Yvette Nolan

Yvette Nolan (Algonquin) (1961) is a Canadian playwright, director, actor, and educator based out of Saskatchewan, Canada. She was born in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. She has contributed significantly to the creation and performance of Indigenous theatre in Canada.[1][2][3][4]

Yvette Nolan
Born
Yvette Nolan

Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada
OccupationPlaywright, director, educator

Early life

Nolan was born in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, to an Algonquin mother and an Irish immigrant father.[4] Nolan was raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba and attended the University of Manitoba where she graduated with a B.A.

Nolan's commitment to Indigenous and feminist live art is attributed to the first time she saw a Native character on stage during Royal Winnipeg Ballet's adaptation of The Ecstasy of Rita Joe.[4]

Career

Nolan launched her career as a playwright at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival in 1990 where her play Blade premiered. It was later remounted at both the Best of the Fringe (1990) and Women in View Festival (1992).[5]

She has worked at various theatre companies throughout Canada including Agassiz Theatre, the Manitoba Theatre Centre, Nakai Theatre in Whitehorse, Native Earth Performing Arts.[6][7]

As a director, Nolan has contributed significantly to the development of Aboriginal theatre. She has directed plays by George Ryga (The Ecstasy of Rita Joe), Turtle Gals Performance Ensemble (The Only Good Indian) and Marie Clements (Tombs of the Vanishing Indian and The Unnatural and Accidental Women), Kenneth T Williams (Café Daughter and In Care), Melanie J. Murray (A Very Polite Genocide).[3][8]

From 1998 until 2001, Nolan was also president of the Playwright's Union of Canada (now called the Playwrights Guild of Canada). She was artistic director of Native Earth from 2003 to 2010. She was president of Indigenous Performing Arts Alliance, and has served on the boards of the Saskatchewan Arts Alliance[4] and the Saskatchewan Association of Theatre Professionals[9].

Nolan is an Artistic Associate at Signal Theatre and co-director with Michael Greyeyes of a dance opera (Bearing) at the 2017 Luminato Festival. She also directed (Nôhkom) with Signal Theatre.

In 2017 she was awarded an Honorary Lifetime Membership to the Canadian Association of Theatre Research.

Writer-in-Residence

Nolan has been a writer-in-residence at several institutions including Brandon University (1996). During this term as writer-in-residence, Nolan wrote Annie Mae's Movement.[10] She was also playwright-in-residence at the National Arts Centre and resident at Mount Royal College in 2009. In 2011 she began a nine-month term as writer-in-residence at the Saskatoon Library and playwright-in-residence at the University of Regina.[1]

Plays
  • A Marginal Man
  • Annie Mae's Movement
  • Blade
  • Child
  • Job's Wife
  • Shakedown Shakespeare
  • The Unplugging
  • Donne In
  • Owen (radio play)
  • Toronto Rex
  • Ham and the Ram
  • Prophecy
  • Alaska
  • from thine eyes
  • Henry IV Pt 1: (adaptation)
  • Hilda Blake (libretto)
  • The Birds: (adaptation)
  • Scattering Jake
  • Finish Line
  • Video
  • What Befalls The Earth

Editor

Performing Indigeneity: with Ric Knowles, Playwrights Canada Press, 2016 Beyond The Pale: Refractions: Solo with Donna-Michelle St. Bernard, Playwrights Canada Press

Culture Studies

Medicine Shows: Indigenous Performance Culture, Playwrights Canada Press, 2016

Director
  • Bearing co-director with Michael Greyeyes, dramaturge, Signal Theatre: Luminato 2017
  • Map Of The Land, Map Of The Stars Gwaandak Theatre, 2017
  • The Piano Teacher Arts Club, Vancouver, BC 2017
  • In Care by Kenneth T. Williams, Gordon Tootoosis Nikaniwin Theatre, October 2016
  • Café Daughter for Gwaandak Theatre (Yukon) 2011
  • Tombs of the Vanishing Indian for Native Earth Performing Arts 2011
  • Salt Baby for Native Earth Performing Arts 2009, Globe Theatre, Regina 2016, National tour 2016-2017
  • The Ecstasy of Rita Joe for National Arts Centre/Western Canada Theatre 2009
  • A Very Polite Genocide Native Earth Performing Arts 2008
  • Death of a Chief for Native Earth Performing Arts 2008
  • The Only Good Indian for Turtle Gals Performance Ensemble 2007
  • Annie Mae's Movement for Native Earth Performing Arts 2006
  • Death of a Chief for Native Earth Performing Arts Weesageechak 2005
  • The Triple Truth for Turtle Gals 2005
  • The Unnatural and Accidental Women for Native Earth Performing Arts 2004.[11]

Awards
  • John Hirsch Award for Most Promising New Writer, 1995.
  • James Buller Award for Playwrighting from the Centre for Indigenous Theatre, 1997.[5]
  • Maggie Bassett Award for service to the theatre community, 2007.
  • City of Toronto's Aboriginal Affairs Award, 2008.
  • George Luscombe Award for mentorship in professional theatre, 2008.[1]
  • Bob Couchman Award for direction (for Café Daughter by Kenneth T Williams (Gwaandak Theatre)).[3]
  • Jessie Richardson Award for Outstanding Original Script, 2013 (for The Unplugging).[11]
  • Mallory Gilbert Leadership Award, 2014.[12]
  • Woman Of Distinction (nomination) - YWCA Saskatoon, 2017
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References
  1. "Nolan, Yvette". Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
  2. Nolan, Yvette (11 Jan 2013). "Yvette Nolan on her new status: 'I was surprised to feel a measure of pride'". Globe and Mail. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
  3. "About Yvette Nolan". University of Regina.
  4. Dempsey, Shawna (Fall 2009). "YVETTE NOLAN: TAKES CENTRE STAGE". Herizons. 23 (2): 23.
  5. Shantz, Valerie (1998). Yvette Nolan: Playwright in Context (PDF). University of Alberta. p. 4. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
  6. "Inside The Unplugging: Yvette Nolan". Native Earth Performing Arts. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
  7. Hinten, Peter. "Aboriginal Theatre in Canada: An Overview" (PDF). National Arts Centre English Theatre Programs for Student Audiences. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
  8. "Yvette Nolan". Indigenous Performing Arts Alliance. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
  9. https://sasktheatreprofessionals.ca/board-members/
  10. Shantz, Valerie (1998). Yvette Nolan: Playwright in Context (PDF). University of Alberta. p. 2. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
  11. "Yvette Nolan". Theatre wiki. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
  12. "Yvette Nolan wins Mallory Gilbert Leadership Award (press release)". The Charlebois Post. May 9, 2014. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
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