≈ 85 minutes · No intermission
Last updated: May 20, 2023
I'm excited to welcome you to the closing show of our 2022-23 Indigenous Theatre season, Little Red Warrior and His Lawyer!
There's a clear message in this play—land back. Indigenous sovereignty trumps all. Ottawa is unceded Algonquin territory. It was never lost in war or treatied away; we pretend that Canada can do as it does. But, when you reach the bottom of it, it's occupied territory on Indigenous land.I hope people will be a little bit scandalized by the show, find it funny and get a kick out of it. I hope people think about things differently.
We're so thrilled to have you here with us and look forward to seeing you next season.
Enjoy the show!
When I met Kevin as a recent graduate over 20 years ago, we immediately connected over the stories we wanted to tell. Stories that centred our culture and highlighted the strength, resilience and humour we experienced in our communities every day. The fact that Little Red Warrior and His Lawyer is as relevant and as funny now as it was 20 years ago is a testament to Kevin's brilliance and deep understanding of issues that have been with our people for generations.
As a proud Nlaka’pamux from the Lytton First Nation, Kevin Loring is deeply committed to using his artistry to tell the stories of Indigenous peoples and bring attention to pressing issues. His contributions to the arts and his community are widely recognized and celebrated.
He is a highly accomplished playwright, actor, and director, currently serving as the Artistic Director of Indigenous Theatre at the National Arts Centre. Through his art, he provides a powerful voice for Indigenous culture and history, working to promote awareness, understanding, and appreciation.
More than 20 years ago, Loring conceived the idea for Little Red Warrior and His Lawyer during his theatre studies in Vancouver. As he delved into classic European farces, including those by renowned French playwright Molière, he was reminded of the traditional creation stories of his Salish-speaking Indigenous culture; stories that originate from the interior of what is now British Columbia.
In this Trickster Fable, we are taken through the play from the storyteller's perspective: the Coyote. As Kevin explains, “In Trickster stories, nobody gets away unscathed.”
Touching on weighty topics such as land usage, sovereignty, colonialism, and the historical exclusion of First Nations from having rights to their land, Little Red Warrior and His Lawyer challenges—in a very satirical form—experiences and realities about Canada, our relationship with First Nations people and First Nations people's relationship with the Crown, all while poking fun at everything and everyone.
Kevin Loring (Nlaka’pamux, Lytton First Nation) is a Canadian playwright, actor, and director, currently serving as the first Artistic Director of Indigenous Theatre at the National Arts Centre. He has received numerous accolades, including the Governor General’s Award for English-language drama and the Jessie Richardson Award for Outstanding Original Script for Where the Blood Mixes (2009), which also received a nomination for the Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding New Play. His 2019 work, Thanks for Giving, was shortlisted for the Governor General’s Award for Drama.
Loring began his studies at Cariboo College (now Thompson Rivers University) and completed his theatre education at Studio 58, Langara College. He was recognized as a distinguished alumnus by Thompson Rivers University in 2015 and later awarded an honorary doctorate in 2024. In 2017, he received the REVEAL Indigenous Arts Award from the Hnatyshyn Foundation, and in 2021, he was recognized with an honorary doctorate from the University of Ottawa.
As an actor, Loring’s stage credits include Saint Carmen of the Main, The Ecstasy of Rita Joe, and an all-Indigenous production of King Lear at the National Arts Centre in 2012. He has appeared in film and television series, including Arctic Air, Health Nutz, Pathfinder and Bones of Crows. His writing credits feature Little Red Warrior and His Lawyer, Battle of the Birds, and The Boy Who Was Abandoned. In 2023, he collaborated with true-crime author Peter Edwards on Lytton: Climate Change, Colonialism and Life Before the Fire, reflecting on the community’s history and its significance to the Nlaka’pamux people after the devastating wildfire in 2021.
Loring has served as co-curator of the Talking Stick Festival, Artist in Residence at the Vancouver Playhouse Theatre, and current Artistic Director of Savage Society in Vancouver.
Originally from Ottawa, of mixed settler and Anishinabe decent. A member of the sketch troupe Tonto's Nephews, former Artistic Associate at Native Earth Performing Arts. Toured Darrell Dennis’ Tales of an Urban Indian across Canada and Australia.
Theatre credits: The Darkest Dark (Y.P.T), Detroit (The Coal Mine), Where the Blood Mixes (Soulpepper), Midsummer Night’s Dream (Stratford), The Drawer Boy (Theatre Passe Muraille), Thunderstick (Persephone Theatre), King Lear (N.A.C), Trudeau & Levesque (VideoCaberet)
Television credits: Trickster, Murdoch Mysteries, The Guilt Free Zone, Fool Canada, Air Farce, The Ron James Show, Beyblade and Beyblade: The Movie.
Nick Miami Benz, Shapeshifter, Storyteller, Self. Nick is a Leo-nominated performance artist trained in dances from the Afro, Latinx and Indigenous diasporas, focusing on the embodiment of animal movements. While studying dance in New York City, they worked as an equestrian for The Metropolitan Opera, which inspired them to return to theatre as an actor and singer. Nick’s acting training is founded on the Meisner technique and voice work through the Lovetri method. Their theatre credits include God’s Lake, Little Red Warrior, Blackhorse and working with Atomic Vaudeville, Mascall Dance, Netflix and John Fluevog. In addition, Nick Miami Benz shares their expertise in movement through holistic exercise coaching in Vancouver.
Luisa is filled with joy to be part of the team bringing the story of Little Red Warrior and His Lawyer to the stage. She was born to immigrant parents on the unceded territory of the Coast Salish Peoples, including the xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səlíl̓wətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, where she still lives. She is a performer, teaching artist and coach who loves cooking, eating, laughing and dancing. For performance credits and more detailed biography, please visit luisajojic.com. Enjoy the show!
Kevin had the pleasure of seeing the original production of Little Red Warrior and His Lawyer some years ago at Studio 58 in Vancouver and being in the first professional production last year at the Belfry in Victoria. Most recently, he was on stage in The Father (The Search Party) (Jessie Award - Best Actor), Stupid Fucking Bird (The Search Party), and at the NAC with Little Red Warrior and His Lawyer. His recent film credits include Yellowjackets and Schmigadoon. In 1965, Kevin was part of St. Anthony’s Boys Choir in Calgary and remembered his first ‘studio session’ recording a jingle for the Hudson’s Bay Company’s 295th birthday. In the 1990s, he shot various projects in Calgary for film and TV, including North of 60 and A Good Day To Die, working with Sidney Poitier.
After disappointing his family by not going into medicine, Shekhar has played doctors in many Films & TV shows, most recently as Dr. Hook in season 3 of Superman & Lois. As well he’s worked in theatres across Canada, including Bard on the Beach, CanStage, Arts Club, Manitoba Theatre Centre, Belfry, Globe, Vancouver Playhouse, and ATP. Shekhar is also an author and playwright—his novel, An Extraordinary Destiny, was published in 2017 by Brindle & Glass; he’s had two children’s books published by Annick Press; and VACT recently produced a workshop of Shekhar’s new play about cancel culture and historic statues Gandhi & Churchill’s Excellent Adventure!
Head Carpenter
Charles Martin
Head Prop
Michel Sanscartier
Head LX
Eric Tessier
Head Audio
Doug Millar
Flies
Alex Griffore
Projection
Dave Milliard
Head Wardrobe
Linda Dufresne
Wigs
Normand Couvrette
Projectionists, Wardrobe Mistresses, Masters and Attendants are members of International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 471.
NAC Indigenous Theatre is a member of the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres and engages professional Artists who are members of Canadian Actors' Equity Association under the terms of the jointly negotiated Canadian Theatre Agreement.
Artistic Director
Kevin Loring
Managing Director
Lori Marchand
Producer
Samantha MacDonald
Associate Producer
Sage Nokomis Wright
Indigenous Cultural Resident
Mairi Brascoupé
Education Coordinator
Kerry Corbiere
Technical Director
Spike Lyne
Communications Strategist
Ian Hobson
Marketing Strategist
Jenna Spagnoli
Senior Marketing Manager
Bridget Mooney
Associate Producer #ReconcileThis
Paula Chinkiwsky
International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees