Genre: Community Event

SYNOPSIS

Darrell Waters, a brash young attorney, returns to his childhood home in Montana to broker a deal between a large energy company and the Blackfeet Nation. In the process, he is forced to confront his reclusive father about their painful past. Through a childhood sweetheart, Dorothy Dark Eyes, he rediscovers his identity and feels his perspective shift: his clever business deal will destroy her language school, further erode Blackfeet culture and taint their land. Darrell must grapple with the paradigm of being Native American in America.

HISTORY

DISTANT THUNDER was first developed by Native Voices at The Autry in Los Angeles in 2012, then received a lab development in 2013, a reading in 2015, and a fully staged reading in 2018 with Amas Musical Theatre. Artistic Producer, Donna Trinkoff, continues to support and inspire “Distant Thunder.” Oregon Shakespeare Festival presented a concert reading in 2017. The show has garnered grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Coalition of Theatres of Color in New York City. “Distant Thunder” is set for a developmental production at Lyric Theater of Oklahoma City in 2022 with Michael Baron, artistic director.

 

CREATIVE TEAM

SHAUN TAYLOR-CORBETT I’Pyooksisstsiiko’om: (Book, Music, Lyrics) – is proud to be a mixed-race artist of Amskapi Pikunni (Blackfeet), Scandinavian, and Black heritage as well as being a member of the Kaa Nux Im mii Taaks (Blackfoot Crazy Dog Society). As writers, Shaun and Chris Wiseman have collaborated and written songs for European and American television for the last 10 years. Shaun also collaborated with Daniel Jones from Savage Garden on a concept demo in Australia while filming Hi-5, a hit musical show for children airing on Discovery Kids. In LA, Shaun worked closely with Native Voices at the Autry as an ensemble member – acting, directing, writing, and collaborating to create new works by Indigenous artists for the stage, including Off the Rails and Distant Thunder. He was an acting company member of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival from 2017-2019, where he continued the development of the stage version of Distant Thunder. In 2014 he was honored as an artist of distinction by the Association of American Indian Affairs for his work on Jersey Boys and Distant Thunder.

Shaun was in the original production of In the Heights (Sonny) on Broadway and played Usnavi and Sonny on the First National Tour. He played Frankie Valli in the 2nd National Tour of Jersey Boys, Juan in Altar Boyz both on Broadway and Off-Broadway. He performed in Bedlam Theatre Company’s acclaimed production of The Crucible, as well as playing the role of Slender/Duke of Burgundy/Bassanio in Bedlam: the Series.

His original Native American musical, Distant Thunder, received its first production in 2022 at Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma in Oklahoma City. The show is based on Shaun’s deep connection with the Blackfeet community in Browning, MT. Shaun co-narrated “There There” by Tommy Orange, which was nominated for an Audie Award in 2019, and recently narrated “The Only Good Indians” by Stephen Graham Jones. TV/Film: Hi-5, Discovery Kids, Supremacy, Gamer’s Guide, All My Children. You can currently hear Shaun as the voice of Coyote in Netflix’ new animated series Spirit Rangers.

LYNNE TAYLOR-CORBETT (Book) was nominated for two Tony Awards and Drama Desk Award for her direction and choreography of Broadway’s Swing! Off-Broadway, she directed and choreographed Wanda’s World for which she won the Callaway Award and was nominated for a Lucille Lortel Award. Her production of My Vaudeville Man garnered a Drama Desk Award nomination. Cougar the Musical, for which she was director and contributing writer, ran for almost two years and is licensed worldwide. Her adaptation of The Lion King is in its tenth year at Disney Hong Kong. Plays include KICK! (Off- Broadway) and In the Car With Blossom And Len (Queens Theatre). She also co-wrote and directed Out of the Shadows, a benefit for The National Women’s History Museum, starring Meryl Streep.

Ms. Taylor-Corbett’s film choreography can be seen in the classic Footloose, My Blue Heaven and Bewitched among others. She directed Real to Reel a film/live action event presented at the Edinburgh Festival and collaborated with special effects genius, Doug Trumbull, on a dance film commissioned by Sumitomo in Japan.

Ms. Taylor-Corbett has choreographed for numerous dance companies including American Ballet Theatre, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre and New York City Ballet, most notably Seven Deadly Sins starring Patti LuPone. Her work has been filmed for Live from Lincoln Center and Great Performances. In keeping with her diverse artistic life, she wrote and directed Hibari based on the great Japanese icon, Hibari Misora, in 2015 and directed Part of the Plan, a musical with score by American icon Dan Fogelberg, in Nashville in 2016.

Her greatest joy, however, has been writing Distant Thunder with Shaun Taylor-Corbett. Having grown up among tribes in Denver, Colorado, it has been a lifelong dream to tell the story of contemporary life on the reservation and to portray characters that really exist. Ms. Taylor-Corbett serves on the Council of Advisors for the Association on American Indian Affairs.

Annual Veteran’s Day event that celebrates and showcases the writings of veterans, and their family members and caregivers. Partners include Music for Everyone, and The Lebanon VA Medical Center. This year’s show features poems, songs and stories that will entertain, inform, and educate the general public regarding the issues the writers experience when they return to civilian life. Thanks to virtual platforms, participants will join us from across Pennsylvania and as far away as California.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, the screening of SILENT WAR has been canceled. Thank you for your understanding.

 

Asian Americans endure some of the highest rates of mental distress, and yet, are also among the least likely to seek help for it. The stigma surrounding mental illness within the community, in conjunction with the discrimination and racial-profiling faced outside of it, are all part of what makes mental health an intersectional – and pressing – issue for Asian Americans. Silent War features multiple members of this community highlighting the unique challenges they face as Asian Americans and the unspoken toll it takes on all. Directed by Dr. Changfu Chang Running Time: 1 hour, 25 minutes. Followed by Post-Show Q & A with Filmmaker

This panel is an ancillary event

 

FREE Shuttle from campus! Display your valid MU I.D and grab a seat headed to downtown Lancaster for the show! TWO departures from the SMC at 5:30 & 6:15 P.M. returning to campus from the Ware Center at 9:15 & 10 P.M. Learn more: https://artsmu.com/free-tickets-transportation/

Annual Veteran’s Day event that celebrates and showcases the writings of veterans, and their family members and caregivers. Partners include Music for Everyone, and The Lebanon VA Medical Center.