Playwright Tomson Highway will view reading of his new play

A week before his play, The Rez Sisters, makes its regional premiere at the Cornell Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts, playwright Tomson Highway will be visiting Cornell to view a staged reading of his most recent play and to speak to students and the community about his writing and experiences.

Highway will be present at a staged reading of his newest play, Ernestine Shuswap Gets Her Trout, Thursday, Oct. 18, at 5 p.m. in the Schwartz Center Film Forum. This reading, performed by the student group new.living.voices, is free and open to the public. A reception follows the performance.

On Friday, Oct. 19, at 5 p.m., Highway and director Randy Reinholz will speak in "A Director's Dialogue With the Author: Secrets of The Rez Sisters" on set in the Class of '56 Flexible Theatre. Both Native Americans, Reinholz and Highway will discuss creating a play from page to stage. This event is free and open to the public. A reception follows the discussion.

Highway was born on a remote island on Maria Lake and for the first six years of his life, he lived in northwestern Manitoba speaking only Cree. At the age of 6, Tomson began to speak English (becoming fluent in his late teens) and was sent to a Roman Catholic boarding school, where he stayed until he turned 15.

At the age of 30, Tomson began writing plays. His first plays were performed to mostly native audiences on reserves and in urban community centers. In addition to his writing, Tomson worked with other Native theater companies in various capacities (actor, musical director, director, etc.), touring Indian reserves far and wide.

The Rez Sisters hit the big time in Toronto theater in 1986, and a few years later, Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing premiered. Tomson is also the author of the novel, The Kiss of the Fur Queen, on the Canadian best seller list for seven weeks.

Highway's visit is supported by the Dr. Burton Spiller '53 New Play and Playwright Fund and the Cornell Council for the Arts.