The Crossroads Project will present a staged reading of Pink Man, or, The Only Indian in the Room by Marty Strenczewilk, winner of the 2023 Diverse Voices Playwriting Initiative. The event will take place in person on Friday, April 14, at 7:30 p.m. in Milner Library, Room 122. Following the staged reading will be a talkback with the playwright.
The staged reading is directed by Dr. Shannon Epplett, faculty in the School of Theatre and Dance. The cast includes Cole Noah Anderson, Nate Muckintubbee, Gillian Larson, Janet Ademilua, Heather Mae Marshall, Raelyn O’Brien, Korbin Marshall, and Ryan Murphy.
This event is free and open to the public. Register using the link below:
The staged reading is part of a new play development workshop that is hosted by the Crossroads Project, and sponsored by the Illinois State Theatre Outreach Program (ISTOP), a Registered Student Organization in the School of Theatre and Dance. Strenczewilk will be on campus during the week of April 10–14 to attend rehearsals, visit classes, and interact with students.
About the Play
Pink Man follows an American Indian in a semi-autobiographical journey of self-discovery as he battles tradition, stereotypes, and himself. Having mixed blood and white features, he faces constant internal and external struggles over his identity and heritage, worried about how others see him. Being red is terrifying. Being white feels fraudulent. So, the Indian finds himself forced to live in the pink. Pressed by an enigmatic cafe owner who takes a special interest in him, the Indian revisits the formative stages of his life, where he grapples with expectations, self-doubt, and acceptance from other Native Americans. The play utilizes Ojibwe storytelling traditions while also exposing the various ways that Native American culture has been distorted and erased over time.
“As an Indigenous American, I’ve rarely seen our voices on the stage,” says Strenczewilk. “It was something I never realized until I started writing my own plays. I never intended to tell Indigenous stories, but found myself drawn back to write what I see is missing from the theatre—authentic stories of the lives of Indigenous people in America today.”
About the Playwright
Marty Strenczewilk is an Ojibwe theatre artist and storyteller, enrolled with the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. Select credits include: co-founding a New York City-based theatre company that created sustainable productions of new plays; touring Europe with Trisha Brown Dance as master carpenter; writing/performing slam poetry across New York City; choreographing a 9/11 anniversary show; performing in Tony & Tina’s Wedding off-Broadway; and performing in the first staged production of Kurt Vonnegut’s Cat’s Cradle in New York City. He has a B.A. in Theatre from SUNY Buffalo and has studied at The Barrow Group, Broadway Dance Center, Alvin Ailey, HB Studio, and Joffrey Ballet. He is currently a member of the BETC Writers Group and the managing director of Creative Nations, an all-Indigenous led artists’ collective. His plays can be found on New Play Exchange.
About the Crossroads Project
The Crossroads Project is an advocacy committee comprising faculty, staff, and students that promotes equity, diversity, and inclusion in the Illinois State University School of Theatre and Dance. In the past, Crossroads has invited established playwrights to Illinois State to participate in mainstage productions of their work. Recently, Crossroads presented Ga-AD! by Ugandan playwright and director Adong Lucy Judith in 2018 and Delhi-based author Manjula Padmanabhan’s Harvest in 2017.
The Diverse Voices Playwriting Initiative was created to complement these programs by supporting playwrights of color as they develop new work. In addition to providing opportunities for artists from historically underserved groups, the initiative also creates an environment in which students and community members can interact directly with professional theatre artists. The inaugural staged reading took place in fall 2020 with Even Flowers Bloom in Hell, Sometimes by Franky D. Gonzalez, followed by The DePriest Incident by Charles White in spring 2021 and Dear Mr. C by Tidtaya Sinutoke in 2022. The Crossroads Project accepts gifts through the Crossroads Program Fund to support Diverse Voices and other arts programming. Follow us on Facebook.
About ISTOP
Since the Illinois State Theatre Outreach Program was first established in 2011, we have helped to educate local and regional audiences by producing cause-themed performances aimed at raising awareness of politically charged issues. Over the course of our program’s efforts, we have we have helped to educate about and make donations to the following organizations- Seedling Theatre Company, St. Baldrick’s Foundation, The Children’s Heart Association, The National Eating Disorders Association, Flashes of Hope, The Special Olympics and more! We also sponsor and partner with other ISU student organizations, such as Theatre of Ted, Playback, SWAT, ISU Dance Association, Drag Royalty, and more.
