Ajijaak on Turtle Island
Written by Ty Defoe
Lyrics by Ty Defoe and Dawn Avery
Music by Dawn Avery & Larry Mitchell, Kevin Tarrant, and Ty Defoe
Based on Original Storyboards Written and Drawn by Heather Henson
Originally Co-Directed by Ty Defoe and Heather Henson
The Authors acknowledge the contributions to the Play of Ari Berk, Felipe Chavez-Ramirez, Melissa Creighton, Doreen Day, Sharon Day, Deb Echohawk, Tony Enos, Kate Freer, Lux Haac, Joan Henry, Marika Kent, Laura Krouch, Holly Angela-Lu, Anastasia McAllister, Pamela McCaddin, Curtiss Lee Mitchell, Adelka Polak, Sheldon Raymore, Brenna Ross, Christopher Swader, Justin Swader, Henu Josephine Tarrant, Jason Weber, and Emma Wilk
CAST
Walks in Two Worlds - Bradley Lewis
Deer/She Has Corn - Emily Preis
Swing - Emmeline Briggs
Grandmother Aki - Kimberly Jajuan
Coyote/Turtle - Matt Cross
Swing - Opalanietet
Brings Humble - Sheldon Raymore
Ajijaak - Vicki Oceguera
CREATIVES
Director-Choreographer - Jen Olivares
Associate Director - Daniel Leeman Smith
Music Director - Doug Oberhammer
DESIGNERS
Scenic - Christopher and Justin Swader
Costume - Lux Haac
Lighting - Marika Kent
Projection - Katherine Freer
Sound - Emma Wilk
Costume Designer for Crane: On Earth, In Sky - Donna Zakowska
Puppet Design & Fabrication by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop™
MANAGEMENT & MARKETING
General Management - Brierpatch Productions
Press Representative - Keith Sherman and Associates
Digital Marketing - Think Big Picture, LLC
Casting - MUNGIOLI THEATRICALS, INC. Arnold J.
Mungioli, CSA
Production Management - Stewart Productions
Company Management - Katherine Bolynn
CSM - Mateo Moreno
TECH
Stage Manager - Lila Mullins
Assistant Stage Manager - Becky Abramowitz
Associate Lighting Designer - Matthew Weisgable
Puppet Wrangler - Chris Palmieri
Technical Director - Michael Cahill
Sound/Video Operator - Joe Costable
Touring Wardrobe - Eric Montesa
Stitcher - Sharné van Ryneveld Nel
Dance Captain - Emily Preis
For GREEN FEATHER FOUNDATION
Executive Producer - Heather Henson
Associate Producer - Brenna Ross
Director of Education - Tsering Choedron
Cultural Outreach/Education Coordinator - Tecumseh Ceaser
Facilities Manager - Jessica Simon
For THE JIM HENSON WORKSHOP
Large Turtle - Mary Brehmer
Toddler Crane - Mari Tobita
Adult and Adolescent Cranes - Tim Lagasse & Anney Ozar
Deer - Sierra Schoening
Bison - Liz Hara
Coyote - Rollie Krewson
Coyote Mask and Overlay - Emily DeCola
Mishibizhiw - Sal Denaro & James Wojtal
Original Large Snake - Aaron Hartnett & Nicholas Mahon
Flock of Cranes - Anney Ozar & Jim Kroupa
Additional Fabricators David Bizarro, Liz Cherry, John Cody, Joel Gennari, Casey Miller, Ashley Rose Horton, Kate Rusek, Jessica Simon, Christopher Soprano, Dave Szarejko, and Whitney Thayne
PLEASE CHECK HOUSEBOARDS FOR ANY PROGRAM CHANGES
TAKING PICTURES AND/ OR MAKING VISUAL OR SOUND RECORDINGS IS EXPRESSLY FORBIDDEN
AJIJAAK ON TURTLE ISLAND IS A PROFESSIONAL PRODUCTION EMPLOYING MEMBERS OF ACTORS’ EQUITY ASSOCIATION.
Actors’ Equity Association (“Equity”), founded in 1913, is the U.S. labor union that represents more than 51,000 professional Actors and Stage Managers. Equity fosters the art of live theatre as an essential component of society and advances the careers of its members by negotiating wages, improving working conditions and providing a wide range of benefits, including health and pension plans. Actors’ Equity is a member of the AFL-CIO and is affiliated with FIA, an international organization of performing arts unions. #EquityWorks
Matt Cross
Emmeline Briggs
Vicki Oceguera
Emily Preis
Sheldon Raymore
Kimberly JaJuan
Bradley Lewis
Opalanitet
BRADLEY LEWIS (Walks in Two Worlds) is thrilled to be a part of Ajijaak on Turtle Island! A proud member of the Acoma Pueblo, he’s honored to be a part of telling a very important Native story that resonates with people of all ages. Recent projects- Off-Broadway: Soledad, Audrey: A New Musical as Gregory Peck. IFC Films’ Resurrection opposite Rebecca Hall/Tim Roth and Flying Birds Diary at Long Wharf Theatre (dir. Madeline Sayet). Special thanks to the people of Acoma, NM, director Jen/associate director Daniel, Heather Henson & Green Feather Foundation, Mungioli Casting, and his partner Danny. Dá’wá’éh! Website: bradleylewisactor.com
EMILY PREIS (Deer / She Has Corn / Dance Captain) is a proud citizen of the Osage Nation as well as a New York City-based maker, performer, and organizer. Since receiving her BFA from NYU Tisch’s Experimental Theatre Wing, she has been named a finalist for Yale Indigenous Performing Arts Program’s inaugural Misty Upham Award for Young Native Actors. Select credits include: COMPASS (RipeTime), Where We Belong (National Tour), Fairly Traceable (American Bar Association), Bingo Hall (AICH), Michael Crowe Presents: The Dick Cavett Show (ETW), When Farah Cries (Borderlight International Theater Festival).
EMMELINE BRIGGS (Swing) is a Lakota actor based in North Carolina. She is passionate about creating art that accurately reflects the truth of indigenous people past, present, and future. Favorite credits include: Natasha in Three Sisters, Cherokee Tales with Bright Star Touring Theatre, and Manteo’s Wife in The Lost Colony.
KIMBERLY JAJUAN (Grandmother Aki) proudly representing the Haliwa-Saponi Nation! Graduate for Eastman School (BM), Juilliard (MM). Performed her show playing Natalie Cole: Miss You like Crazy. Broadway, Off-Broadway, National Tours: Ragtime, Dreamgirls, Marie Christine, King David, Running Man, Smokey Joe’s Cafe and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Music of the Night. Cast Recordings: King David, Marie Christine, Great Joy I (Grammy Nominated), Great Joy II. Investor/Producer with Hadestown, Ain’t too Proud, and MJ, the Musical. MFA Drama Department Teaching Artist-Columbia University. Member: SAG-AFTRA, AEA, CAEA.
MATT CROSS (Coyote/Turtle) is a Kiowa actor originally from Oklahoma City that has appeared onstage in theatres such as La Mama, and Theater For The New City. Matt Cross is also a member of the Thunderbird American Indian Dancers.
OPALANIETET (Swing) is the Founder and Artistic Director of Eagle Project, The Eagle Project - Home. Upon graduating from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, Opalanietet has performed in workshops and productions at such renown New York theatrical institutions as the Public Theater, Nuyorican Poets Café, and New York City Opera at Lincoln Center. In November of 2020, Opalanietet made history by giving the first-ever Lenape Land Acknowledgement at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on NBC.
SHELDON RAYMORE (Brings Humble) is a Multi-disciplinary artist, an award-winning Grass Dancer, and an enrolled member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. He currently resides in Hardin, Montana. The Lakota Artist has been inspiring young traditional Native American dancers for more than 25 years, making him one of the most sought-after grass dancers in New York City. Ever the consummate keeper of tradition, he continues to cultivate his artistry, with the upmost integrity, humility, and authenticity, letting the love for his culture shine through in all that he does.
VICKI OCEGUERA (Ajijaak) is a New York based actor, singer and puppeteer. She is a proud member of the Qawalangin Tribe and is ecstatic to work on such a beautiful, important piece. Selected credits include: National Tour: Clifford the Big Red Dog; Jim Henson’s Dinosaur Train Live! (Director: John Tartaglia). OffBroadway: Disney’s Winnie the Pooh Show; The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show; Treasure Island. Regional: Elf (Emily Hobbs); Grease (Jan); James and the Giant Peach (Aunt Sponge). www.vicki-oceguera.com
DANIEL LEEMAN SMITH (Associate Director) (Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma) is a director and playwright. Recent credits: Where We Belong (The Public Theater), Flying Bird’s Diary (Long Wharf Theatre), Poyvfekcv and Built On Bones (Yale’s New Native Play Festival), and Perhaps the World Ends Here (Local Classic Repertory). Associate Member SDC, Member DGA.
DOUG OBERHAMER (Music Director) Music Directing credits include: Top of the World, The James Cagney Musical, Swing!, Hamlet the Rock Musical, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Saturday Night Fever, We Will Rock You, Rocky, Crazy For You, The Man of La Mancha, Errol and Fidel, Frankenstein, Nunsense, What Do Critics Know?, Dracula, Reel to Real, My Vaudeville Man, Wanda’s World, Flight of the Lawnchair Man, I Got Fired, Women on the Verge, Seeing Stars, Rings, and Gemini. Best Orchestration Bistro Award winner for Little Death, Best Orchestration winner for Errol and Fidel at the New York Musical Festival and nominated for a Jeff Award for his work on Swing! in Chicago. Featured on the Grammy nominated album
Swing! Smooth Jazz recording artist - Founding member and featured artist with KnightHammer: Kickin’ It and The Oberhamer Brothers: Together Again. His music can be heard on radio stations around the world. Love to his wife Christine and daughters Scarlett and Natalie for their love and support.
JEN OLIVARES (Director) is a director, actor, dancer/choreographer and commissioned playwright with Celebration Theater in Los Angeles. Jen is a member of the Acjachemen Nation, a Southern California tribe who’s unceded land is also known as Orange County, CA. Favorite Directing/Choreography Credits: The Thanksgiving Play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Winter’s Tale, SHIFT Dance Company (NYC). Favorite acting credits: Off-Broadway: The Pirate La Dee Da (Atlantic Theatre Company) Regional: Between Two Knees, Manahatta (Yale Repertory Theatre), Oklahoma!, The Way The Mountain Moved, Off The Rails (Oregon Shakespeare Festival) National Tours: Rock of Ages Television: Bull (CBS), The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon Prime Video). @jenolivares_ www.jenolivares.com
TY DEFOE (Giizhig) (Original Director), is from the Oneida and Ojibwe Nations. He is a Grammy awardwinning composer, a librettist, interdisciplinary artist, actor, Broadway choreographer, eagle dancer, and hoop dancer. Ty interweaves artistic projects with social justice, indigeneity, trans rights, Indigi-Queering, and environmentalism. Awards, residencies, and fellowships: 2022 The Kennedy Center’s Next 50, 2021 Helen Merrill Award-winner, TransLab Fellow, Robert Rauschenberg Artist in Residence, Jonathan Larson Award, Cordillera International Film Festival Finalist, 2021 Cultural Capital Fellow, Eugene O’Neill Theater Center finalist, and the ASCAP Musical Theater Workshop. Ty’s songs have been featured at: Lincoln Center, Joe’s Pub, Ars Nova, 54 Below, The Met, and The Kennedy Center. Ty’s theatrical work has been presented at: Guthrie Theater, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Yale Institute of Musical Theater, La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club, Native Voices at the Autry, The New Victory Theater, First Stage, The Millennium celebration in Cairo, Egypt; International Music Festival in Ankara, Turkey; and Festival of World Cultures in Dubai, and coming soon: Syracuse Stage. Works: TransWorld, Red Pine, The Way They Lived, Ajijaak on Turtle Island, Hear Me Say My Name, Hart Island Requiem, Clouds are Pillows for the Moon, Wind Changes Direction, Before the Land Eroded, BasketBall Is ‘War, Minus the Shooting’ In Sectarian Lebanon, River of Stone, Firebird Tattoo, Trial and Tears (with Dawn Avery), and The Lesson (with Nolan Doran and Avi Amon). Ty is a core member of All My Relations Collective, recent piece: GIZHIBAA GIIZHIG | Revolving Sky
BECKY CARLEN ABRAMOWITZ (Assistant Stage Manager) is a NYC-based storyteller. Broadway: CHICAGO, Waitress. Off-Broadway highlights: Emojiland, Theatre Row, Drunk Shakespeare, Trainspotting Live, HERE Arts Center, TFANA, Soho Rep, Sleep No More. Regional: Tuacahn, Shakespeare Theatre of NJ, Barrington Stage, Berkshire Theatre Group, Endstation Theatre. Co-Founder of Invoke Director’s Lab. B.A. Theatre, FSU.
LILA MULLINS (Stage Manager) is honored to join the beautiful North American touring production of Ajijaak on Turtle Island. Selected theater credits include: Aladdin, The Book of Mormon, the first national tour of Hamilton, and the San Francisco Bay Area tour of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) with the African-American Shakespeare Company. Education: Master’s Degree, Columbia University. Many thanks to the Ajijaak team for inviting me on this journey. Much love to Mimi and Alex.
CHRISTOPHER & JUSTIN SWADER (Scenic Designers): Previous designs with: Dallas Theater Center, Two River Theatre, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Everyman Theatre, Miami New Drama, Resident Ensemble Players, Tectonic Theater Project, Dorset Theatre Festival, The New Victory Theater, Classical Theatre of Harlem, Lincoln Center Education, Trusty Sidekick, A$AP Rocky, Sotheby’s, Big Apple Circus, National Geographic. www.cjswaderdesign.com
DAWN AVERY (music and lyrics) Grammy and NAMA nominated, Avery has worked with musical luminaries from Pavarotti to Sting, Cage to Nakai; composing for Indigenous films (Smithsonian’s NMAI, Rich/Heape); touring with her own multimedia projects including 50 Shades of Red and mentoring future generations in the Native Composer’s Project. Avery holds a PhD in ethnomusicology (Indigenous theory, Native Classical music). Of Mohawk descent, her longhouse name is Ieriho:kwats and she wears the turtle clan. Some of the music from this performance may be heard on the Global Award-Winning CD, Crane on Earth, in Sky: A Journey, available for sale.
EMMA WILK (Sound Design) is a New York based sound designer and collaborator. Her designs have been heard at numerous New York theaters, including The Public, New World Stages, La MaMa, 59E59, and HERE. Some of her favorite designs were A Clockwork Orange, Bright Half Life, Machinal, The King Stag, The Crucible, andGorey: The Secret Lives of Edward Gorey. She has worked regionally in Connecticut, New Jersey, Upstate NY and Idaho. Associate/Assistant Designer highlights include, on Broadway: Long Day’s Journey Into Night, Heisenberg,and The Lyons, and Off-Broadway: Hamlet, Pass Over, What’s It All
About, and Fun Home. She is a graduate of Vassar College. Emmamwilk.com.
KATHERINE FREER (Projection Design) is a multimedia designer working in theater, installation, and film. Frequent collaborators include Liz Lerman, Ping Chong, Ty Defoe, Tim Bond, Kamilah Forbes, Talvin Wilks, and Tamilla Woodard. Recent designs include: Peculiar Patriot (ArtsEmerson, dir. Talvin Wilks), Antigone (Richard Rodgers Amphitheater, dir. Carl Cofield), Cellular Songs (BAM Harvey, created by Meredith Monk), Undesirable Elements: Generation NYZ (The Duke on 42nd Street, dir. Sara Zatz and Kirya Traber), The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time (Syracuse Stage and Indiana Repertory Theater, dir. Risa Brainin). Katherine is a proud member of United Scenic Artists Local USA 829 and Wingspace Theatrical Design.
KEVIN TARRANT (music) was Hųųczii Zi, Bear Clan of the Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin and Taal’wip’hoya, Sky Clan of the Hopi Tribe of Arizona. He was brought up in the traditional way and began singing at age 9. A singer, arts manager, and community activist, he was a leader in the Native American community of New York City, serving as Board Chairman and Executive Director of the American Indian Community House. He was a founder and head singer of The SilverCloud Singers, an internationally known Native drum group. They are featured on the album Music for the Native Americans with Robbie Robertson and the Red Road Ensemble and performed at The Theater at Madison Square Garden, The Ritz, Roseland, La MaMa, Lincoln Center, The Public Theater and The Apollo Theater. SilverCloud also traveled to Brazil where they took part in the international percussion festival PERCPAN VI. As a solo performer, he performed with acapella First Nations group, Ulali, composer David Amram, choreographer Savion Glover, and Award-winning percussionist, Alessandra Belloni, and for the off-Broadway productions of Winterman and New York Theatre Workshop’s The Rez Sisters.In 2016, he founded, along with playwright and director, Murielle Borst-Tarrant, Safe Harbors NYC, an arts initiative that focuses on the development and production of Native Indigenous Theater and Performing Arts in New York City. Most recently he was the musical director and performed in the Safe Harbors production of Don’t Feed the Indians - A Divine Comedy Pageant! at La MaMa. In 2019,
LARRY MITCHELL (co-composer) is a Grammy award-winning producer, engineer and performer who has toured the world playing guitar with well-known artists including Tracy Chapman, Billy Squier, Ric Ocasek, and Miguel Bosé. In his original compositions, Larry skillfully weaves guitar textures that showcase his virtuosity as a solo artist and ensemble player. As an artist, he has released 8 solo records and won a San Diego Music Award for best pop jazz artist. Larry is currently touring promoting his 2016 release “The Traveler.” As a producer-engineer, Larry has won 26 New Mexico Music Awards in various categories from pop, adult contemporary, rap, rock, country, World music, and Native American. He won a Grammy Award for producing, engineering, and performing on “Totemic Flute Chants” by Native American artist Johnny Whitehorse, who is better known as Robert Mirabal of Taos Pueblo. Larry is currently touring with his own trio as well as solo shows in support of “The Traveler.”
LUX HAAC (Costume Designer) is a New York based costume designer working in theatre, film, opera, and dance. Recent work includes: Well-Intentioned White People (Barrington Stage); R&J (Hypokrit Theatre Company); The Review (WP Theater); Fall River (Penguin Rep Theatre); and ¡Figaro! 90210 (The Duke at 42nd Street). Lux has also worked with: The Amoralists, Amerinda, The Garden Theatre, Amphibian Stage Productions, The New School, Rochester University, Juilliard School of Drama, New York University, The Director’s Company, and Rhymes with Opera, among others. Upcoming: Native Gardens (Syracuse Stage/Geva Theatre/Portland Center Stage), and Between Two Knees (Oregon Shakespeare Festival). MFA: NYU/Tisch. www.luxhaac.com
MARIKA KENT (Lighting Designer) (she/her) is a Brooklyn based lighting designer. Recent/upcoming design: Amani (National Black Theater), Bernarda’s Daughters (The New Group / NBT), Ulysses; Seagull (Elevator Repair Service), Catch as Catch Can (Playwrights Horizons), Measure for Measure (Shakespeare & Company), Choir Boy; Gem of the Ocean; School Girls, or the African Mean Girls Play (Portland Center Stage), Get Your Ass in the Water and Swim Like Me (The Wooster Group), Generation Rise; Generation NYZ (Ping Chong + Co, The New Victory), Jazz Singer (Abrons Arts Center), Chimpanzee; Fly Away (Nick Lehane). Marika teaches design at Playwrights Horizons Theater School and is a member of USA Local 829. www.marikakent.com
GREEN FEATHER FOUNDATION is a newly-formed non-profit umbrella for the works previously done by IBEX Puppetry, Handmade Puppet Dreams, and Puppet Slam Network as well as to further support the philanthropic works of Heather Henson. Originally founded by Henson as IBEX Puppetry in 2000, Green Feather is an arts and education organization promoting health and healing of the planet through artistic spectacle, puppetry, and the reconnection of individuals with the land through immersive cultural, environmental and arts education. Learn more at www.greenfeather.org.
HEATHER HENSON is a second-generation puppet artist whose work promotes healing for the planet. After studying at the Rhode Island School of Design and the California Institute of the Arts, Henson has focused her efforts on supporting other independent puppet artists, producing her own award-winning environmental spectacles, and bringing people and nature into reciprocal harmony through hands-on educational experiences. By supporting Indigenous knowledge keepers who are reviving traditional practices, Henson strives to support a sustainable and healthy world for generations to come. Henson sits on the Board of Directors for The Jim Henson Company, is President of the Jane Henson Foundation and a trustee of the Jim Henson Legacy. She is also Board Member Emeritus of the International Crane Foundation and the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center.
BRENNA ROSS is a Brooklyn-based Producer and General Manager with Green Feather Foundation. Her goal is to create more just, equitable, sustainable, and joyous spaces for audiences and artists alike by facilitating wondrous arts experiences and utilizing creative approaches to traditional management practices. She’s previously worked with The 24 Hour Plays, The Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, and SPACE on Ryder Farm. A proud Midwesterner, Brenna holds degrees in Physics and Theater from Grinnell College and a certificate in Arts & Culture Strategy from University of Pennsylvania.
BRIERPATCH PRODUCTIONS (General Management): Representative productions: Dan Howell: We’re All Doomed Tour; Cagney the Musical; for Rockefeller Productions (New York/Touring): Sesame Street the Musical, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Winnie The Pooh, Paddington Saves Christmas; Harry Townsend’s Last Stand (with Len Cariou/Craig Bierko); The Other Josh Cohen; The Stone Witch (with Dan Lauria); Dan and Phil: Interactive Introverts 2018 Tour; Fuerza Bruta (New York/Las Vegas); Cagney the Musical (NY/London); Party Face (with Hayley Mills); Spamilton (New York/National Tour); Church & State; Forbidden Broadway – The Next Generation; One Funny Mother; Dan and Phil: The Amazing Tour Is Not On Fire; Phoenix; Handle With Care; Grounded; The Two-Character Play (with Amanda Plummer, Brad Dourif); Triassic Parq; Wallenberg; Frog Kiss; Seventh Monarch; Alita -The Immersive Experience; and the ASDS Repertory Season (2011–current).
KEITH SHERMAN & ASSOCIATES (Press Representative) is the communications firm for a diverse range of entertainment, arts, lifestyles and international brands. KSA has represented hundreds of Broadway, Off Broadway and touring productions, films, television broadcasts, music projects and major events globally. The firm represented The New York Times for a decade and the Tony Awards for 18 years. Ksa-pr.com
STEWERT PRODUCTIONS (Production Manager). Recent: Titanique, Hyprov, Between the Lines, What the Constitution Means to Me (Broadway and National Tour), Tinsel, Is There Still Sex in the City?, The King’s Speech, Torch Song, Lobby Hero and Straight White Men. Upcoming: The Apology, Between the Lines, Titanique. Founded by Bethany Stewert. The Ajijak on Turtle Island team is Bethany Stewert, Brad Sievers, and Hannah Osborne. www.stewertproductions.com
TECUMSEH CEASER (Education Outreach) is an Indigenous artist and cultural consultant. He is of Matinecock Turkey clan, Montaukett, and Unkechaug descent. He works in the traditional practice of Wampum carving. He frequently collaborates with organizations to bring cultural programming to local tribes and their communities. Tecumseh currently serves as an advisor for the Global Indigenous Youth Caucus at the United Nations and is the Educational Program Coordinator for Niamuck Land Trust. Visit www.nativetec.biz.
Think Big Picture, LLC is a full-service, strategic partner for creative entities: offering digital advertising & marketing, project management, graphic design, strategic planning & business development. TBP uses a global network and extensive research to reach realistic goals and enhance authentic engagement. Using innovative techniques in mixed media design and guerrilla marketing strategies, Think Big Picture is committed to serving clients in a unique, collaborative way.
