This weekend, Albuquerque has the honor of celebrating some of the city’s brightest Indigenous stars, and it’s no coincidence that they are bringing some of that fire to the stage during the Nation’s biggest powwow. The Inaugural Native American Theater & Performing Arts Festival runs from April 24 through April 27 and May 1 through May 4 at the National Hispanic Cultural Center Wells Fargo Auditorium (1701 Fourth St. SW). Festival director Kim Gleason says, during this time of uncertainty in the world, it’s important to acknowledge New Mexico as a unique place for performing arts, film and entertainment. She thought the Gathering of Nations would be a perfect time to host a theater project integrating different Indigenous cultures.
“New Mexico is so diverse, and we have ways of building ourselves up and coming together, no matter what we’ve experienced in the past,” she says. “It’s a beautiful collaboration to have with the National Hispanic Culture Center, because there’s been this need for them to integrate more Native arts within their programs, and we’re expecting to bridge together our traumas as Native people. We’re trying to find ways to build that bridge together so we can learn from the past and go forward.”
Gleason is the owner and founder of Dancing With Fire Productions theater company and helped organize the eight-day celebration. She’s a Diné director, actress and part-time Native American Theater instructor at UNM who’s been active in the theater world for over 25 years. She says when she was asked to put on an event honoring Native American heritage, she jumped at the idea.
“We thought there was a lot of deeper messaging behind not just celebrating the arts, but finding empowerment through our traditions and culture and our language,” Gleason says. “We wanted to develop a new way of looking at Native theater. We often associate Native theater with ceremonial theater, and in a lot of ways it is different from Western theater concepts.”
Gleason also wrote and directed the festival’s main theater piece, the play Echo in the Canyon, co-written by Michael Lente, Ria Thundercloud, Sheldon Blackhorse and Stanley Shunkamolah. The play stars Diné actress Debbie Smallcanyon, Michael Lente from the Laguna Pueblo/Paguate Village, Ria Thundercloud (Ho-Chunk Nation/Sandia Pueblo), Sheldon Blackhorse (Diné), Stanley Shunkamolah (Kiowa/Osage/Pawnee/Comanche), Lasha Kirker (Laguna/Acoma/Zuni Pueblo), Jordan Padilla-Lidy and Diné Native youth actors Oliver Cordova and Ciara Yannabah Gurule.
The play will be performed four times during the festival and is made up of four acts representing the four sacred directions. Gleason says, although the play deals with serious subject matter, the third act — which represents adulthood — is about the ways Native people see themselves and certainly has its share of comic relief.
“Laughing at ourselves was meaningful, too, because Natives are really humorous,” she says. “Even though there are things that we obviously talk about as Natives — historical trauma, genocide and slavery — we also have this moment in the play where we just have a great time doing comedy.”
Speaking of comic relief, the Native Theater and Performing Arts Festival is hosted by comedian and 2025 New Mexico teacher of the year Lorilei Chavez — the first Indigenous educator to hold that title. Chavez’s community-based approach to comedy might be part of why she connects so well with her students. She says she’s bringing “good vibes” to the party, and the entire event is family-friendly, drug and alcohol-free. It’s also a great opportunity for making friends, connections and kinships.
“The exciting part about all of this is bringing together the different scholars, actors, performers, comedians, speakers, poets into one space,” Chavez says. “You can bring your friends, you can bring your family, and it’ll be a great experience to understand what Native theater looks like through the Indigenous lens.”
The festival kicks off with a free opening reception on Thursday, April 24 at 7 p.m. featuring music and dance performances from Gleason and dancers Ria Thundercloud and Niko DeRoin. On April 27 and May 4, Chavez will host stage readings of I am Joaquin by Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzalez and Craft Lady, Spider, and Bird by UNM theater and film students Alysse Kinsel and Leia Pickel. On May 1, the festival presents a Native theater panel event featuring Ty Defoe, Jay B. Muskett, Enock Chapman and Rio Rancho fashion designer Jennifer Benally (Oneida Nation of Wisconsin and the Diné Nation) of Shiny Moon Creations.
The closing reception at 6 p.m. on Sunday, May 4 will include a fashion show featuring 15 local models showcasing clothing from Benally’s company Shinymoon Creations. Benally says her new fashion line called “Woven Echoes” not only features business and eveningwear for every occasion, but provides a means of cultural education.
“It’s a tribute to my maternal grandmother, a master Two Grey Hills rug weaver, and the generations of women in my family who passed down stories, patterns and strength through every thread,” she says. “This line weaves together my Diné roots and my Haudenosaunee side, and it echoes of the canyon and the legacy of my grandmother. Her designs are grounded in traditions, full of spirit and are the heart of this collection.”
In addition to participating in the theater panel and showing her fashion line, Benally will be mentoring Echo in the Canyon set clothing designer Luna Frank (Diné), ensuring that the play’s fashion design is done responsibly and with “dignity, grace and elegance.”
Gleason says her overall dream is to have a native Performing Arts Center here in Albuquerque, and once she has that space, Dancing With Fire Productions will be able to host many more events like the Native American Theater & Performing Arts Festival.
“I think most importantly, we have been doing some great work in the community, reclaiming theater spaces for ourselves – not just on the stage, but administratively and economically,” she says. “These events contribute to building our economy and building our empowerment with Albuquerque.”
The organizers strongly urge attendees to take advantage of full festival passes good for all the events for just $54. For tickets visit the National Hispanic Cultural Center website at nhccnm.org/events/category/theatre.
Native Theater and Performing Arts Festival
April 24 – May 4
National Hispanic Cultural Center Wells Fargo Auditorium
1701 Fourth St. SW
$17 – $45