Sound Theatre To Stage Premiere Of Tribal Origin Story CHANGER AND THE STAR PEOPLE

Sound Theatre Company unleashes their second 2020 mainstage production with the first-of-its-kind premiere of an original play co-written and adapted by storytellers Fern Naomi Renville (Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate, Omaha, Seneca Cayuga) and Roger Fernandes (Lower Elwha S'Klallam, Makah).

CHANGER AND THE STAR PEOPLE follows a cast of mythic characters into a future transformed by Tribes exercising sovereign Treaty rights. Through Coast Salish and Dakota origin stories, Renville and Fernandes create a positive place of spiritual recovery for Indigenous peoples. "Telling our Origin stories is what makes us Indigenous to these homelands. We recognize the wisdom and humor in the stories given to us by our ancestors as deeply informed by thousands of years of lived experience right here," says Renville.

WHEN: March 26 - April 13 | Previews: March 26-27 | Press Opening: Saturday, March 28, 2020
WHERE: Isaac Studio, Taproot Theatre, 212 N 85th St, Seattle, WA 98103
TICKETS: On sale here

CHANGER is an adaptation of a beloved Coast Salish Origin Myth also highlighted in Sound Theatre's 2019-2020 Reading Series of Plays by Native and Indigenous Artists. Centering local Native artists, this devised work is rooted in indigenous storytelling and theatre practices.

Sound Theatre Artistic Director Teresa Thuman seeks to support a Native and Indigenous Theatre movement in the Northwest: "We considered a vast canon of plays from across the continent. But Fern has taught me to begin this journey by investing in the stories from our local indigenous cultures - those inspired by the land we occupy."

On the heels of our season opener hit REPARATIONS, is the equally long overdue conversation on Tribal Sovereignty. Seattle is poised to be a beacon: with 29 federally recognized tribes, Washington State ranks in the top five states for American Indian areas. As seen in last month's Town Hall Indigenous Reparation and Recognition in Seattle, treaties such as the 1855 Treaty of Point Elliott are "powerful, but never fully leveraged or supported." said Renville. "There's no greater tool than Tribal Sovereignty to fight for Mother Earth right now."

CAST

Nicole Willis (Cayuse/Yakama/Nez Perce/Oglala Lakota)
Asriel Willis (Cayuse/Yakama/Nez Perce/Oglala Lakota)
Johnny Patchamatla (Chippewa)
Casey Wynecoop (Spokane)
Geneva Seaboy (Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate/Ojibwe)
Fern Naomi Renville (Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate/Omaha/Seneca Cayuga)
Roger Fernandes (Lower Elwha S'Klallam/Makah)

PRODUCTION TEAM

Tommer Peterson (Mètis) - Set Design
Mike Sekaquaptewa (Yakima/Hopi) - Video and Director of Multimedia
Janelle Kimborough - Costume Design
Robert Falk - Lighting Design
Richard Schaefer - Tech Director
David Hsieh - Rehearsal Stage Manager
Sarah Ross - Performance Stage Manager

AFFINITY NIGHT PERFORMANCE
Special engagement, by invitation only

On April 1, Sound Theatre will offer a free performance for Native community members and invited allies only. Brief discussion to follow. For more information, email info@soundtheatrecompany.org.

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