Indian Comics Irregular #157

Soon after meeting the strange and exotic "redmen," Americans began staging
shows about them. The efforts included Wild West exhibitions such as Buffalo
Bill's and historical romances such as "Ramona." They were usually
stereotypical, with savage braves, swooning maidens, and stoic chiefs.

Since then, playwrights have gotten serious about Indians. They've tackled
subjects ranging from spirituality to substance abuse to suicide. The last few
years have seen an explosion of genuine Native-themed dramas and comedies.

Perhaps because I live in Los Angeles, a lot of the activity seems to be
centered here. Here are the latest doings in LA-based Native theater:

In June I posted a long article on the Native Voices theater program at the
Autry National Center. Native Voices is probably the leading program in the
country devoted to developing and producing Native plays. The article explained
how the program works and what it has accomplished.

In March I attended the premiere of Drew Hayden Taylor's play "The Berlin
Blues." In it, a band of Ojibways must deal with Germans seeking to open a
theme park on their humble Canadian reserve. As my review noted, "The Berlin
Blues" is a "sprightly sitcom" of a play, "bright and entertaining," but "the
cartoonish plot doesn't quite mesh with the realistic characters."

I missed the April run of Arigon Starr's "Super Indian," a series of five-minute
radio plays. The comical stories feature a young man who gains amazing powers
from eating tainted commodity cheese. Starr plans to release the plays on CD
later this year.

March Madness

Besides "The Berlin Blues," three very different Native productions debuted
around the country in March. Here's the scoop on them:

In Juneau, Alaska, the Perseverance Theatre performed Shakespeare's "Macbeth" in
the challenging Tlingit language. When the production played at the National
Museum of the American Indian, a reviewer wrote, "It's nicely conceived but not
very powerful. ... You get the gist of the play, but not the juice" (Washington
Post, 3/11/07).

In Colorado, the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, Theatre13, and Warrior
Artists Productions "announced the world premiere of the staged adaptation of
'Prison Writings: My Life Is My Sun Dance,' written by imprisoned human rights
activist Leonard Peltier with Harvey Arden.

"Peltier's play is a deeply moving account of one man's struggle to survive
prison life while working for healing, forgiveness and fair treatment within an
inherently flawed justice system" (Indian Country Today, 3/6/07).

In Nebraska, Opera Omaha presented the world premiere of "Wakonda's Dream." As
the Des Moines Register reported (3/6/07), it tells the story of a family
"underpinned by the dislocation of the Ponca Indians and the landmark
civil-rights trial of Chief Standing Bear in 1879." The NY Times (3/9/07) gave
"Wakonda's Dream" a mostly positive review, saying it "emerges as Mr. Davis's
most intimate, human-scaled opera."

More Native Shakespeare

A Tlingit "Macbeth" isn't the only way Natives have addressed Shakespeare.
James Lujan adapted "Romeo and Juliet" to create "Kino and Teresa," a Native
Voices production, set in the aftermath of the 1680 Pueblo Revolt. And Oneida
actor Graham Greene is taking a turn as Shylock in a Canadian version of "The
Merchant of Venice."

For more on Native theater, go to http://www.bluecorncomics.com/naplays.htm .

Rob Schmidt
Blue Corn Comics