SWEETEST SEASON, A GATHERING OF INDIGENOUS CREATIVITY Returns to The Goodman This Weekend

Together in partnership with the Mitchell Museum of the American Indian, Goodman Theatre will host a one-of-a-kind celebration of local Indigenous artists and scholars in the third annual Sweetest Season: A Gathering of Indigenous Creativity.

There will be two days of performances, workshops and special events—including two centerpiece offerings: Friday evening's Celebration of Indigenous Spoken Word and Song, featuring storytelling, dancing, and music, hosted by Vincent Romero (Pueblo Laguna) and Saturday evening's musical work, The Story of Pa|Sha, presented by the Bach + Beethoven Experience (BBE). Also on Saturday, free events include poetry readings, a pottery workshop, Indigenous fashion design, a comedy discussions, interactive workshops and more.

Sweetest Season: A Gathering of Indegenous Creativity takes place this weekend, Friday, July 26 and Saturday, July 27; tickets are now available for A Celebration of Indigenous Spoken Word and Song ($20/$15) and The Story of Pa|Sha ($10)—with workshops, panels and community gathering events on Saturday offered free with reservation at GoodmanTheatre.org/SweetestSeason.

"The Mitchell Museum is thrilled to collaborate with Goodman Theatre to present the extraordinary work of award-winning and highly acclaimed Indigenous artists,” said Kim Vigue (Menominee/Oneida), Executive Director of the Mitchell Museum. “Now in its third year, this partnership exemplifies our collective commitment to honoring and celebrating Indigenous cultures and broadening the understanding of Indigenous ingenuity and creative expression. We welcome everyone to participate in a weekend filled with music, poetry, workshops, panel discussions and comedy and to connect with Chicago's dynamic Indigenous arts community."

“We are honored to collaborate with the Mitchell Museum for The Sweetest Season and open our space and stages to the incredible talent of the Native community,” said Goodman Theatre BOLD Producing Associate Lena Romano. “The festival we create through this partnership is an important part of the Goodman's ongoing commitment to celebrating and amplifying the culture, art and activism of the Native community. Together, we hope to create a welcoming environment that fosters a meaningful connection with the Indigenous community in Chicagoland and beyond.”

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS FOR SWEETEST SEASON: A GATHERING OF INDIGEOUS CREATIVITY

In the Owen Theatre and Alice Center for Education and Engagement

FRIDAY, JULY 26

5:30pm – “Social Hour: An Indigenous-Only Curated Space" (Alice Center)

This Native-only community gathering at the Goodman, hosted by the Mitchell Museum, welcomes Indigenous community members to network and connect.

7pm – A Celebration of Indigenous Spoken Word and Song (Owen Theatre)

Hosted by Vincent Romero (Pueblo Laguna), the showcase includes performances by William Buchholtz (Algonquin/Metis; Musician), Sergio Ceron (Otomi-Pame; Singer/Drummer), Martiza Garcia (Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians; Singer/Dancer), Mark Jourdan (Oneida/ Ho-Chunk; Singer/Songwriter), Lanialoha Lee (Native Hawaiian; Choreographer/Composer), Michaela Marchi (Isleta Pueblo; Singer), Jennifer Stevens (Oneida and Oglala Lakota; Singer/Visual Artist) and Elexa Dawson (Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation; Singer/Songwriter.

SATURDAY, JULY 27

All Saturday events, except Pa|Sha, take place in the Alice Center.

11:30am – Goldenrod and Aster: Visual Dialogue Through Fashion

Meet some of the area's most talented Indigenous fashion designers and see their designs up close. Their work will be on display throughout the day, and will include a panel discussion for a chance to learn more about their process and inspirations.

1pm – Swirling Water: Shifting Native Curatorial Practices

Join us for a panel hosted by The Center for Native Futures about how art and institutions can make meaningful impact and connections. 

2:30pm – Pottery Workshop with Jennifer Stevens

Artist Jennifer Stevens introduces an historical overview of Oneida Pottery. Learn the hand-building-coil method, pinch pot, incising and stamping techniques to create designs on pots—and learn about the history of Native Americans and experience, hands-on, how many tribes created their pottery that was used for survival for 100s of years.

2:30pm – Native Youth Social Hour

Join Bobby Wilson and Jud Gauthier of The 1491s for a discussion about their lives and careers, which focus on youth and their questions.

4pm – Sorrel and Sassafras: Indigenous Poetry

Indigenous poets Vince Romero (host), Elise Paschen, Aaron Golding, Jim Terry and Menominee Student Poets share their writing with the audience.

7pm – The Story of Pa I Sha presented by the BBE (Owen Theatre)

As a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation, BBE Artistic Director Brandi Berry Benson grew up looking at a portrait of her great-great-great-great grandmother, Pa I Sha—a woman of immense strength who carried the Chickasaw reputation of “unconquered and unconquerable.” This musical work is inspired by Pa I Sha, and highlights three major stories in Benson's Chickasaw heritage. Benson (violin) is joined by Rachael Youngman (Choctaw narrator and vocalist), Leighann Daihl Ragusa (BBE Director, Native American flute, traverso), Vannia Phillips (viola), Erica Rubis (cello) and Michaela Marchi (Indigenous percussion, Isleta Pueblo).

9pm – Songbirds and Slugs: Comedy and Music

A late-night comedy show featuring members of the comedy group, The 1491s, followed by a jam session. Come Ready to Play—or just enjoy some great music!

 

The Mitchell Museum of the American Indian, located in Evanston, Illinois, is one of a handful of museums across the country that celebrates the diverse histories, cultures, and present-day contributions of Native communities across the United States and Canada. Since its founding in 1977, the Museum has served as a space to increase the visibility and elevate Native voices through education, awareness, and advocacy.

Chicago's theater since 1925, Goodman Theatre is a not-for-profit arts and community organization in the heart of the Loop, distinguished by the excellence and scope of its artistic programming and community engagement. Led by Artistic Director Susan V. Booth and Executive Director/CEO Roche Schulfer, the theater's artistic priorities include new play development (more than 150 world or American premieres), large scale musical theater works and reimagined classics. Artists and productions have earner two Pulitzer Prizes, 22 Tony Awards and nearly 200 Joseph Jefferson Awards, among other accolades.

The Goodman is the first theater in the world to produce all 10 plays in August Wilson's “American Century Cycle.” Its longtime annual holiday tradition A Christmas Carol, now in its fifth decade, has created a new generation of theatergoers in Chicago. The Goodman also frequently serves as a production and program partner with national and international companies and Chicago's Off-Loop theaters.

Using the tools of theatrical practice, the Goodman's Education and Engagement programs aim to develop generations of citizens who understand and empathize with cultures and stories of diverse voices. The Goodman's Alice Rapoport Center for Education and Engagement is the home of these programs, which are offered for Chicago youth—85% of whom come from underserved communities—schools and life-long learners.

Goodman Theatre was built on the traditional homelands of the Council of the Three Fires: the Ojibwe, Odawa and Potawatomi Nations. We recognize that many other Nations consider the area we now call Chicago as their traditional homeland—including the Myaamia, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Sac and Fox, Peoria, Kaskaskia, Wea, Kickapoo and Mascouten—and remains home to many Native peoples today. While we believe that our city's vast diversity should be reflected on the stages of its largest theater, we acknowledge that our efforts have largely overlooked the voices of our Native peoples. This omission has added to the isolation, erasure and harm that Indigenous communities have faced for hundreds of years. We have begun a more deliberate journey towards celebrating Native American stories and welcoming Indigenous communities.

Goodman Theatre was founded by William O. Goodman and his family in honor of their son Kenneth, an important figure in Chicago's cultural renaissance in the early 1900s. The Goodman family's legacy lives on through the continued work and dedication of Kenneth's family, including Albert Ivar Goodman, who with his late mother, Edith-Marie Appleton, contributed the necessary funds for the creation on the new Goodman center in 2000.

Julie Danis is Chair of Goodman Theatre's Board of Trustees, Lorrayne Weiss is Women's Board President and Kelli Garcia is President of the Scenemakers Board for young professionals.

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