Manitoba Theatre Centre festival showcasing Indigenous playwrights

The Manitoba Theatre Centre is in the midst of its fifth annual Pimootayowin Theatre Festival, featuring readings throughout the week that are free to the public, showcasing the works of six Indigenous playwrights.

“The festival is a culmination of the year-long creator’s circle that we do here at the RMTC, for indigenous people that want to learn how to write a play, and I’m the mentor in that,” said Ian Ross, the director of Pimootayowin Creator’s Circle.

The free program offers a supportive environment for the indigenous community to try their hand at playwriting, learn from professionals, and explore their artistic interests.

Each playwright’s work is then brought to life in a stage reading performance in the Tom Hendry Warehouse Theatre by MTC company members.

“The way I personally view it as an indigenous person really is reconciliation, because we’re seeing the works that get developed through this actually get produced on stage,” said Ross.

First-time playwright Kirby Fults will see his piece titled “Dreaming of Him” hit the stage on Friday night. It’s a story derived from his own experiences with his mother, who died at a young age.  He says he’s grateful for the opportunity to share it with audiences.

“I didn’t expect to love writing so much. I was a really bad student growing up, and this environment has been the most supportive I’ve ever been in my entire life,” said Fults. “It’s the first time I’ve ever written anything, and my experience has been life-changing.”

Adding, “As an Indigenous person, there haven’t been a lot of avenues for us to get support in this sort of environment, so I feel like this is a huge change.”

The festival runs until Saturday afternoon.

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