directed the play, Yazzie emphasizes the opportunity is not just about her, but also about Native artists who could develop their craft in helping with the production. Fellow Indigenous artists from Minnesota and across the country have also been a part of the experience to put their creativity into the show.
The play only has six actors on stage while the rest of the characters are puppets. Johnathan Boyd is from Red Lake Nation. He’s a puppeteer artist based in Minneapolis and has been involved with the show since last year.
Boyd created the puppets for the show, saying it was a process that had been ongoing since July. He was approached by Yazzie through Monkeybear’s Harmolodic Workshop, an organization that supports BIPOC artists in developing skills in contemporary puppetry.
“It was just really powerful, and it felt really good just to share this story with younger audiences,” Boyd said. “Whether they are Indigenous or not, it’s a good story to share.”
He says it is powerful that Indigenous stories are now being told and have that exposure to non-Indigenous communities.
“We have such a vibrant Native community in Minnesota,” Yazzie said. “People from this community are making really important work that I think the state can be proud of.”
The play made its debut in late February and moves into its final weekend with final showings on March 9 after a two-week run.
Yazzie expresses that she feels optimistic about the future after having the opportunity to have her play on a national stage.
“I can’t wait to continue to push the boundaries of what can be on stage.”