From Halifax and Toronto to Blood Reserve in Southern Alberta, here are five women making a name for themselves in Indigenous theatre.
The National Arts Centre and SHIFTER continue to spotlight Canadian women of colour in live performance with the April edition of Innovators & Icons. As a part of this groundbreaking article series, every month the NAC and SHIFTER will be honouring Canadian women of colour who align with the NAC’s various disciplines―Popular Music & Variety, Dance, Indigenous Theatre, English Theatre, French Theatre, and NACO (the NAC Orchestra). These women are not only stellar live performers, representing the geographical and ethnic diversity of Canada, but they are pushing the envelope and breaking barriers in their craft, on the way to becoming Canada’s future stars.
Next in the series, we are honouring Canadian women who are making a name for themselves in Indigenous theatre. They represent a number of peoples and First Nations, from Métis to Anishinaabe, Kanien’kehá:ka, Kainai Nation, and Couchiching First Nation.
So without further adieu, here are a list of outstanding women doing their thing in Indigenous theatre.
SANDRA LARONDE | PHYSICAL THEATRE AND DANCE
Home: Teme-Augama Anishinaabe (People of the Deep Water) in Temagami, Northern Ontario
Instagram: @redskyperformance
Previous work: Miigis: Underwater Panther, Trace, Backbone
Sandra Laronde, also known as Misko Kizhigoo Migizii Kwe, which means “Red Sky Eagle Woman” in the Anishinaabemowin (Ojibway) language, is an accomplished arts innovator, multidisciplinary artist, and leader who hails from the Teme-Augama Anishinaabe (People of the Deep Water) in Temagami, Northern Ontario. She plays a pivotal role in the ongoing Indigenous cultural resurgence of Canada and the world, having created an extraordinary body of work with celebrated collaborators that has led to powerful, transformational arts experiences.
As the founder and Executive and Artistic Director of Red Sky Performance, a leading company of contemporary Indigenous performance worldwide, Sandra has conceived, developed, produced, and disseminated many award-winning productions. Red Sky Performance’s vision and mission derive from Sandra’s vision and leadership, which explore the relationship between movement, live music, theatricality, media, and image. Her concept of performance is unique and has been praised for its ability to inspire audiences and challenge their perceptions of the world.
Sandra’s contributions to the arts have not gone unnoticed. She has been recognized as a highly accomplished arts leader, creator, and innovator. Her work has received critical acclaim and numerous awards over the years, including the 2021 Johanna Metcalf Performing Arts Prize, 2021 Order of Ontario, and the 2020 Celebration of Cultural Life Award from the Toronto Arts Foundation.
Her impact on the arts industry has been significant, both in Canada and around the world. Her innovative approach to performance and leadership has inspired countless artists and audiences, and her work continues to be celebrated and recognized for its excellence and transformative power.
More about Sandra Laronde
How were you first introduced to your creative discipline (i.e. music, dance, comedy, etc.)?
“I was introduced to physical theatre and dance through sports. My family were all musicians so it was not unusual to hear three or four guitars being tuned simultaneously in my household in Temagami. My mother loved to dance and my father played multiple instruments.”
How has your city, region or places you were raised impacted you artistically/creatively?
“Hugely. I’m from a place that is extraordinarily beautiful with 1600 islands and 3,200 km of shoreline so I grew up in a huge place where there were more islands than people. My vision is definitely inspired from the land that I’m from. The deep water, the beautiful trees and land and the huge night and day sky. When I came to Toronto, the city and people have been very good to me, creatively. When I was the director of Indigenous Arts at the Banff Centre it also impacted me too. But, mostly where I’m from has had the deepest creative impact on me.”
What has been your biggest professional achievement(s) so far?
“My biggest professional achievement is yet to come. But, I have had many wonderful achievements from creating an original show and seeing it do extremely well such as my latest creation, Miigis: Underwater Panther. The show sold out Toronto, Montreal and Washington, DC, for instance. I took a lot of creative risk and as nerve-wracking as it was, it was embraced by audiences and media. Most recently, I’ve written my first novel, She Holds Up the Stars, which was a huge undertaking. Whew. I am now in discussion about where it’s going from here and that is very exciting. I’ve also worked with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra on some mega projects with about 85 people on stage. I’ve worked with six different orchestras in Canada and Mexico. Our children’s show has toured for 8 years and has been seen by over 1 million children in live performances across Turtle Island. My work has been performed on world stages at both the Beijing and Vancouver Cultural Olympiads.”
What’s something people should know about you?
“That I’m actually a very shy person. That I’m rather sporty 🙂 and like most of us from small communities. I can certainly see the athleticism in my work to this day. It’s one of my own personal ‘through lines’.”
SARAH RICHARDSON | PERFORMER, ARRANGER, MUSIC DIRECTOR
Home: Halifax, NS (Métis)
Instagram: @ravenmaven75
Previous work: Ruthless: The Stage Mother of All Musicals, New Waterford Boy, Neptune Theatre’s Alice in Pantoland, Controlled Damage, Elf: the Musical, Rumour Has It: the Songbook of Adele, Heathers: the Musical, 9 to 5: the Musical, and Peter and the Starcatcher.
For over two decades, Sarah Richardson has been a driving force in the performing arts industry in both Ontario and Nova Scotia. Her extensive experience as a performer, multi-instrumentalist, and musical director has earned her numerous accolades and nominations, making her a respected figure in the theatre community.
One of Sarah’s most notable achievements was winning the Merritt Award for Outstanding Musical Direction for the Chester Playhouse’s production of Ruthless: The Stage Mother of All Musicals. Her talent and dedication to her craft have also earned her nominations for HEIST’s New Waterford Boy, Neptune Theatre’s Alice in Pantoland. and Outstanding Actor in a Supporting Role for her portrayal of Lucille Renaud in Neptune Theatre and b current’s co-production of Controlled Damage.
Sarah’s passion for theatre is not limited to musical directing, as she has also worked as a performer on various productions. She is a founding member of Whale Song Theatre and was part of the inaugural year of Neptune Theatre’s Chrysalis Project. Additionally, Sarah has worked as a musical director on a wide range of productions, including Elf: the Musical, Rumour Has It: the Songbook of Adele, Alice in Pantoland, Sondheim’s Company and Assassins, Heathers: the Musical, 9 to 5: the Musical, and Peter and the Starcatcher. She has also worked as an assistant MD on The Color Purple, Peter Pan and Shakespeare in Love.
In addition to her work in theater, Sarah is a member of the vocal trio, DivaStation, and the lead singer of the local punkabilly band, the Blackrats. Her versatility as a performer and musician is a testament to her dedication to the arts and her ability to adapt to different genres and styles. Her contributions to the performing arts community have made her a respected and valued member of the industry.
More about Sarah Richardson
How were you first introduced to your creative discipline (i.e. music, dance, comedy, etc.)?
“I had studied music from the time I was five years old, beginning with piano, picking up other instruments (flute, viola, bass, accordion) along the way. I had always accompanied friends when I wasn’t performing myself. I eventually ended up in a theatre contract where the actors were also the musicians. I had always had a strong ear, and often created harmony lines for songs. A few months after working with the company, they asked me if I would be interested in musically directing their next production… and my career in music direction began!”
How has your city, region or places you were raised impacted you artistically/creatively?
“I was fortunate that there were dance, theatre, and music classes available in the town where I was raised. My parents enrolled me in all of them. As well, my parents got involved in our local community theatre when I was quite young. It instilled a love of performance in me. When I was a teenager, I moved in with other family members in Ottawa, and was able to attend Canterbury High School, which had a specialized arts program. I then moved to Toronto to attend university, where there is obviously a bustling theatre industry. After graduating, I moved to Halifax. Nova Scotia has a thriving theatre community, and I have been lucky to be a part of both independent and regional theatre here.”
What has been your biggest professional achievement(s) so far?
“My biggest professional achievement so far has been winning a Robert Merritt Award for Outstanding Musical Direction. As well, I had the complete honour of playing the role of Lucille Renaud in the world premiere of Andrea Scott’s “Controlled Damage”.”
What’s something people should know about you?
“I absolutely love rock and roll. Playing it. Dancing to it. Singing it. Love it!! I’m the lead singer of a horrorbilly band called “the Blackrats”. I also used to perform burlesque.”
CHERISH VIOLET BLOOD | ACTOR, STORYTELLER AND ACTIVIST
City: Blood Reserve, Southern Alberta
Instagram: @bloodcherish
Previous work: Scarborough, Material Witness, Making Treaty 7, Deer Woman
Cherish Violet Blood is a talented and accomplished actor, storyteller, and activist. She is a proud Blackfoot woman from the Kainai Nation, also known as the Blood Tribe Reserve #148, located in Treaty 7 territory in southern Alberta, Canada. Currently based in Toronto, Ontario, Cherish is a professionally trained and well-recognized performing artist with active followings in the national Indigenous and international theatre communities. She has performed all over North America, Australia, New Zealand, and Scotland, and has been involved in a variety of productions, such as Material Witness, Making Treaty 7, Deer Woman at the National Arts Centre in 2021, and most recently, Scarborough, for which she won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Supporting Actress at the 10th Canadian Screen Awards in 2022.
Cherish is a natural comedian and has hosted various album release parties, community events, and fundraisers. Her talent and abilities as an artist extend beyond acting, as she is also a skilled storyteller and activist. Cherish’s birthdate is significant to her family, and her name was chosen before she was born. She comes from a large family and is a direct descendant of Natoyikiyoaakii, their hereditary Great Great Great Sacred Bear Woman, who survived Baker’s Massacre. Cherish’s work in the arts and activism is an important contribution to the Indigenous cultural resurgence in Canada and beyond.
Currently, Cherish can be seen in Gloria: A Life presented by Harold Green Jewish Theatre at the Meridian Arts Centre. With her extensive experience, talent, and recognition in the performing arts community, Cherish Violet Blood is a trailblazer for Indigenous artists in Canada and an inspiration to many.
More about Cherish Violet Blood
How were you first introduced to your creative discipline (i.e. music, dance, comedy, etc.)?
“My mother is an amazing actress and writer. I grew up watching her. My sister and I have always grown up with art in our lives because of my Mother. At the age of seven she started a children’s theatre group and I would perform in plays she wrote about our Blackfoot trickster Napi. At the age of 12, I started to do stand up comedy. Around my 20’s I had started to experience crippling stage fright so I quit performing to go to university. I was not happy so I decided to move by myself to Toronto to attend theatre school. I learned the tools to be able to do my craft safely and now I am a big beautiful Blackfoot Rezbian actress living my best life.”
How has your city, region or places you were raised impacted you artistically/creatively?
“I am from the Blood reserve located in southern Alberta. The land and the people from that land influence my work on the daily. I was raised with ceremony, family and community so all of those things definitely have influence over my artistic practice.”
What has been your biggest professional achievement(s) so far?
“In 2022, I won a Canadian screen award. performance by an Actress in a supporting role. for my portrayal of Marie in Scarborough.”
What’s something people should know about you?
“Cherish lives in a very expensive walk in closet in the beaches. She sometimes teaches youth theatre and other arts. Cherish is a die hard Raptors fan, and loves Basketball in general.”
ANGE LOFT | INTERDISCIPLINARY PERFORMING ARTIST
Home: Kanien’kehá:ka, from Kahnawà:ke, QC, Canada (lives in Toronto)
Instagram: @_aloft_
Previous Work: Island of Flower and Furs, Dish Dances, Electric Prop and Hum Freestyle Variations, Material Witness
Ange Loft is an interdisciplinary performing artist and initiator, as well as an ardent collaborator, consultant, and facilitator working in arts-based research, wearable sculpture, theatrical co-creation, and Haudenosaunee history.
As a performer, Loft has graced international stages with musical act Yamantaka//Sonic Titan and as an interpreter of Indigenous lead theatrical narrative, experimental composition, and performance.
Loft’s work has a distinctive style that utilizes big images and tactile props to present heavy content in a beautiful, soft, fun, and weird way. Her work as an artist led her to winning the Toronto Arts Foundation’s Indigenous Artist Award in 2023.
More about Ange Loft
How were you first introduced to your creative discipline?
“Turtle Island Theatre Company in Kahnawake.”
How has your city, region or places you were raised impacted you artistically/creatively?
“Since 2015, I’d been researching and making art about Toronto’s Indigenous history and have recently turned my attention to the Montreal region, with projects at Centaur Theatre (Stone and Bone Spectacular, 2024) and the Canadian Centre for Architecture (Visibly Iroquoian, 2023). A lot of my recent work is predominantly based off of conversations about the histories of the region and imagery needed to recall them. My current projects look at patterns on pottery found on the island to use as design assets, reconstituting the visual world of Montreal pre-contact and playing with them for use in the theatre.”
What has been your biggest professional achievement(s) so far?
“Recipient of Toronto Arts Foundation Indigenous Artist Award.”
What’s something people should know about you?
“I’ve recently become a full ACTRA member. I’m slowly stepping back into performance for stage and film. I’ll be hunting for some juicy roles in the next few years. Write some roles for me. I’ve always wanted to play a warlord in an Indigenous dystopia.”
FRANCES KONCAN | DIRECTOR, CURATOR
Home: Winnipeg, Manitoba in Treaty 1 territory (born Fort Frances, Ontario – Couchiching First Nation)
Instagram: @franceskoncan
Previous work: The Dance-off of Conscious Uncoupling, Women of the Fur Trade, Space Girl
Frances Koncan (she/they) is a mixed Anishinaabe and Slovene writer working in theatre, television, and media. She was born in 1986 in Fort Frances, Ontario (Couchiching First Nation) and currently resides in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and is the Writer-in-Residence at the Winnipeg Public Library. Her play The Dance-off of Conscious Uncoupling received the 2015 Tom Hendry Award for Best New Comedy.
Frances has had numerous productions of her work, including Space Girl at Prairie Theatre Exchange directed by Krista Jackson, and Women of the Fur Trade at the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre directed by Audrey Dwyer. In Women of the Fur Trade, Koncan modernizes the story by incorporating current pop culture references, including male heartthrobs like Justin Trudeau, Don Draper, and Tom Hardy.
Frances Koncan has upcoming productions of Women of the Fur Trade at Stratford Festival, the National Arts Centre and the Great Canadian Theatre Company.
For more information about the show visit gctc.ca.
More about Frances Koncan
How were you first introduced to your creative discipline (i.e. music, dance, comedy, etc.)?
“I got into theatre through music. I was a fairly serious musician in high school and even went to university for french horn performance, but found myself frustrated with the rigidity of classical music. My love of music introduced me to musical theatre, which lead me to “straight” plays, and I very quickly became obsessed with the possibilities afforded by theatre to tell stories.”
How has your city, region or places you were raised impacted you artistically/creatively?
“I was born in Fort Frances, Ontario in Treaty 3 territory and am a member of Couchiching First Nation. The land there is full of lakes, rocks, and forests. But I was raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba in Treaty 1 territory – the prairies. Nearly all of my work is set in one of these locations and draws heavily upon the landscape and environment. I think there is a lot of strength to be drawn from the land, and that the land itself is a character that has a story to tell.”
What has been your biggest professional achievement(s) so far?
“I think the most prolific professional achievement of mine is the upcoming production of my play, “Women of the Fur Trade”, at the Stratford Festival this summer. It’s the first time my work will be presented professionally outside of Manitoba!”
What’s something people should know about you?
“I don’t think I have any interesting facts to share about myself so I will share this uninteresting fact: every morning I start my day with a can of caffeine free diet pepsi.”
Innovators & Icons is a presented by the National Arts Centre in partnership with SHIFTER
Related content:
7 CANADIAN WOMEN OF COLOUR BLAZING A NEW TRAIL IN MUSIC & COMEDY
https://shiftermagazine.com/culture/women-of-colour-in-these-are-seven-women-of-colour-who-are-blazing-a-new-trail-in-music-and-comedy-in-canada