Native Earth Performing Arts
Contents
Mandate
Native Earth Performing Arts Inc. (NEPA Inc.) is dedicated to the expression of the Indigenous experience through theatre arts. Its mandate is:
- to provide a base for professional Indigenous performers, writers, technicians and other artists
- to encourage the use of theatre as a form of communication within the Indigenous community, including the use of Indigenous languages
- to communicate to our audiences the experiences that are unique to Indigenous people in contemporary society
- to contribute to the further development of theatre in Canada.[1]
Native Earth engages under the Independent Theatre Agreement professional artists who are members of Canadian Actors' Equity Association. In service of our mandate and mission, the company strives to operate according to 7 traditional principles which inform decisions in all undertakings. It is our belief that these tenets not only honour Indigenous values, but are universal to all cultures in various manifestations. We acknowledge that these are subjective values, and that each individual has an interpretation of them.
Seven Values
Courage, Generosity, Tolerance, Strength of Character, Patience, Humility, Wisdom
Company History
Founded in 1982, Native Earth is Canada’s oldest professional Indigenous theatre company. The early productions (1982–1986) were collective works directed by professionals such as Muriel Miguel of Spiderwoman Theatre in New York and the late Richard Pochinko. The company operated on a project basis, performing at The Theatre Centre and the Native Canadian Centre, as well as touring to reserves.[2]
The 1986 premiere of Tomson Highway’s The Rez Sisters went on to become the first North American, Indigenous written and performed production at the Edinburgh International Theatre Festival in 1989. 1986 was also the year the company began full-time operation with Artistic Director Tomson Highway and General Manager Elaine Bomberry.
Native Earth continued its growth and success into the mid-nineties with the award-winning productions of Coyote City, Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing, Only Drunks and Children Tell the Truth, and Sixty Below. Native Earth has received seven Dora Mavor Moore Awards and twenty-four Dora Mavor Moore Award nominations, two Floyd S. Chalmers Canadian Play Awards and the 1997 James Buller Award for Aboriginal Theatre Excellence. The emergence of many Indigenous playwrights in Canada and the development of many new plays and dance pieces continues to be facilitated through the annual festival Weesageechak Begins To Dance.
For the first time in their history, NEPA is now managing and operating their own vibrant venue: Aki Studio. The 120 seat black box theatre is situated in Daniels Spectrum, the revitalized arts and cultural centre in Regent Park. The Aki Studio has been host to many Indigenous, multicultural, and independent theatre companies including fu-Gen, Cahoots, Obsidian, Acting Up Stage, Paper Canoe, and Agokwe Collective. NEPA intend for the Aki Studio to become a national and international Indigenous performance venue.
Production History
- Native Images In Transition (September – October, 1982)[2]
- Who Am I (April – May, 1983)
- Double Take – A Second Look (November – December, 1983)
- Clown Trickster’s Workshop (September 1984)
- Give Them A Carrot For Long As The Sun Is Green (December 1984 – January 1985)
- Aria (March 3 – 22, 1987)
- New Song….New Dance (February 26 – April 3, 1988)
- Coyote City (May 17 – June 12, 1988)
- The Sage, The Dancer And The Fool (January 30 – February 3, 1989)
- Dry Lips Oughta Move To Kapuskasing (April 21 – May 22, 1989)
- Diary Of A Crazy Boy (February 6 – March 4, 1990)
- The Beavers (April 20 – May 13, 1990)
- Moonlodge (November 6 – December 2, 1990)
- Son of Ayash (February 14 – March 10, 1991)
- Almighty Voice And His Wife (February 11 – March 8, 1992)
- Night of the Trickster (April 14 – May 10, 1992)
- Fireweed (October 13 – November 8, 1992)
- Lady of Silences (April 1 – 25, 1993)
- Generic Warrior And No-Name Indians (January 20 – February 6, 1993)
- Diva Ojibway (April 21 – May 15, 1994)
- Someday (November 17 – December 11, 1994)
- No Totem For My Story (February 16 – March 12, 1995)
- Dinky (February 16 – March 12, 1995)
- Ravens (February 1 – 25, 1996)
- Only Drunks And Children Tell The Truth (April 4 – 28, 1996)
- Waitapu (May 16 – June 1, 1996)
- Sixty Below (April 3 – 20, 1997)
- The Baby Blues (November 11 – 30, 1997)
- Red River(September 22 – October 11, 1998)
- The Trickster of Third Avenue East (January 20 – February 12, 2000)
- Annie Mae’s Movement (Full Production)
- Time Stands Still (Workshop Production) (January 31 – February 3, 2002)
- The Scrubbing Project (November 15 – December 8, 2002)
- Time Stands Still
- The Artshow (February 26 – March 14, 2004)
- The Unnatural and Accidental Women (November 18 – December 5, 2004)
- Tales of an Urban Indian 2003 (June 8 – 12, 2004)
- Tales of an Urban Indian 2006 (March 16 – 19, 2005)
- Dreary and Izzy
- Annie Mae’s Movement (Workshop Production)
- UQQUAQ The Shelter (January 17–21, 2007)
- Annie Mae’s Movement (June 10-July 14, 2008)
- The Triple Truth
- Death of a Chief with National Arts Centre (Feb 18-Mar 1 2008 National Arts Centre Studio Theatre) (Mar 6-16 2008 Buddies In Bad Times Theatre)
- The Place Between with Che Ikwe Collective
- A Very Polite Genocide or The Girl Who Fell to Earth (Dec 6-21 2008)
- Almighty Voice and His Wife (Mar 28-Apr 12 2009)
- Salt Baby (October 8–17, 2009)
- Giiwedin with an indie(n) rights reserve (April 8–24, 2010)
- Tombs of the Vanishing Indian with red diva productions (March 9–22, 2011)
- From Thine Eyes with Signal Theatre (September 22-24, 2011)
Programs
In addition to producing, the company offers the following programs:[3]
- Weesageechak Begins to Dance annual festival of new works
- Animikiig Training Program
- Apprenticeships
- Made to Order theatre commissioning
Venue
Native Earth operates the Aki Studio Theatre at Toronto Artscape's Daniels Spectrum, a 120 seat blackbox theatre with physical accessibility and ASL capability.[4]
