TheatreAddict.com - Bakersfield Drama Blog

Calm down, it's not here in Bakersfield (like we need another theatre company competing for audience).

I got an email today from Roy who wants to start a theatre company in the Cherokee Nation. Obviously this is a really cool idea with a lot of opportunity for the Cherokee express themselves culturally and artistically. You can be a part of history in the making, offer your advice to them on founding a theatre company.

Just email me at aaron@theatreaddict.com and I will forward your comments to Roy, or you can contact him yourself here on myspace.

Here's Roy's request...read it and let me know what you think!

_________________________________________________________

I am in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, the capital city of the Cherokee Nation. It is a small college town of about 13,000. It's an hour from Tulsa, OK and an hour from Fayettville, AR, in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains. The Cherokee Nation has a citizenship population of about 260,000 individuals. About 60,000 of them live in the jurisdictional area of the C.N. (14 counties of what is also northeastern Oklahoma). I think if I can get a theatre company started the government will be supportive. A Cherokee National Theatre Company would be incredible. I can envision it working as another opportunity to inspire our youth and others to learn, use and preserve the Cherokee language, stories, arts, culture, etc., etc.

I see the Cherokee National Theatre Company as another foundation block to add to Cherokee cultural arts educational opportunities which already include the Cherokee National Youth Choir, the International Cherokee Film Festival Educational Works Shops and Filmmaking Boot camps for Cherokee Youth, The Cherokee Artists Association, and Cherokee National Historical Society, Inc.

Funding is always going to be a major consideration... therefore, because this definitely fits under "educational" opportunities, there are many different funding resources that may perhaps be tapped to help establish it as well as keep it going in the future.

We certainly have a good number of very talented Cherokee citizens who would have something to contribute to the endeavor. The national theatre would be a vital educational, artistic technical and inspirational outlet for Cherokee actors, actresses, story tellers, musicians, dancers, writers, directors, technical people, etc.

Like any great endeavor it will require a major effort and incredible dedication on the part of those who want to see it happen... I believe there are those with this kind of dedication that I can find to help make this a reality.

But without people like you, I don't think I can do it. I'm aware I need the advise and support of others already in the business. And, I greatly appreciate your participation in any way. - Roy

posted by TheatreAddict.com  # 3:28 PM