Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
playwright, director, actor, and educator based out of
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a province in western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North ...
, Canada. She was born in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. She has contributed significantly to the creation and performance of
Indigenous theatre
Indigenous may refer to:
*Indigenous peoples
*Indigenous (ecology), presence in a region as the result of only natural processes, with no human intervention
*Indigenous (band), an American blues-rock band
*Indigenous (horse), a Hong Kong racehorse ...
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a province in western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North ...
, to an Algonquin mother and an Irish immigrant father. Nolan was raised in
Winnipeg
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749 ...
,
Manitoba
, image_map = Manitoba in Canada 2.svg
, map_alt = Map showing Manitoba's location in the centre of Southern Canada
, Label_map = yes
, coordinates =
, capital = Win ...
and attended the
University of Manitoba
The University of Manitoba (U of M, UManitoba, or UM) is a Canadian public research university in the province of Manitoba.B.A
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four ye ...
.
Nolan's commitment to Indigenous and feminist live art is attributed to the first time she saw a Native character on stage during
Royal Winnipeg Ballet
The Royal Winnipeg Ballet is Canada's oldest ballet company and the longest continuously operating ballet company in North America.
History
It was founded in 1939 as the "Winnipeg Ballet Club" by Gweneth Lloyd and Betty Farrally (who also ...
Nolan launched her career as a playwright at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival in 1990 where her play ''Blade'' premiered. It was later remounted at both the Best of the Fringe (1990) and Women in View Festival (1992).
She has worked at various theatre companies throughout Canada including Agassiz Theatre, the Manitoba Theatre Centre, Nakai Theatre in
Whitehorse
Whitehorse () is the capital of Yukon, and the largest city in Northern Canada. It was incorporated in 1950 and is located at kilometre 1426 (Historic Mile 918) on the Alaska Highway in southern Yukon. Whitehorse's downtown and Riverdale areas ...
, Native Earth Performing Arts.
As a director, Nolan has contributed significantly to the development of Aboriginal theatre. She has directed plays by
George Ryga
George Ryga (27 July 1932 – 18 November 1987) was a Canadian playwright, actor and novelist. His writings explored the experiences of Indigenous peoples in Canada, among other themes. His most famous work is '' The Ecstasy of Rita Joe''.
...
(''The Ecstasy of Rita Joe''),
Turtle Gals Performance Ensemble
Turtles are an order of reptiles known as Testudines, characterized by a special shell developed mainly from their ribs. Modern turtles are divided into two major groups, the Pleurodira (side necked turtles) and Cryptodira (hidden necked ...
(''The Only Good Indian'') and
Marie Clements
Marie Clements (born January 10, 1962) See p. 147. is a Canadian Métis playwright, performer, director, producer and screenwriter. Marie was founding artistic director of urban ink productions, and is currently co-artistic director of red diva pr ...
(''Tombs of the Vanishing Indian'' and ''The Unnatural and Accidental Women'') (''Café Daughter'' and ''In Care''),
Melanie J. Murray
Melanie is a feminine given name derived from the Greek μελανία (melania), "blackness" and that from μέλας (melas), meaning "dark".
From 1998 until 2001, Nolan was also president of the Playwright's Union of Canada (now called the Playwrights Guild of Canada). She was artistic director of Native Earth from 2003 to 2010. She was president of Indigenous Performing Arts Alliance, and has served on the boards of the Saskatchewan Arts Alliance and the Saskatchewan Association of Theatre Professionals. In 2010 and 2011 Nolan was hosted in
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 List of islands of New Zealand, smaller islands. It is the ...
to a Māori theatre festival called the Matariki Development Festival where she contributed as a playwright, director and dramaturg.
Nolan 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.
In 2017 she was awarded an Honorary Lifetime Membership to th
In 2021 she taught at the Canadian College of the Performing Arts in Victoria, B.C. https://www.ccpacanada.com/personnel/yvette-nolan/
She is currently completing her ongoing work about the role of Boards of Directors in arts organisations as she works towards completing her Masters of Public Policy at the Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy at the University of Saskatchewan. https://www.thestar.com/news/insight/2022/03/18/ceos-in-the-green-room-should-arts-groups-be-run-by-corporate-style-boards.html?rf
In 2022 she is the Interim Co-Artistic Director along with Skye Brandon at Shakespeare On The Saskatchewan.https://www.shakespearesask.com/blog/blog_detail/a_message_from_cointerim_festival_curators_yvette_nolan_and_skye_brandon
She is a Senior Fellow at Massey College in Toronto.
Writer-in-Residence
Nolan has been a writer-in-residence at several institutions including
Brandon University
Brandon University is a university located in the city of Brandon, Manitoba, Canada, with an enrollment of 3375 (2020) full-time and part-time undergraduate and graduate students. The current location was founded on July 13, 1899, as Brandon Co ...
(1996). During this term as writer-in-residence, Nolan wrote ''Annie Mae's Movement''. She was also playwright-in-residence at the
National Arts Centre
The National Arts Centre (NAC) (french: Centre national des Arts) is a performing arts organisation in Ottawa, Ontario, along the Rideau Canal. It is based in the eponymous National Arts Centre building.
History
The NAC was one of a number of p ...
and resident at Mount Royal College in 2009. In 2011 she began a nine-month term as writer-in-residence at the
Saskatoon
Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is located along the Trans-Canada Yellowhead Highway, and has served as ...
Library and playwright-in-residence at the University of Regina. She was the Writer-in-Residence at McGill University in 2018. https://www.mcgill.ca/arts/article/mordecai-richler-writer-residence-yvette-nolan
''Performing Indigeneity'': with Ric Knowles, Playwrights Canada Press, 2016
Beyond The Pale:
''Refractions'': Solo with Donna-Michelle St. Bernard, Playwrights Canada Press
* ''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
*''In Care'' by Kenneth T. Williams, Gordon Tootoosis Nikaniwin Theatre, October 2016
*''Café Daughter'' for Gwaandak Theatre (Yukon) 2011
*''Tombs of the Vanishing Indian'' for Native Earth Performing Arts 2011
*''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
*''A Very Polite Genocide'' Native Earth Performing Arts 2008
*''Death of a Chief'' for Native Earth Performing Arts 2008
*''The Only Good Indian'' for Turtle Gals Performance Ensemble 2007
*''Annie Mae's Movement'' for Native Earth Performing Arts 2006
*''Death of a Chief'' for Native Earth Performing Arts Weesageechak 2005
*''The Triple Truth'' for Turtle Gals 2005
*''The Unnatural and Accidental Women'' for Native Earth Performing Arts 2004.
*''The Unplugging at New Native Theatre'', Minneapolis 2020 newnativetheatre.org
*''The Penelopiad Ferre Play Theatre'', Persephone Theatre, Saskatoon 2017
*''Wreckonciliation Amplified Opera'', Toronto 2022 https://www.amplifiedopera.com/amplify
Awards
* John Hirsch Award for Most Promising New Writer, 1995.
* James Buller Award for Playwrighting from the Centre for Indigenous Theatre, 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, 2008.
* 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.
* Woman Of Distinction (nomination) - YWCA Saskatoon, 2017