Wednesday, November 26, 2025
7:30 PM | Aki Studio
mi historia que no es única by Jessica Esmeralda Zepeda
How Bono Saved my Life (Three Times) by Sonya Ballantyne
Northern Indigenous Play Readings presented by Gwaandak Theatre
Featuring:
Constellation by Tyra Ashauntie
Presentation
mi historia que no es única
by Jessica Esmeralda Zepeda
A contemporary North/Central American folk horror that blends experimental saxophone loops, and recorded testimonials. The story centres on an entity that is haunted by her parent’s undocumented journey from El Salvador to El Norte. mi historia que no es única is a devised ritual of reflection on more than forty years of micro tragedies overtaken by the macro urgency of a civil conflict: a practice of embodying our history, with mourning and without shame, to embark towards a brave future.
Concept, Dramaturg, Projection Design, Costume, Props, Written, Translation and Performance by Jessica Esmeralda Zepeda
Mentor, Assistant Dramaturg, and Outside Eye by Violeta Luna
Voice-over and Testimonials by Delbert Eduardo Zepeda
Sound Design, Assistant Projection Design, and Props by Driftnote
Lighting Design by Javier Lozano
Stage Manager May Nemat Allah
Surtitles Operator Lilibeth Rivas
Made possible with support from Kaha:wi Dance Theatre, Santee Smith, Aluna Theatre, Native Earth Performing Arts and the Ontario Arts Council
Run Time: 30 minutes
Content Warning: Coarse language, flashing lights focused at the audience, prenatal death, discussions and depictions of war. There is audience participation that includes loud, aggressive yelling upclose to the audience. If you are uncomfortable with this level of participation, we recommend that you sit in the back of the audience.
Other Showing: November 28
Jessica Esmeralda Zepeda, Creator
Jessica is an interdisciplinary performance artist from Tkaronto (Treaty 13) with roots from Kuskatan, post-colonial El Salvador. They are a part of Native Earth's Animikiig Creators Unit 2024/25 season, a Buddies in Bad Times 2024/2025 Queer Emerging Artist Recipient and in 2025 had their contemporary dance debut in Toronto, performing in Xilopango by Irma Villafuerte, Co-presented by DanceWorks and SummerWorks. Throughout 2024 and 2025, Jessica has been developing their solo, mi historia que no es única, a Contemporary North/Central American folk horror that blends experimental jazz, recorded testimonials, and embodied grief. The piece centres an entity that is haunted by her parent’s undocumented journey from El Salvador to El Norte. mi historia que no es única has been apart of The Weesageechak Begins to Dance 37 Festival, The 46th Rhubarb Festival, and The 3rd Edition of the MxM Encuentro de Danza Contemporánea based in Tuxtla/Chiapas, Mexico.
Violeta Luna, Mentor
VIOLETA LUNA’s work engages the relationship between theatre, performance art and community-based practice. Luna uses her body as a territory to question and comment on social and political phenomena. Born in Mexico City, Luna holds a graduate degree in Acting from the Centro Universitario de Teatro (UNAM.) Luna performs and teaches extensively throughout the world. www.violetaluna.com.
Presentation
How Bono Saved my Life (Three Times)
by Sonya Ballantyne
Each time writer and supernerd Sonya Ballantyne sets her mind on ending her life, something at the last second would pull her back from the ledge. And it was usually something to do with the band U2. This oral story told by Sonya uses music as another character who is part of the story.
Creator/Performer: Sonya Ballantyne (Swampy Cree)
Mentor: olivia shortt
Voice Over Performer "Henry Rollins": Sam Benjamin
Dramaturgs: Ian Boothby & Frances Koncan
This project was funded with the support of the Manitoba Arts Council.
Run Time: 30 minutes
Content Warning: Mentions of suicide, rape, abuse, coarse language
Sonya Ballantyne, Creator
Sonya Ballantyne (she, they) is a Swampy Cree writer, filmmaker, and speaker based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Her work explores contemporary and futuristic portrayals of Indigenous women and girls. Her award-winning projects include the documentary Nosisim (2024 Barry Lank Award) and the graphic novel Little by Little (In The Margins, 2025 Top Ten Title). Sonya is also the author of the children’s book Kerri Berry Lynn, contributor to anthologies such as Pros and (Comic) Cons and Women Love Wrestling, and co-director of The Death Tour, which was screened at Cannes in 2023 with a world premiere at the Slamdance Film Festival in 2024.
Olivia Shortt, Mentor
Olivia Shortt works as a multi-disciplinary artist in music, theatre and video art. Shortt is an Anishinaabe off-reservation member of Nipissing First Nation and of Irish descent through their mother. They were named by the CBC as one of "6 Indigenous composers you need to know in 2024". Iconic moments include appearing and playing saxophone on CBC Kids' 'Gary the Unicorn', performing in Atom Egoyan’s 2019 film ‘Guest of Honour’ and lending their voice off-screen in Stephen King's film 'In the Tall Grass' and Season 3 of 'Chucky'. As a sound designer they have worked with Olivia C Davies (Ottawa), All My Relations Collective (NYC) and Ange Loft (Centaur Theatre - Montreal). They were Artist-in-Residence with the Jackman Humanities Institute, University of Toronto (2023-2024), Carlton University (2024), and is the inaugural 2025-26 Artist-in-Resident at the Indigenous Creation Studio, University of Toronto Mississauga. Shortt is a graduate of Dartmouth College. www.oliviashortt.com .
Presentation
Northern Indigenous Play Readings
by Gwaandak Theatre
Constellation by Tyra Ashauntie
Join the story of a group of four teenagers navigating life and their sense of self in a small Indigenous rural community. Winter comes back from the city for the summer and soon realizes she may not be as welcomed back as she hoped. She goes on to spend time with her group of best friends. Winter, Nunkra, Emma and Clem soon discover that things are not always as they appear the older they get as they butt heads doing their best to understand life. The four continue to march through the madness of their small town, growing up, dysfunctional families, and blossoming romances all while trying to stick closely together and to keep life the same as before. Will they stick close together as they have for years or will the pain of growing be too much for this friend group?
This play was developed as part of the National Queer & Trans Playwriting Unit.
Written by Tyra Ashauntie
Directed by Colin Wolf
Performers:
Keira Ash
Tyra Ashauntie
Roreigh Eftoda
Jason Symanski
Sydney Wolf
Run Time: 60 minutes
Content Warning: Homophobia, transphobia, domestic abuse, emotional abuse, financial abuse, homophobic slurs, hate speech, addiction, generational trauma, coarse language, recommended for audiences 13+
See Northern Indigenous Play Readings: Spirit of the Valley on November 23.
Founded in 1999, Gwaandak Theatre is the Yukon’s only Indigenous professional theatre company. One meaning of ‘Gwaandak’ in the Gwich’in language is ‘storyteller’. Our stories question, honour, and celebrate. They explore themes around decolonization, cultural identity, social justice, underrepresented voices, and human rights. Our vision is to illuminate Indigenous and northern voices.
We host the annual Awaken Festival each Spring and our programming includes workshops and other training opportunities for theatre artists and community members. We also tour existing and developing works to both tiny communities and major centres, and share new scripts each year with our Indigenous Summer Play Readings.
Tyra Ashauntie, Playwright
Tyra Ashauntie is from Pelly Crossing, Huchá Hudän, Selkirk First Nation. Tyra is an emerging playwright and interdisciplinary artist. Tyra loves their siblings, culture, language, painting, writing, friends and family. Tyra has worked with Gwaandak Theatre a number of times, having been part of Gwaandak’s Indigenous Summer Play. For ISPR 2024, one of the chosen scripts was ‘Constellation’ written by Tyra. They were the assistant manager for ThumbsUpGoodWork theatre and the Guild Halls co-production of ‘Coywolf’ by Colin Wolf. Tyra was one of five who were selected for Canadas’ first national Queer & Trans playwright unit with ZeeZee Theatre. Tyra loves exploring all forms of theatre and creating!
Projects that Tyra has partaken include:
Music, Arts & Drama Program - 2019, 2020
Indigenous summer play readings - Gwaandak Theatre - Actor - 2022-2025
Indigenous Summer Play Readings - Gwaandak Theatre - Director - 2024
The Crows - Gwaandak Theatre - Actor - 2023
Queer & Trans Playwright Unit - ZeeZee Theatre - 2022-2023
Colin Wolf, Director
Colin Wolf is a Métis performer, theatre maker, and activist from the North-East of Moh’kins’tsis (Calgary), AB on Treaty 7 Territory. Wolf graduated with a BFA in Dramatic Arts from the University of Lethbridge in 2014, and then spent 5 years making theatre all over the prairies with dear friends, trusted colleagues, and complicated colonial institutions. Wolf co-founded Thumbs Up Good Work Theatre Collective with his sister Caleigh Crow in 2013. After cutting his teeth in TYA, on regional stages, and in Indie theatre in the prairies Wolf felt the call of the North and moved to Whitehorse in October 2019 to serve as the Artistic Director at Gwaandak Theatre Society on the Territory of the Kwanlin Dün First Nation and Ta’an Kwäch’än Council. Wolf is looking forward to participating in his first Weesageechak Begins to Dance Festival, and first time at Native Earth Performing Arts.
Roreigh Eftoda, Performer
Roreigh Eftoda (she/her), Métis/Cree-Celtic born in Alberta Nistawâyâwis, is a credited actor, theatre maker and burlesque dancer. Roreigh got her start in theatre in 2004, when she moved to Nanaimo, B.C. Taking acting classes with Bailey Studio, she made props and performed with the Nanaimo Theatre Group. In the Yukon, Roreigh did properties at The Guild Hall. Later, she landed a background role on an episode of Northern Town produced by Tagish Lake Film Inc/CBC. Participated in Gwaandak Theatre’s Quick n’ Dirty Residency and Digital Cabaret in 2021 and 2022 as Roz Rouge. Then a feature role in Polaris produced by Little Dipper
Films Inc. In March of 2022, Roz Rouge performed her first live burlesque act.
Jay Symanski, Performer
Jason (Jay) Symanski is an actor/avid theatre enjoyer, originally from Winnipeg Manitoba, and has lived in the Yukon since 2009. He has spent 3 semesters in the Wood Street Centre’s Music Arts and Drama program (MAD). He performed as part of Indigenous Summer Play Readings in both 2024 and 2025.
Sydney Wolf, Performer
Sydney Wolf (they/them) is a queer and autistic artist. Their love for writing, painting and sewing has brought them into the theatre world. Born and raised in Saskatchewan prairies, Wolf now lives in a woodheat cabin in the Yukon mountains. Sydney was one of ten shortlisted artists, out of 251 submissions, for the National Queer and Trans Playwright Unit in 2022 and was recently a Tom Hendry Award finalist for the Drama award. Other things that orbit their heart include cross stitching, Dungeons & Dragons, and their pets Gwen, Boba and Lollypop.
Brianna Wheeler, Performer
Brianna (she/her) is an Indigenous multidisciplinary artist and photographer based in Toronto. She is a recent graduate from York University’s Cinema and Media studies program. Her most recent project is assistant stage managing The Forest Ends With You (Big Kids) at PEI Fringe. Brianna co-directed an co-stage managed Sex, Silverfish, Sunset, Society (York Playground Festival). Brianna’s art deals with many topics involving her Indigenous identity revolving around grief, loss, love, and light. Brianna’s heart belongs with her people and her home in the Yukon, and she hopes she’s making them proud.
Brefny Caribou, Performer
Brefny Caribou (she/her) is a performer, writer, and educator of Cree (Mathias Colomb Cree Nation)/Irish-settler descent based in Tkaronto. Holding an MFA in Acting from York University she loves reimagining traditional theatrical practices, telling Indigenous stories, and making people giggle. As a performer she has worked in TV/film on Tallboyz (CBC/Joanne), and Mayor of Kingstown (Paramount +/Isabelle) and in theatre across Turtle Island on projects such as The Canadian Premiere of The Welkin (Soulpepper Theatre Co/The Howland Company/Crow’s Theatre), The Tempest (Theatre Rusticle/Buddies in Bad Times), and completed 3 seasons at the Stratford Festival in productions of Little Women (Beth March), All’s Well That Ends Well (Soldier, Understudy), and The Rez Sisters (Zhaboonigan Peterson). As a writer, she has developed and performed her solo piece Savage is a Word in the English Dictionary with Aluna Theatre (Winter Artist’s Residency ‘21), the Animikiig Creators Unit at Native Earth Performing Arts, and the Brave New Works Festival at Theatre Aquarius in Hamilton, ON. In spring 2025 she presented the world premiere of Savage is a Word in the English Dictionary at the 2025 Awaken Festival hosted by Gwaandak Theatre in Whitehorse, YT. Brefny is entering her 4th year facilitating the Indigenous Arts Program at the Paprika Festival.
Keira Ash, Performer
Keira Ash is a proud Tłı̨chǫ Dene Indigiqueer from Somba K’e Denendeh (Yellowknife, NWT). She is an artist, educator, student, beader, maker and doer. Keira grew up playing on the shores of Great Slave Lake. They flowed to and learned in Moh’kinstsis where the Elbow River and Bow River meet, as well as Amiskwaciwâskahikan which the North Saskatchewan River runs through. Now, she has flown south to where mountains and ocean meet and during the school year resides on lək əŋən lands that have been carefully cultivated since time immemorial. They migrate between the North and South seasonally, creating art this past spring and summer along Chu Nínkwän, the Yukon River.