The Menominee word for theater is mamātāweqtan. It can also translate to English as a “wonderful performance.”
Shawano news publications have covered the Menominee Nation’s mamātāweqtan for more than 150 years, with perhaps the earliest story running in 1874. Theater is one of the Menominee peoples’ traditional artforms, and this column is just the latest local coverage.
For the second summer running, I had the good fortune to direct the current generation of performers. These budding thespians enrolled in a theater production course offered through a partnership between College of Menominee Nation and Menominee Nation High School, and that meant that I was able to introduce them to my persnickety ways of teaching this storied artform.
As actor Ashaylex Awonohopay put it, “Ryan is awfully particular about all things theater. If you’re not doing something right, he will tell you. And if you proceed to not listen to him, he will tell you again until you do.”
These diligent student-theater practitioners were participating in CMN’s Learn and Earn program. Funded by the Wisconsin Technical College Systems Grant, the program “allows high school juniors and seniors to get a head start in college while gaining confidence in their ability to succeed in higher education.”
Actor Harmon Doud noted what helped her thrive in the classroom.
“The three pieces of advice I’d share is to stay on top of your work, listen to the lecture so you know what you might be doing, and have fun and interact during discussions. That goes for any college course,” Doud said.
This summer’s cast and crew included Ashaylex Awonohopay, James Awonohopay, Harmony Doud, Cece Grignon, Sara Kelley, Taylesia Pamonicutt, Nevaeh Pecore, Givon Peters, Payton Pocan, Johnathan Sechrist, Christina Warrington, Levi Warrington, Kai Wayka, Kenzie Webster-Wayka, Dacey Webster, and Christopher Wilber Jr.
The course required the students to select the scripts we staged, with the roles being assigned through auditions.
While stage fright is understandable, actor Kai Wayka shared his secrets to success.
“Stay open-minded when it comes to acting, and don’t stress about feeling awkward,” Wayka said. “Trying new things can be intimidating at first, but once you’re on stage, it often becomes enjoyable. You might be surprised by how freeing and exciting acting can actually be.”
This summer witnessed the production of five short scenes depicting a futuristic interrogation room, a Jane Austin penned confrontation, a high maintenance knight preparing for a quest, a studious college student justifying his low-key life and a high schooler lamenting the gap between his real-life and online personas.
While the scenes were each different, assistant director Levi Warrington discussed universal truths about the craft he gleaned from the course.
“You’re going to feel scared, but once you find joy in this and get to know your crew, you will feel a whole lot better about going up on that stage,” Warrington said. “The next thing I would say is to focus on action, not emotion, to make it believable.”
Actor Christina Warrington added to those assertions.
“Some advice I would share with any upcoming student is to stay consistent, live in the truth of the moment, and practice your critiquing,” she said. “I share these pieces of advice specifically because they all focus on improvement in techniques that are necessary for this class.”
Under the revealing moniker “Showcase,” the production went off without a hitch at MNHS on June 24. The patrons in attendance exceeded expectations, spilling out of the classroom and into the campus’ commons.
Actor Givon Peters reflected upon his thoughts about the secret to having a strong performance.
“I would say not to overthink,” Peters said. “It is so easy to get all in your head about getting on the stage and putting on a show, but no amount of anxiety can change the future. I think you should just get up there and give it your best. This is only something I’ve recently come to understand, but it has helped me immensely.”
Assistant director Taylesia Pamonicutt agreed.
“You need to get out of your comfort zone in order to do things,” she said. “You need to find the truth of the moment when executing your acting or whatever type of role you have in a play. Make sure you do it well and that you’re working well with any other actors you’re with.”
The upshot is that this summer’s mamātāweqtan was a “wonderful performance” that capped an educational milestone for the students.
Ryan Winn, Ph.D., teaches communications, English, history and theater at the College of Menominee Nation. Visit www.menominee.edu for more information about the school.
