Native Voices at the Autry, America’s leading Native American theatre company with a mission to develop new plays by emerging and established Native playwrights, announces its 2013-14 season, which spotlights themes of law, lawmakers, lawyers and activists. The season’s world premiere of Vickie Ramirez’ (Tuscarora*) dramatic STAND-OFF AT HWY #37 illustrates Native Voices’ deep commitment to nurturing new works and seeing them fully realized. The production, presented during the fall as a reading (Thursday, September 26, 2013, 7:30 pm, Free Admission) and then fully staged in a spring Equity production (Friday, February 28 – Sunday, March 16, 2014), culminates a pivotal, multi-year development process that has included staged readings at Ohio Northern University and The Public Theatre in New York and workshops at the Classical Theatre of Harlem, Montana Rep’s Missoula Colony and Native Voices at the Autry.
The season also offers the world premiere reading of MEASURE FOR MEASURE: AN INDIAN BOARDING SCHOOL COMEDY (Thursday, October 24, 2013, 7:30 pm, Free Admission), a bawdy adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic by Native Voices’ Producing Artistic Director Randy Reinholz (Choctaw*); Native Voices’ third annual SHORT PLAY FESTIVAL, titled Legal Briefs: Lawmakers & Activists, featuring five- to fifteen-minute plays on Sunday, November 10, 2013, 1:30 pm, which is free with admission to the Autry American Indian Arts Marketplace ($12, $8 for students, seniors and children; free for Autry members); and the 16th annual PLAYWRIGHTS RETREAT AND FESTIVAL OF NEW PLAYS showcasing works selected in a national playwrights competition with performance at both the Autry (May 28-30, 2014) and La Jolla Playhouse (May 31-June 1, 2014), with free admission for both.
Native Voices, co-founded by Reinholz and Jean Bruce Scott (producing executive director, is the country’s only Equity theatre company dedicated exclusively to producing new works by Native American playwrights and has been acclaimed by critics as “a hot bed for contemporary Native theatre,” “deeply compelling” and “a powerful and eloquent voice.” As the Autry’s resident theatre company, Native Voices performs in Los Angeles at the Autry’s Wells Fargo Theater
“Every few years there are particular themes or issues that permeate our submissions and demand our attention,” says Scott. “Over the last few years we have been receiving more and more plays dealing with legal issues — land rights issues, the Indian Child Welfare Act and environmental issues, self government issues – and the lawyers, lawmakers and activists who are fighting to bring them to light. This year we decided to pursue the theme of ‘Laws, Lawmakers, Lawyers and Activists’ with our call for scripts which resulted in more plays on these themes in addition to plays about tribal law and government and the origins of US law. It has also brought exciting new Native American playwrights to our attention, including a number of practicing lawyers.”
Native Voices’ 2013-14 season is dedicated to the memory of Robert Owens-Greygrass (1954-2013), who played leads or featured roles in five Native Voices Equity productions, most recently in the 2013 staging of The Bird House. “For nearly a decade, Robert made irreplaceable contributions to the Native Voices company, both on the stage and behind it,” says Reinholz. “We will forever remember him for his generosity, talent, achievements, and his spirit of joy.”
Native Voices is made possible by Department of Cultural Affairs, City of Los Angeles; Edison International; Los Angeles County Arts Commission; National Endowment of the Arts; Nissan Foundation; San Manuel Band of Mission Indians; and Wells Fargo.
FOR INFORMATION OR TO PURCHASE TICKETS
NATIVE VOICES is located at the Autry, 4700 Western Heritage Way, Los Angeles, CA 90027-1462, and performances take place at the Autry’s Wells Fargo Theater. To purchase tickets or for more information, call (323) 667-2000, ext. 354 or visit www.NativeVoicesattheAutry.org
NATIVE VOICES AT THE AUTRY is America’s leading Native American theatre company. Acclaimed by critics as “a hotbed for contemporary Native theatre,†“deeply compelling†and “a powerful and eloquent voice,†the company continues to build on its storied and prolific history as the country’s only Equity theatre company dedicated exclusively to developing and producing new works by Native American playwrights. Native Voices, which provides a supportive, collaborative setting for Native theatre artists from across North America, was founded in 1994 by Producing Artistic Director Randy Reinholz (Choctaw*) and Producing Executive Director Jean Bruce Scott. In 1999, it was established as Native Voices at the Autry, a resident company at the Autry National Center of the American West. Native Voices maintains successful long-term relationships with New York’s Public Theater, Native American Public Telecommunications (NAPT), Washington’s Kennedy Center, the National Museum of the American Indian, Perseverance Theatre, the Alaska Native Heritage Center, Montana Rep and La Jolla Playhouse. Hailed by critics also as “a virtual Who’s Who of American Indian theatre artists†and “an established presence in Los Angeles and a growing influence elsewhere,†Native Voices is widely respected in both the Native American and theatre communities for its breakthrough plays and diverse programming, which showcases the unique points of view within the more than 500 Native American nations in North America. To date, the company has produced 24 critically acclaimed new plays, including 15 world premieres, 10 Playwrights Retreats, 20 New Play Festivals, 2 Short Play Festivals and more than 180 workshops and public staged readings of new plays by Native American playwrights featuring Native American actors
