Good news! I just finished interviewing Arigon Starr, a musician, writer, artist, actor from Los Angeles. Starr is in Missoula, Mont., rehearsing for “The Frybread Queen,” a play by Carolyn Dunn. Starr will be my guest on Tribal Scene Radio this Friday. While in the KBGA studio, Starr and talked about her work on stage, in the studio and in front of a drawing board. She’s a multi-talented woman who lives up to her highest potential. Listen to the Tribal Scene program from 8-9 a.m. Sept. 10 and hear her belt out a few songs while she masters a guitar. Starr talks about her career also offers her thoughts on being a performer. She says it’s about being yourself, not trying to be someone else. Check it out online at KBGA website if you are not in range.
Meanwhile, here’s a press release from the University of Montana about show times for “The Frybread Queen,” a play about four, vibrant Native women:
Native Voices at the Autry, The University of Montana School of Theatre & Dance, and
the Montana Repertory Theatre present the premiere production of “The Frybread Queen.”WHO: UM School of Theatre & Dance/Montana Rep
WHAT: THE FRYBREAD QUEEN
WHEN: September 17-18 and 23-25 at 7:30 PM
September 18-19 and 25-26 at 2:00 PM
WHERE: Masquer Theatre, PARTV Center, UM-MissoulaTHE FRYBREAD QUEEN WILL PRESENT A SPECIAL PREVIEW
FOR INVITED GUESTS ON SEPTEMBER 16, 2010, AT 7:30 PM, WITH A GALA
CELEBRATION TO FOLLOW AT THE NEWLY OPENED PAYNE FAMILY NATIVE
AMERICAN CENTER.
PERFORMANCES FOR THE PUBLIC ARE SEPTEMBER 17-18 AND 21-25 AT 7:30 PM
AND SEPTEMBER 18-19 AND 25-26 AT 2:00 PM. TICKETS AVAILABLE AT THE
PERFORMING ARTS AND RADIO/TELEVISION BUILDING BOX OFFICE OR
ONLINE AT WWW.UMTHEATREDANCE.ORG.The Autry National Center, the School of Theatre & Dance, and the Montana Repertory
Theatre are proud to present the newest production from Native Voices at the Autry on the
UM-Missoula campus. Native Voices at the Autry is America’s leading Native American
theater company.
The Frybread Queen, by Carolyn Dunn (Muskogee Creek), is the winner of the nationwide
Native Voices development competition held each year at the Autry and is the first to be
mounted in collaboration with The University of Montana and Montana Rep. It is the spirited
story of three generations of Navajo women bound by marriage and family ties. They come
together to Lake Powell for the funeral of a beloved son, and in their grief, they confront
long-simmering tensions and family secrets that threaten to tear them apart.
The Frybread Queen will be mounted in the Masquer Theater on The University of Montana
campus September 16-19, and 23-26, starring professional stage actors Jane Lind and Arigon
Starr, The University of Montana and Montana Rep alumnus Lily Gladstone, and current UM
student Tiffany Meiwald.
MORE – On the following page you will find some historical perspective about the both companies’
commitment to the Native American story and this important production.Native Voices at the Autry (Native Voices)
Native Voices at the Autry, a component of the Autry, is devoted to the development and
production of new works for the stage by Native American writers. Each year, seven to
twelve new plays are developed through Native Voices. In addition, two to three plays
are produced under an Equity contract, and at least one play a year is commissioned by
Native Voices. UM Associate Professor Jere Hodgin was Chair of the 2009-2010 panel
that selected these plays.Native Voices hosts an annual Playwrights Retreat and Festival of New Plays, bringing
four to five established and emerging Native American playwrights to the Autry in Los
Angeles for a weeklong residency and new-play development process. Playwrights attend
a variety of workshops and are mentored by Los Angeles-based theater professionals.
The writers engage in work sessions on their plays with professional directors,
dramaturges, and actors, plus have ample writing time to incorporate revisions or
generate new ideas.The week culminates in a public presentation of each of the plays at
the Wells Fargo Theatre for an audience comprised of past retreat participants, supporters
of Native Voices, Native community members, and the Los Angeles theater community.Montana Repertory Theatre (MRT)
With this initiative, Montana Repertory Theatre continues its mission to “tell the great
stories of our world to enlighten, develop and celebrate the human spirit in an everexpanding
community.” Under the leadership of Artistic Director Greg Johnson, MRT
hopes to take a significant step forward with commitment in the fall of 2010 by
presenting a full production of The Frybread Queen by Carolyn Dunn, one of the most
celebrated new Native American theatre pieces in the country. By producing this
wonderful play, MRT is reaching out to a culture rich in storytelling tradition with a
contemporary play that reflects both Native heritage and contemporary Native struggles.In the past, MRT has developed and produced many Native playwrights from Montana
and around the country. In 1992, Barren Child, Scott Bear Don’t Walk’s adaptation of
Sophocles’ Antigone, won second place in the annual national Native American
playwriting competition. Barren Child was developed and produced by MRT.
In addition, staged readings of plays by Native American playwrights and plays with
Native American themes, such James Welch’s Winter in the Blood, are examples of what
has become an integral part of the Missoula Colony, MRT’s annual summer gathering of
writers for stage and screen.For more information, please visit:
www.umt.edu/theatredance
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