Alumni

Michael Brave Rock

Michael Brave Rock is a Blackfoot artist from the Blood Tribe First Nation in Southern Alberta. A graduate of the Centre for Indigenous Theatre. He is a Blackfoot Ambassador for Blackfoot Canadian Cultural Society. Stage work includes the lead as Napi (Old Man) and The Rock and Napi and the Two Woman directed by Doreen Williams-Freeman, Finding Ourselves directed by Lee Maracle and choreography by Troy Emery Twigg, Urban Buffalo directed by Muriel Tarrant, Warriors: A Dedication directed by Muriel Miguel, Speakeasy…Or Else directed by Herbie Barnes. His film works are Dreamkeepers and Sidewalk Indians. Michael has also worked as Assistant Stage Manager for the CIT production Jumping Mouse directed by Marion de Vries. He is an experienced grass dancer and pow wow performer. Mike teaches boys and mens’ pow wow dance at the Native Canadian Center of Toronto.

Charles Chadboyer

Charles is from Rainy River First Nation. He was born in Calgary, Alberta and raised in Brandon, Manitoba and Fort Frances, Ontario. He has recorded a studio album and spent time as a DJ, doing studio tech and lighting to assist bands such as Nazareth and Kim Mitchell. He has a strong passion for drawing and illustration with an emphasis on Aboriginal themes. His background in music and visual art has translated to a love for theatre. Since joining the CIT, Charles has grown a passion for writing and acting that has expanded his horizons. Theatre credits include “Creature” in Finding Ourselves Dir: Lee Maracle (CIT). “Marvin” in Warriors: A Dedication Dir: Muriel Miguel (CIT). “Mr Brighton” in Speak easy or else Dir: Herbie Barnes (CIT). “Chester” in You Promised-I Lied Dir: Muriel Miguel (CIT). “Father/Buffalo” in White Buffalo Calf Woman Dir: Rose Stella/Jim Warren (CIT).

Darla Contois

Darla (Cree) is from Grand Rapids Cree Nation in Manitoba. She studied theatre at Manitoba Theatre for Young People and at University of Manitoba, and is a graduate of the three-year Professional Training Program at Centre for Indigenous Theatre. Darla has appeared most recently in Only Drunks & Children Tell the Truth (Dir: Herbie Barnes/CIT/Helen Gardiner Phelan Playhouse) White Buffalo Calf Woman (Dir: Rose Stella/Jim Warren, CIT/Helen Gardiner Phelan Playhouse); Sovereign Alliances (Dir: Herbie Barnes, Lemontree Creations/Elgin Theatre) and Speakeasy or Else (Dir: Herbie Barnes, CIT/Helen Gardiner Phelan Playhouse). Darla is also writing on a one-woman show entitled White Man’s Indian.

Dustin Frank

Dustin Frank (Blackfoot from the Kainai Nation) is a young actor, musician, and performer from Southern Alberta. A graduate from the Centre for Indigenous Theatre. He appeared in White Buffalo Calf Woman directed by Rose Stella & Jim Warren: You Promised-I Lied directed by Muriel Miguel: Sovereign Alliances directed by Herbie Barnes: and Jumping Mouse directed by Marion de Vries. Dustin would like to further pursue his musical career and get in to film production.

April Seenie

April was born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba with Ojibway and French Métis heritage. April began a career in film and television in Winnipeg, Manitoba. She came to the Centre for Indigenous Theatre in 2010 and graduated May 2013. Her theatre works include Girl Who Loved Her Horses directed by Marion De Vries, Finding Ourselves directed by Lee Maracle and choreography by Troy Emery Twigg, Speakeasy or Else directed by Herbie Barnes, Better Off Knowing and You Promised – I Lied, both directed by Muriel Miguel. She has performed a reading of The Last Walk of Adolpho Ich written and directed by Marion de Vries. She has a beautiful daughter named Sienna Elizabeth, holds a yellow stripe belt in Tae Kwon Do and is a proud member of the Wolf Clan.

Kitsuné Soliel

Kitsuné (Cree/Mistawasis First Nations) is a graduate of the Centre for Indigenous Theatre. She appeared in Only Drunks & Children Tell the Truth directed by Herbie Barnes, as well as The Portkey directed by Muriel Miguel. Film credit for Close to Death directed by Brandi Boulet, in which she won Best Actress at the Dreamspeakers Film Festival. Kitsuné was part of Clay & Paper Theatre’s summer ensemble in 2013. She was a drama camp teaching assistant at Young People’s Theatre the previous summer in 2012. Kitsuné is the matron of “The Cat’s Caboose” cabaret troupe; her troupe performed for both Planet IndigenUS and imagineNATIVE festivals. Kitsuné is a freelance model & aspiring musician.

Garret C. Smith

Garret is a proud Blackfoot from the Peigan and Blood tribes of southern Alberta. Most recent theatre credits include: Deceitful Above All Things, Making of Treaty 7, a collective, Row by T. Berto (SummerWorks), the national tour of Dreary and Izzy by Tara Beagan; dancing in The Honouring (Kahawi Dance Theatre); Stop Heart (Factory Theatre) the lead role Mukugee in Waawaate Fobister’s Medicine Boy (Summerworks/Anishnabe Theatre); Chief Niibakom in Sovereign Alliances (lemonTree creations / Little Red Barnes Productions at the historic Elgin Theatre); George Thoroughbred in Speakeasy or Else directed by Herbie Barnes (CIT); Film/T.V. credits include; Dreamkeepers directed by Steve Barron.

Alex Twin

Alex is a Dancer/Actor and plains Cree Indian from the Swan River First Nation in Alberta. A graduate of CIT in 2013, he currently resides in Edmonton, Alberta. Alex is an emerging dancer with big dreams and goals and he is the first in his family to move away from home and pursue his dreams of becoming a professional dancer. In 2012 Alex toured western Canada in They Shoot Buffalo Don’t They? by Troy Emery Twigg. Upon graduating, Alex worked with Santee Smith, Artistic Director of Kahawi Dance Theatre, on a project called The Honouring. He is very excited, and says “dancing is medicine for the soul“. He also plans on going to film school in the next year.