Indigenous Dramaturgies Exchange 2023

Lindsay Lachance (Algonquin Anishinaabe) has worked as a dramaturg for over a decade and has a PhD from the department of theatre and film at the University of British Columbia. Lindsay’s dramaturgical practice is influenced by her relationship with birch bark biting and the Gatineau River. She is also the director of the Animikiig Creators Unit at Native Earth Performing Arts, which focuses on the development of new Indigenous works.

Deneh’Cho Thompson (he/they) is a director, actor and playwright and displaced and dispossessed member of the Pehdzeh ki Nation. His artistic practice focuses on new plays and new play development. As Assistant Professor at the University of Saskatchewan Deneh’Cho oversees the wîcêhtowin Theatre Program, one of few Indigenous theatre programs at a Canadian university.  Deneh’Cho’s research focuses on the development, naming, and centring of Indigenous pedagogies; new play development (in various roles) and Indigenous collaborations– centering the values of reciprocity, respect and reflexivity.

Photo Credit: image provided by Deneh’Cho Thompson

Kenneth T. Williams calls his professional path a “guidance counselor’s nightmare.” He’s been a soldier, bartender, rock musician, and door-to-door encyclopedia salesman.

He took a playwriting class in university and immediately dropped his plans to go to law school. As a journalist, he was a member of the very first news team for the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network. He also managed to write a few plays. In Care, Café Daughter, Gordon Winter, Thunderstick, Bannock Republic, Street Corner Playwright, Suicide Notes and Three Little Birds have been produced across Canada. Paris SK was streamed live by the Gordon Tootoosis Nikaniwin Theatre. The Herd was recently presented as part of Tarragon Theatre's Acoustic series.

He lives in Edmonton with his partner, Dr. Melissa Stoops, with their cats, Augustus and Drusilla, and is an assistant professor in the Department of Drama at the University of Alberta. He is a member of the George Gordon First Nation in the Treaty 4 territory.

Cowboy Smithx is 1⁄4 of a complex anomaly, existing in the human dimension as a (The Philosopher) civilian curator, writer and community organizer. The remaining 3⁄4’s includes Iikaakskitowa (The Artist), Iinaana (The Witch), and Persey Klaw (The Soothsayer). Cowboy is currently developing several narrative and documentary feature film projects. Cowboy is an advocate for capacity building in the arts and utilization of Blockchain technology.