The Yale Indigenous Performing Arts Program is pleased to announce the 2022 New Native Play Festival. (Due to current limitations on on-campus gatherings -this year’s festival will once again be held online.)
This year’s events include readings of three full length plays: Mush Hole by Dawn Jamieson (Cayuga), Directed by Carolyn Dunn; Built on Bones by Tomas Endter (Lac La Ronge) Directed by Daniel Leeman Smith (Choctaw), and As It Has Always Been by Kinsale Drake (Diné), Directed by Tara Moses (Seminole).
“Each of this year’s plays are so distinctive and explore areas of contemporary Native life, history, and identity in fresh, exciting ways,” commented YIPAP Executive Director Madeline Sayet. “I am so excited YIPAP has the opportunity to work with these incredibly talented playwrights to develop these plays and for them to continue to be shared with the world.”
The award ceremony for the 2nd Annual Misty Upham Award for Young Native Actors and 7th Annual Yale Young Native Playwrights Award - will be held on Tuesday May 17th at 8PM ET/5 PM PT, with special guests to be announced. The honorees this year are Taya Dixon (Tututni / Siletz Tribe), Helena Johnny (Cowichan), Kinsale Drake (Diné), and Tomas Endter (Lac La Ronge).
On Sunday May 15th at 3 PM ET/12 PT the festival will kick off with readings of eight new commissioned short plays by Reed Adair Bobroff (Diné), Charli Fool Bear (Yanktonai), Dillion Chitto (Mississippi Choctaw, Laguna, Isleta Pueblo) , Everett Ray George (Fallon Paiute Shoshone Tribe), Isabella Madrigal (Cahuilla), Nicholas Martin (Sappony), Tara Moses (Seminole), and Drew Woodson (Western Shoshone). These plays will be directed by: Betsy Theobald Richards (Cherokee), Ryan Opalanietet (Lenape), Jen Olivares (Juaneño Band of Mission Indians), Frances Koncan (Couchiching First Nation), and Tara Moses (Seminole).
The Schedule for this year’s festival is below. All events will livestream to the Yale Indigenous Performing Arts Program Facebook Page. Please check the YIPAP Facebook page for event updates - and more details as casts are announced for each play:
Sunday May 15th 3-5 PM Eight New Short Plays!
By Reed Adair Bobroff, Charli Fool Bear, Dillion Chitto, Everett Ray George, Isabella Madrigal, Nicholas Martin, Tara Moses, and Drew Woodson
Sunday May 15th at 7 PM ET Mush Hole by Dawn Jamieson
Monday May 16th at 7 PM ET: Built on Bones by Tomas Endter
Tuesday May 17th at 8-9 PM ET YIPAP Award Ceremony
Wednesday May 18th at 7 PM ET As It Has Always Been by Kinsale Drake
Please email any questions to Madeline.Sayet@yale.edu or amanda.luke@yale.edu.