Yvette Nolan

{{Short description|Canadian Algonquin playwright, director, and actor}}

{{Infobox person

|birth_name=Yvette Nolan

|birth_date={{birth year and age|1961}}

|birth_place= Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada

|death_date=

|death_place=

|occupation=Playwright, director, educator

}}

Yvette Nolan (born 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.canadiantheatre.com/dict.pl?term=Nolan%2C%20Yvette|website=Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia |title=Nolan, Yvette |access-date=8 April 2015}}{{cite news|last1=Nolan|first1=Yvette|title=Yvette Nolan on her new status: 'I was surprised to feel a measure of pride'|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/yvette-nolan-on-her-new-status-i-was-surprised-to-feel-a-measure-of-pride/article7266049/|access-date=8 April 2015|publisher=Globe and Mail|date=11 Jan 2013}}{{cite web|title=About Yvette Nolan|url=http://www2.uregina.ca/howl/index.php/about-yvette-nolan |website=University of Regina}}{{cite journal|last1=Dempsey|first1=Shawna|title=YVETTE NOLAN: TAKES CENTRE STAGE|journal=Herizons|date=Fall 2009|volume=23|issue=2|page=23}}

Early life

Nolan was born in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, to an Algonquin mother and an Irish immigrant father. She was raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba and graduated with Bachelor of Arts from University of Manitoba. In 2024, she completed a Master of Public Policy about the role of Boards of Directors in arts organisations at the Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy.{{Cite web |date=2022-03-18 |title=CEOs in the green room: Should arts groups be run by corporate-style boards? |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/insight/2022/03/18/ceos-in-the-green-room-should-arts-groups-be-run-by-corporate-style-boards.html |access-date=2023-05-03 |website=thestar.com |language=en}}

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

Career

In 1990, she started playwright career at Winnipeg Fringe Festival with premier of her play Blade. It was later remounted at both the Best of the Fringe (1990) and Women in View Festival (1992).{{cite book|last1=Shantz|first1=Valerie|title=Yvette Nolan: Playwright in Context|date=1998|publisher=University of Alberta|page=4|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk2/tape15/PQDD_0003/MQ28909.pdf|access-date=8 April 2015}}

She has worked at various theatre companies throughout Canada including Agassiz Theatre, the Manitoba Theatre Centre, Nakai Theatre in Whitehorse, Native Earth Performing Arts.{{cite web|url=http://www.nativeearth.ca/theunplugging-nolan/|website=Native Earth Performing Arts |title=Inside The Unplugging: Yvette Nolan |date=2 March 2015 |access-date=8 April 2015}}{{cite web|last1=Hinten|first1=Peter|title=Aboriginal Theatre in Canada: An Overview|url=http://www4.nac-cna.ca/pdf/eth/aboriginal_theatre.pdf|website=National Arts Centre English Theatre Programs for Student Audiences|access-date=8 April 2015}}

As a director, she 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).{{cite web |title= Yvette Nolan |url= http://www.ipaa.ca/membership/artists/prairies/yvette-nolan |website= Indigenous Performing Arts Alliance |access-date= 8 April 2015}}

From 1998 until 2001, she was also president of the Playwrights' Union of Canada (now called the Playwrights Guild of Canada). She was the artistic director of Native Earth from 2003 to 2010. She was president of the Indigenous Performing Arts Alliance and has sat on the boards of the Saskatchewan Arts Alliance and the Saskatchewan Association of Theatre Professionals.{{Cite web|url=https://sasktheatreprofessionals.ca/board-members/|title = Board Members}} In 2010 and 2011, she hosted Matariki Development Festival in New Zealand.{{Cite journal|last=Karunharan|first=Ahi|date=2011|title=A Flight of New Writing|journal=Playmarket News|volume=46|pages=20|issn=0113-9703}}

She 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.{{Cite web |last=Burdock |title=Signal Theatre |url=http://www.signaltheatre.ca/performance/ |access-date=2024-12-11 |website=burdockto.com |language=en}}

In 2017, she was awarded an Honorary Lifetime Membership to the CATR / ACRT.{{Citation needed|date=May 2023}}

In 2021, she taught at the Canadian College of the Performing Arts in Victoria, B.C.{{Cite web |date=2020-10-09 |title=Yvette Nolan |url=https://www.ccpacanada.com/personnel/yvette-nolan/ |access-date=2023-05-03 |website=Canadian College of Performing Arts |language=en-US}} In the same year, she was awarded the Gascon-Thomas Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Theatre School of Canada.{{Cite web |title=Yvette Nolan: Recipient of the 2021 Gascon-Thomas Lifetime Achievement Award |url=https://ent-nts.ca/en/blog-yvette-nolan-recipient-of-the-2021-gascon-thomas-lifetime-achievement-award |access-date=2024-12-11 |website=National Theatre School of Canada |date=April 2021 |language=en}}

In 2022, she was the Interim Co-Artistic Director along with Skye Brandon at Shakespeare On The Saskatchewan.{{cite web |title=Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan announces interim leadership, Macbeth extended |website=thestarphoenix |date=2021-08-07 |url=https://thestarphoenix.com/entertainment/local-arts/shakespeare-on-the-saskatchewan-announces-interim-leadership-macbeth-extended |access-date=2023-06-10}}

She is a Senior Fellow at Massey College in Toronto.

Her play The Unplugging received two productions in 2023: the Belfry in Victoria{{cite web |title=The Unplugging |website=The Belfry Theatre |date=2022-05-27 |url=https://www.belfry.bc.ca/the-unplugging/ |access-date=2023-06-10}} and the Great Canadian Theatre Company in Ottawa.{{cite web |title=The Unplugging - Great Canadian Theatre Company |website=GCTC {{!}} Great Canadian Theatre Company |date=2023-02-28 |url=https://www.gctc.ca/shows/unplugging |access-date=2023-06-10}} It was also produced in 2025 by Burnt Thicket Theatre in Saskatoon.

Her work with Donna-Michelle St. Bernard continued with The First Stone at Buddies in Bad Times in 2022{{cite web |last=Pillatzki-Warzeha |first=Sara |title=The First Stone |website=Buddies in Bad Times Theatre |date=2022-12-12 |url=https://buddiesinbadtimes.com/show/the-first-stone/ |access-date=2023-06-10}} and at Great Canadian Theatre Company in 2023.{{cite web |title=The First Stone - Great Canadian Theatre Company |website=GCTC {{!}} Great Canadian Theatre Company |date=2023-04-11 |url=https://www.gctc.ca/shows/first-stone | access-date=2023-06-10}}

She directed Frances Koncan's Women Of The Fur Trade at the Stratford Festival in 2023.{{cite web |title=Women of the Fur Trade |website=Stratford Festival |date=2017-09-26 |url=https://www.stratfordfestival.ca/WhatsOn/PlaysAndEvents/Production/Women-of-the-Fur-Trade?gad=1 |access-date=2023-06-10}} and at the Globe Theatre Regina.

From 2016–2022, she was the Company Dramaturge at Sum Theatre in Saskatoon.{{cite web |title=Our Team |website=SUM Theatre |date=2022-09-16 |url=https://sumtheatre.com/contact/our-team/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230610174342/https://sumtheatre.com/contact/our-team/ |archive-date=2023-06-10 |url-status=live |access-date=2023-06-10}}

Writer-in-Residence

1996: 1st writer-in-residence at Brandon University
2011 (nine-month term): Saskatoon Library
2018: McGill University{{Cite web |title=Mordecai Richler Writer-In-Residence: Yvette Nolan |url=https://www.mcgill.ca/arts/article/mordecai-richler-writer-residence-yvette-nolan |access-date=2023-05-03 |website=Faculty of Arts |language=en}}

Playwright-in-residence

2009: National Arts Centre and Mount Royal College
2011 (nine-month term): University of Regina

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, 2015Nolan, Yvette (2015). Medicine shows: Indigenous Performance Culture. Playwrights Canada Press.

Director

The Unnatural and Accidental Women for Native Earth Performing Arts 2004.{{cite web|title=Yvette Nolan|url=https://theatrewiki.ca/Yvette_Nolan|website=Theatre wiki|access-date=8 April 2015}}
Death of a Chief for Native Earth Performing Arts Weesageechak 2005
The Triple Truth for Turtle Gals 2005
Annie Mae's Movement for Native Earth Performing Arts 2006
The Only Good Indian for Turtle Gals Performance Ensemble 2007
A Very Polite Genocide Native Earth Performing Arts 2008
Death of a Chief for Native Earth Performing Arts 2008
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
Café Daughter for Gwaandak Theatre (Yukon) 2011
Tombs of the Vanishing Indian for Native Earth Performing Arts 2011
In Care by Kenneth T. Williams, Gordon Tootoosis Nikaniwin Theatre, October 2016
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
The Penelopiad Ferre Play Theatre, Persephone Theatre, Saskatoon 2017
Elemental Embrace Theatre/MuD Collective at Live Five, Saskatoon 2019
The Unplugging at New Native Theatre, Minneapolis 2020newnativetheatre.org
Wreckonciliation Amplified Opera, Toronto 2022{{Cite web |title=AMPLIFY 1.0 |url=https://www.amplifiedopera.com/amplify |access-date=2023-05-03 |website=Amplified Opera |language=en-US}}
The First Stone at Great Canadian Theatre Company, Ottawa 2023{{Cite web |title=The First Stone |url=https://www.gctc.ca/shows/first-stone |access-date=2023-05-03 |website=GCTC {{!}} Great Canadian Theatre Company |date=11 April 2023 |language=en-US}}

Awards

John Hirsch Award for Most Promising New Writer (nomination), 1995.
James Buller Award for Playwrighting from the Centre for Indigenous Theatre (nomination), 1997.
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, 2011.
Bob Couchman Award for direction (for Café Daughter by Kenneth T Williams (Gwaandak Theatre)).
Jessie Richardson Award for Outstanding Original Script, 2013 (for The Unplugging).
Mallory Gilbert Leadership Award, 2014.{{cite web|title=Yvette Nolan wins Mallory Gilbert Leadership Award (press release)|url=http://www.charpo-canada.com/2014/05/news-yvette-nolan-wins-mallory-gilbert.html|website=The Charlebois Post|access-date=8 April 2015|date=May 9, 2014}}
Woman Of Distinction (nomination) - YWCA Saskatoon, 2017
Dora Mavor Moore Award for Shanawdithit in 2020.{{cite web|url=https://windspeaker.com/news/windspeaker-news/virtual-reality-film-first-indigenous-playwright|title=Virtual reality film a first for Indigenous playwright}}
Gina Wilkinson Prize, 2021
Gascon-Thomas Lifetime Achievement Award, 2021{{cite web|title="Yvette Nolan: Recipient of the 2021 Gascon-Thomas Lifetime Achievement Award|url=https://ent-nts.ca/en/blog-yvette-nolan-recipient-of-the-2021-gascon-thomas-lifetime-achievement-award|website=National Theatre School of Canada|access-date=24 March 2024|date=April 1, 2021}}