Past Productions

Desert Stories for Lost Girls

two woman stand on stage with man in far background a light shaft of sand falls from above

Written by Lily Rushing (Genízaro)
Directed by Sylvia Cervates Blush

September 30-October 16, 2022

Do you believe your ancestors walk with you? When 18-year-old Carrie moves in with her grandmother, Rosa, she is thrown into a world of memory and mystery that unearths her family’s identity -- shining a light on a dark and bloody period in the history of the American Southwest. Presented in collaboration with Latino Theater Company, Desert Stories for Lost Girls by Lily Rushing (Genízaro) is a haunting and lyrical rumination on identity, family, and colonialism over generations.

Photo © Grettel Cortes Photography

The New Adventures of Super Indian

poster in comic book cover style with characters from the new Super Indian story

Written by Arigon Starr (Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma)
Directed by Olivia Espinosa (Azteca) and Arigon Starr (Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma)

April 14-May 5, 2021

Hubert Logan, an ordinary reservation boy turned superhero, faces off against three of his biggest foes—Wampum Baggs, the ringleader of the Circle of Evil; Blud Kwan’Tum, a cursed vampire determined to become a full-blooded Indian by any means necessary; and Karlie Keane, a scheming social media diva. The New Adventures of Super Indian, created and written by Arigon Starr based on her popular graphic novels, are three audio episodes that highlight the comic exploits of Super Indian and the residents of the fictional Leaning Oak Reservation. 

Lying with Badgers

a man and a woman hold puppets and talk

Written by Jason Grasl (Blackfeet)
Directed by Randy Reinholz (Choctaw)

February 28-March 15, 2020

In this wickedly funny new comedy, a magically charged world is ignited by wise-cracking spirit animals brought to life by puppets, as estranged brothers of the Blackfeet Nation are pitted against one another in a fierce debate over the personal and economic issues Native people face today on their sovereign land. While exploiting mineral rights could provide economic relief for the tribe, it could also destroy sacred ground. Traditions are challenged, allegiances are tested, and long-buried secrets are forced into light in this dark comedy.

Photo © Craig Schwartz Photography.

Pure Native

a man and a woman eat at a dining table they look in the same direction and appear dissatisfied

Written by Vickie Ramirez (Tuscarora)
Directed by Randy Reinholz (Choctaw)

March 8 – March 24, 2019
 
Brewster's back! Rising from the ashes with a slick plan for a bottled water plant on reservation land. There's mixed agreement and opposition from family and friends, including an old flame with a grudge - but is he the secret ingredient for success?
 
Photo © Craig Schwartz Photography.

Bingo Hall

two men seated engaged in a convivial conversation

Written by Dillon Chitto (Mississippi Choctaw, Laguna, Isleta Pueblo)
Directed by Jon Lawrence Rivera

March 9–25, 2018

Edward Anaya makes all the calls in the pueblo—well, he calls the numbers at the senior center's bimonthly bingo. But college acceptance letters kick-start an identity crisis: Who will Edward be if he leaves home and bingo behind? Like Ferris Bueller if he lived in a pueblo, Edward knows just what to say until romantic rejection, family antics, and community pressures leave him tongue-tied. New playwright Dillon Chitto (Mississippi Choctaw, Laguna, Isleta Pueblo) brings the pueblo to the American theatre in this hilarious new play about tradition in a fast-changing world.

Photo © Craig Schwartz Photography.

Fairly Traceable

a man and a woman in close conversation sit on a library table

Written by Mary Kathryn Nagle (Cherokee)
Directed by Jon Lawrence Rivera

March 10–26, 2017

Set during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Fairly Traceable follows the journeys of a young Ponca man and Chitimacha woman as they balance personal and career ambitions with advocacy for the environment and the people they love. In this romantic dramedy, Nagle reveals the culpability of big oil and climate change deniers in environmental disasters.

Photo © Craig Schwartz Photography.

They Don’t Talk Back

two men speak expressively one standing and the other sitting

Written by Frank Henry Kaash Katasse (Tlingit)
Directed by Randy Reinholz (Choctaw)

March 2–20, 2016

Presented in association with La Jolla Playhouse and Perseverance Theatre. A troubled teen from a broken home receives the culture shock of a lifetime when he is sent to live and work with his Tlingit grandparents in a remote fishing village in Alaska. This funny, heartfelt exploration of the meaning of family and life emerges in a contemporary coming-of-age story.

Photo © Craig Schwartz Photography.

Off the Rails

two women in 19th century clothing in a controversial conversation

Written by Randy Reinholz (Choctaw)
Directed by Chris Anthony

February 27–March 15, 2015

The Union Pacific Railroad, an Indian boarding school, and Madame Overdone's Stewed Prunes Saloon collide in Randy Reinholz's bawdy and irreverent Off the Rails, an adaptation of Shakespeare's Measure for Measure set in Buffalo Bill's Wild West!

Photo © Craig Schwartz Photography.

Stand-Off at HWY #37

a woman sits on stage looking into the distance a man in military outfit sits in a chair behind her holding a map

Written by Vickie Ramirez (Tuscarora)
Directed by Jon Lawrence Rivera

February 26–March 16, 2014

In upstate New York, on the border of a small town and the local Haudenosaunee reservation, a young National Guardsman of Tuscarora heritage has to choose between upholding the oath he took to defend his country and protecting the traditional lands of his people.

Photo © Craig Schwartz Photography.

The Bird House

a man and woman face each other holding books speaking urgently

Written by Diane Glancy (Cherokee)
Directed by Robert Caisley

March 1–18, 2013

An evangelical preacher fights to save his family, church, and community in the face of a continuing economic crisis. Will the promise of natural gas production from fracking provide a lifeline to his small west Texas town and his two sisters?

Photo © Craig Schwartz Photography.

Walking on Turtle Island

a man stands on a stage hat in hand with a pleasant expression

Written and performed by Robert Owens-Greygrass (Lakota)
Directed by Kevin Sifuentes (Hopi)

March 1–18, 2012

In this tour-de-force performance, Robert Owens-Greygrass embodies twenty-two characters—from a grandfather, to a mixed-blood sun dancer, to a boy who has lost his dog, to an eighty-year-old Ojibway woman, to Iyeska, a trickster and spirit guide who moves through centuries and inhabits various spiritual “skins.” Greygrass portrays the often untold Indigenous experience through powerful and unique stories of Turtle Island (North America).

Photo © Craig Schwartz Photography.

Ghostlands of an Urban NDN

a man sits in a chair apparently telling a story expressive hands

Written and performed by Robert Owens-Greygrass (Lakota)
Directed by Kevin Sifuentes (Hopi)

March 1–18, 2012

Follow Robert, a multiethnic, nonspecific, lower-middle-class, urban-NDN white guy, as he navigates the conflicting worlds of a mixed-race heritage. Acclaimed storyteller Robert Owens-Greygrass portrays sixteen characters in this gritty look at the sometimes humorous, always gripping urban Native journey through the ghostlands.

Photo © Craig Schwartz Photography.

The Frybread Queen

two women holding each other look up with worried expressions

Written by Carolyn Dunn (Muskogee Creek, Cherokee)
Directed by Robert Caisley

March 12–27, 2011

Three generations of Indian women come together for the funeral of a beloved son. The collision of personalities forces them to confront long-simmering tensions that threaten to tear them apart. This quietly poetic drama has all the haunting qualities of a Chekhovian tragicomedy—Navajo style!

Tales of an Urban Indian

a man sits at a table speaking and emphasizing his point using an item in his hand

Written and Performed by Darrell Dennis (Shuswap)
Directed by Herbie Barnes (Ojibway)

March 14–28, 2010

Acclaimed Canadian writer and performer Darrell Dennis tells the semi-autobiographical tale of a young Indian man, Simon Douglas. From living life on the “Rez” to navigating the mean streets of Vancouver’s east side, Dennis weaves a funny and stirring story of identity, discovery, choice, and self-respect. This one-man show made its West Coast premiere here in 2010 following a Canadian tour and two nominations for the Dora Mavor Award, the highest theatrical honor in Canada, and its U.S. premiere at New York's Public Theater in 2009.

Carbon Black

a woman and a teenager are seated speaking to each other

Written by Terry Gomez (Comanche)
Directed by Randy Reinholz (Choctaw)

November 7–22, 2009

This taut psychological drama focuses on the relationship between an agoraphobic mother and her precocious son, Carbon "Inky" Black. When young Inky claims to have witnessed a horrific murder, his mother’s refusal to acknowledge his tale and her crippling dependence on sensationalized media coverage of violence in their city serve to isolate them both even further. Dejected and often truant from school, Inky Black turns to young, well-meaning guidance counselor Lisa YellowTree, who must fight her own battles with Mr. Tucker, a gruff and seemingly uncaring vice principal.

Wings of Night Sky, Wings of Morning Light

two women musicians in a field at an acquaduct both wear brown cowboy hats one holds a saxophone and the other holds a guitar

Written by Joy Harjo (Mvskoke)
Starring Joy Harjo (Mvskoke) and  featuring Larry Mitchell
Directed by Randy Reinholz (Choctaw)

March 12–29, 2009

From musician, poet, and playwright Joy Harjo (Mvskoke) comes a deeply compelling personal journey of struggle, displacement, self-discovery, and ultimately healing. Invoking spoken word, storytelling, and song, Harjo reflects on life stories, the tales and traditions of her people, and takes a few turns blowing a mean jazz saxophone. An allegorical work of tremendous power, Wings demonstrates how theater and art can bring life full circle.

Salvage

three performers on stage two men sit at a table a woman stands listening to their conversation

Written by Diane Glancy (Cherokee)
Directed by Sheila Tousey (Menominee, Stockbridge Munsee)

October 31–November 23, 2008

Cut Bank, Montana. Blackfeet country. Here, a hard-working family scratches out a life running a salvage yard. In this taut, suspenseful drama, a deadly accident throws them into a turbulent world of doubt, recrimination, and vengeance, pushing their lives into horrific new territory. Can traditional ways pull them back to safety? Or will they be torn apart forever?

Teaching Disco Square Dancing to Our Elders: A Class Presentation

performers on stage, one woman dances with two people standing behind her

Written by Larissa FastHorse (Sicangu Nation)
Directed by Jose Cruz Gonzalez

February 8–March 2, 2008

Follow Kenny and Martin’s adventure as they combine their school projects into “Teaching Disco Square Dancing.” The delicate balance of their friendship is tested when they enlist the aid of Kenny’s Grandma and Amanda, a shy outcast whose presentation topic is on cultural history. Can they work together to finish the project and graduate from middle school, or will stereotypes and teen angst undermine their determination? Bring the entire family and hang on for a bumpy spin around the dance floor!

SUPER INDIAN

poster in the style of a comic book cover with the title Super Indian and two  characters one masked with a dog

Written by Arigon Starr (Kickapoo, Creek)
Directed by William Dufris (Mi'kmaq)

April 13 and 14, 2007

After eating tainted commodity cheese, a young Hubert Logan discovers he has amazing powers that transform him into “Super Indian.” With his trusty sidekick Mega Bear, Super Indian uses these newfound powers to foil evil on the Leaning Oak Reservation. Don’t miss an exciting evening of hilarity and superhero action as Super Indian and Mega Bear rocket to the rescue.

Berlin Blues

two women perform on stage

Written by Drew Hayden Taylor (Ojibway)
Directed by Randy Reinholz (Choctaw)

March 1–25, 2007

Using humor to give us insight into love and losses in the land of the Ojibway, this play focuses on a large German conglomerate that descends on a small Canadian reserve with visions of building the world’s largest Native theme park, “Ojibway World.” This theme park comes complete with bumper canoes, a dream catcher made of laser beams, and Dances With Wolves: The Musical!

The Red Road

woman speaks at a microphone wearing a red embroidered shirt and holding a metal object

Written and Performed by Arigon Starr (Kickapoo, Creek)
Directed by Randy Reinholz (Choctaw)

March 30–April 30, 2006

Join Grand Ole Opry singer Patty Jones as she leads us through a particularly busy day at Verna Yahola’s All Nations Cafe off legendary Route 66 in Sapulpa, Oklahoma. There’s a heap of trouble and a huge storm a-brewin’ as Verna tangles with über-Indian Richard Doolittle, meets British bad boy Danny Dacron, and contemplates a proposal from her good-hearted Navajo fry cook, Emmitt Tsinajinnie. This family-friendly comedy with music features a cast of characters straight out of Indian country—ages 9 to 57—and Miss Starr plays them all! 

Stone Heart

woman on stage holding fabric purple fabric background

Written by Diane Glancy (Cherokee)
Directed by Randy Reinholz (Choctaw)

February 17–March 12, 2006

Behind her was a history of betrayal. Before her was an entire continent. This is the story of Lewis and Clark’s 1804–1806 Corps of Discovery told for the very first time through the eyes of Sacajewea and York, the Shoshoni woman and the African slave who courageously traveled to the sea and back. Supported by a unique soundscape of Native flute, cello, fiddle, and African drums, this talented cast transforms the stage into the Mandan Village, the Great Falls, the Missouri River, and the Rocky Mountains. Experience the torrents and snowstorms, the Northern lights and pouring rain, the devastation of the Bitter Roots, and the magnificence of the Pacific Ocean.

Kino & Teresa

four actors in battle scene on stage

Written by James Lujan (Taos Pueblo)
Directed by Ken Martines (Pueblo)

March 4–20, 2005

Based on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, this beautiful, poignant romance provides a glimpse into the hearts and minds of two warring communities in 17th-century Santa Fe—the Taos Pueblo and their Spanish conquerors—and demonstrates the need to create a new world free from the political maneuvering of power-hungry leaders on an unwitting path to their own destruction.

 

Please Don’t Touch the Indians

six actors on stage

Written by Joseph A. Dandurand (Kwantlen First Nation)
Directed by Randy Reinholz (Choctaw)

March 19–April 4, 2004

With Sister Coyote, Brother Raven, Mister Wolf, a tourist, and two wooden Indians, Dandurand’s tender, heart-wrenching tale portrays the struggles and dreams of Native Americans through history. His powerful storytelling style uses animal imagery and social stereotypes to create a strong, moving depiction of Native Americans and their ability to love, laugh, and survive despite tragic loss.

The Buz’Gem Blues

drawing of people in a line facing right

Written by Drew Hayden Taylor (Ojibway)
Directed by Randy Reinholz (Choctaw)

March 8–23, 2003

Combine two traditional tribal enemies in their golden years, a recently divorced Rez sister, a young student exploring her 1/64th Native heritage, and a young man calling himself The Warrior That Never Sleeps. Fold in a professor researching the contemporary mating habits of Native people, toss them all together at a Native elders’ conference, and you have the recipe for The Buz’Gem Blues, a romantic comedy with an irreverent send-up of love and courtship.

Jump Kiss: An Indian Legend

4 performers one with a guitar two sitting in front two standing in back

Written by Diane Glancy (Cherokee)
Directed by Randy Reinholz (Choctaw)

June 5–23, 2002

In this compelling story, a mixed-blood Native American woman growing up mid-century in Kansas City moves easily between past and present and Native and non-Native worlds to recover events, experiences, and relationships.

NATIVE VOICES WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE OUR GENEROUS SUPPORTERS:

Actors Equity Foundation · Laura and Dean Beresford · Rafael Bruno and Cristian Hamilton · Tonantzín Carmelo · David Cartwright · Peter Chalk and Daniel Neal · Elena Finley Endlich · First Peoples Fund Native Arts Ecology Building Grant · Patty Glaser and Sam Mudie · Carole Goldberg and Duane Champagne · Greenberg Foundation · Shawn Imitates Dog · Helene Jacobs · Judy Jacobs · Shelby Jiggetts-Tivony · Diane Levine · Heidi Levine-Gonzalez · Peter Glenville Foundation · Brenda and Gary Ruttenberg · Seeley W. Mudd Foundation · The Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation · Cynthia Burstein Waldman and Vincent Waldman

NATIVE VOICES SUPPORT COMMITTEE:

Tonantzín Carmelo · Elena Finley Endlich · Carole Goldberg and Duane Champagne · Kimberly Guerrero · Shelby Jiggetts-Tivony · Diane Levine · Heidi Levine-Gonzalez · Daryl Roth · Gloria Steinem
 

Land Acknowledgment

The Autry Museum of American West acknowledges the Gabrielino/Tongva peoples as the traditional land caretakers of Tovaangar (the Los Angeles basin and So. Channel Islands). We recognize that the Autry Museum and its campuses are located on the traditional lands of Gabrielino/Tongva peoples and we pay our respects to the Honuukvetam (Ancestors), ‘Ahiihirom (Elders) and ‘Eyoohiinkem (our relatives/relations) past, present and emerging.

The Autry Museum in Griffith Park

4700 Western Heritage Way

Los Angeles, CA 90027-1462
Located northeast of downtown, across from the Los Angeles Zoo.
Map and Directions

Free parking for Autry visitors.


MUSEUM AND STORE HOURS
Tuesday–Friday 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Saturday–Sunday 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

DINING
Food Trucks are available on select days, contact us for details at 323.495.4252.
The cafe is temporarily closed until further notice.