Kenneth T. Williams
{{Short description|First Nations playwright and professor in Alberta}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2017}}
{{Infobox writer
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| name = Kenneth T. Williams
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| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1965}}
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| occupation = playwright, professor
| language = English
| nationality = George Gordon First Nation, Canadian
| education = University of Alberta (BA, MFA)
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| years_active = 2007–present
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Kenneth T. Williams (born 1965) is a Cree playwright. He is from the George Gordon First Nation, Saskatchewan in Treaty 4 territory. Since 2017, Williams has been an Assistant Professor in the Department of Drama at the University of Alberta.
Early life and education
Kenneth T. Williams was born in 1965 in Saskatchewan. At age 12, he and his family moved from the George Gordon Reserve to Edmonton. However, from the age of 12 through his early adulthood he lived off-reserve in Edmonton.{{cite news |last1=Nicholls |first1=Liz |title=Café Daughter gets its Alberta première |url=https://edmontonjournal.com/entertainment/theatre/cafe-daughter-gets-its-alberta-premiere |access-date=28 July 2024 |work=Edmonton Journal |date=25 November 2015}}
Williams completed a B.A.{{cite web|url=http://www.curiousarts.ca/kenneth-t-williams-tells-the-story-of-math|title=Kenneth T. Williams tells the story of math |date=January 26, 2016|publisher=Curious Arts}} and then became the first Indigenous person to earn an M.F.A. in playwriting from the University of Alberta in 1992.
Career
Williams jokes he had the worst career path in Canadian theatre. He worked as an encyclopedia salesman on reserve, a bartender, a drummer and joined the Reservists. Then, for 15 years, Williams dabbled in journalism, writing art and literature reviews for journals. Williams wrote a half-dozen plays before finally getting one produced: Thunderstick in 2001.{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/manitoba/scene/theatre/2011/03/30/thunderstick-isnt-the-first-play/|title=Thunderstick: PTE play stars Lorne Cardinal and Craig Lauzon - CBC Manitoba|publisher=}} The play was panned by the Globe and Mail when it premiered in Toronto, earning a half star rating.{{cite news |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/theatre-and-performance/as-idle-no-more-heats-up-cree-playwright-kenneth-t-williams-descends-on-toronto/article7540876/|title=As Idle No More heats up, Cree playwright Kenneth T. Williams descends on Toronto|website=The Globe and Mail |date=January 20, 2013 |publisher=}} In Western Canada, the play fared better especially among native audiences. The play continued to tour for 10 years playing in every major city across Canada. In 2013 Thunderstick went on a four-city tour in Western Canada, and featured Lorne Cardinal of Corner Gas fame and Craig Lauzon of Air Farce who traded off roles in the two hander on alternate nights.{{cite web|url=http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/entertainment/arts/terrific-night-of-comic-theatre-for-14-year-old-boys-119110854.html|title=Terrific night of comic theatre... for 14-year-old boys|date=April 2, 2011 |publisher=}}
In 2006, Willams devoted himself full time to playwriting. The jump worked for him and since then his plays Café Daughter, Gordon Winter,{{cite news |last1=Langston |first1=Patrick |url=https://www.pressreader.com/canada/ottawa-citizen/20110507/287247414065005 |title=A Richly Textured Examination of Racism |publisher=Ottawa Citizen |date=7 May 2011 |access-date=28 July 2024}} Thunderstick,{{cite web|url=https://www.straight.com/article-353153/vancouver/thunderstick-top-its-game|title=Thunderstick is at the top of its game|date=October 15, 2010|publisher=}}{{cite web|url=https://nowtoronto.com/stage/theatre/thunderstick/|title=Thunderstick|date=January 28, 2013|publisher=}}{{cite web|url=http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/entertainment/arts/split--personalities-118973874.html|title=Split personalities|date=March 31, 2011 |publisher=}} Bannock Republic, Suicide Notes, and Three Little Birds have been produced across Canada, including at Canada's National Arts Centre.{{cite web|url=https://nac-cna.ca/en/bio/kenneth-t.-williams|title=Kenneth T. Williams - Biographies|publisher=}}
Williams may be best known for Café Daughter, which was nominated for a Sterling award for Outstanding Production in 2016.{{cite web|url=https://edmontonjournal.com/entertainment/theatre/sterling-award-nominations-salute-the-best-in-edmonton-theatre|title=Sterling Award nominations salute the best in Edmonton theatre|date=June 6, 2016|publisher=}} Café Daughter was warmly received {{cite web|url=https://edmontonjournal.com/entertainment/local-arts/reclaiming-identity-against-the-odds-cafe-daughter|title=Reclaiming identity against the odds: Cafe Daughter|date=November 27, 2015|publisher=}}{{cite web|url=http://www.edmontonsun.com/2015/11/27/colin-maclean-review-cafe-daughter|title=Colin MacLean review: Cafe Daughter|publisher=}}{{cite web|url=https://nowtoronto.com/stage/cafe-daughter/|title=Café Daughter|date=January 16, 2013|publisher=}} as it toured major cities across Canada.{{cite web |url=http://muskratmagazine.com/compelling-indigenous-dance-and-theatre-productions/ |title=Compelling Indigenous Dance and Theatre Productions |work=Muskrat Magazine|date=December 10, 2015 }} Williams loosely based the play on the life of Senator Lillian Dyck whom he met when she received an Aboriginal Achievement Award.http://artsandscience.usask.ca/news/n/3539/Cafe_Daughter_has_family_roots (originally published in the Saskatoon Star Phoenix) Dyck's mother encouraged her to hide her native identity as she was growing up.{{cite web|url=http://www.ammsa.com/publications/windspeaker/caf%C3%A9-daughter-reveals-secret-and-dream|title=Café Daughter reveals the secret and a dream - Windspeaker - AMMSA|publisher=}}
For the play "Gordon Winters" the role had been played by the indigenous actor Gordon Tootoosis, who played the lead. The play based on the fall from grace experienced by real-life First Nations Leader David Ahenakew who was disgraced after making anti-Semitic comments to a reporter.{{cite web|url=https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/2011/07/06/actor_and_activist_gordon_tootoosis_dies.html|title=Actor and activist Gordon Tootoosis dies |website=Toronto Star |date=July 6, 2011 |publisher=}}
His latest play, In Care, about a mother struggling against the child welfare system also received positive reviews.{{cite web|url=https://thestarphoenix.com/entertainment/local-arts/preview-in-care-looks-to-affect-viewers-and-effect-change|title=PREVIEW: In Care looks to affect viewers and effect change|date=October 19, 2016|publisher=}}{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/in-care-focuses-on-child-welfare-system-1.3812302|title=New play, In Care focuses on child welfare system|publisher=}}{{cite web|url=https://thestarphoenix.com/entertainment/local-arts/review-in-care-mixes-drama-with-real-life|title=REVIEW: In Care mixes drama with real life|date=October 23, 2016|publisher=}}
In 2016, Williams became the interim artistic director of the Gordon Tootoosis Nikaniwin Theatre in Saskatoon.{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/gordon-tootoosis-nikaniwin-theatre-interim-director-1.3899245|title=Sharing Saskatoon's Indigenous stories important to theatre's interim artistic director|publisher=}}{{cite web|url=https://thestarphoenix.com/entertainment/local-arts/kenneth-t-williams-takes-over-from-curtis-peeteetuce|title=Kenneth T. Williams takes over from Curtis Peeteetuce|date=December 13, 2016|publisher=}}
Williams is currently on faculty with the department of drama at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. {{cite web|url=https://www.ualberta.ca/drama/our-people/faculty/kenneth-t-williams |title=Kenneth T. Williams |publisher=University of Alberta |access-date=2019-10-15}} He received a University of Alberta Alumni Award
Café Daughter, a film adaptation by Shelley Niro of Williams' play, went into production in 2022.Eden Suh, [https://www.sudbury.com/local-news/film-cafe-daughter-shooting-wraps-up-in-sudbury-5396092 "Film: Café Daughter shooting wraps up in Sudbury"]. Sudbury.com, May 22, 2022.
Bibliography
- "Thunderstick" (2001){{cite web|url=http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/entertainment/arts/split--personalities-118973874.html|title=Split personalities|date=March 31, 2011 |publisher=|accessdate=January 23, 2017}} Later published as a book (2010){{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/manitoba/scene/theatre/2011/04/06/-craig-lauzon-and-lorne/|title=Lorne Cardinal's early beginnings with Thunderstick playwright - CBC Manitoba|publisher=}}
- Suicide Notes (2003)
- Café Daughter 2006{{cite web|url=http://www.edmontonsun.com/2015/11/27/colin-maclean-review-cafe-daughter|title=Colin MacLean review: Cafe Daughter|publisher=|accessdate=January 23, 2017}}
- Three Little Birds (2008){{cite web|url=http://www.ammsa.com/publications/saskatchewan-sage/three-little-birds-debuts-saskatoon-theatre|title=Three Little Birds debuts at Saskatoon theatre - Windspeaker - AMMSA|publisher=}}
- "Bannock Republic" (2010) Later published as a book (2011)
- Gordon Winter (2012)
- Deserters (2013)
- In Care (2016){{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/in-care-focuses-on-child-welfare-system-1.3812302|title=New play, In Care focuses on child welfare system|publisher=|accessdate=January 23, 2017}}
External links
- [https://www.ualberta.ca/drama/people/faculty/kenneth-t-williams.html Kenneth T. Williams], University of Alberta
- [https://www.canadiantheatre.com/dict.pl?term=Williams%2C%20Kenneth%20T. Williams, Kenneth T.], Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia
References
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Category:21st-century Canadian dramatists and playwrights
Category:First Nations dramatists and playwrights
Category:University of Alberta alumni
Category:21st-century First Nations writers
Category:21st-century Canadian male writers