2021-2022 Season Presented by KNKX and Navigate Financial

Sovereignty

Historical Drama May 5-28, 2022 The State Theater 2hrs 20mins PG-13
Historical Drama May 5-28, 2022 The State Theater 2hrs 20mins PG-13

A complex, provocative historical drama shining a light on the Cherokee Nation’s deeply intertwined past and present. Performed by an ensemble of Native and non-Native regional and local actors with direction, set, costume and lighting design by Native artists.

Sarah Ridge Polson, a young Cherokee lawyer, fights to restore her Nation’s tribal jurisdiction while confronting the ever-present ghosts of her grandfathers. Stretching from 1830s Cherokee Nation (now present-day Georgia) through Andrew Jackson’s Oval office, along the fateful Trail of Tears, to the Cherokee Nation in present-day Oklahoma – Sovereignty tells an epic tale of the powerful intersections of personal and political truths, bridging our country’s distant past and imminent future.

“Fundamental and revelatory” – Gloria Steinem

Playwright Mary Kathryn Nagle is an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, and a partner at Pipestem Law, a firm specializing in tribal sovereignty of Native nations and peoples. The majority of her work in court involves fighting for the inherent right of Indian Nations to protect their women and children from domestic violence and sexual assault. She served as the first executive director of the Yale Indigenous Performing Arts Program from 2015  to 2019.

Reminder: Our COVID Protocols no longer require proof of vaccination for entry, but masking is still required in the theater space.


Ticket Information

May 2022
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
1
2
3
4
5
P 7:30
6
7:30
7
2:00 7:30
8
2:00
9
10
11
12
7:30
13
7:30
14
2:00 7:30
15
2:00
16
17
18
19
7:30
20
7:30
21
2:00 7:30
22
2:00
23
24
25
2:00
26
7:30
27
7:30
28
2:00 7:30

5May - 28May 2022

BuyTickets
P Thu May 5|7:30
Fri May 6|7:30
Sat May 7|2:00
Sat May 7|7:30
Sun May 8|2:00
Thu May 12|7:30
Fri May 13|7:30
Sat May 14|2:00
Sat May 14|7:30
Sun May 15|2:00
Thu May 19|7:30
Fri May 20|7:30
Sat May 21|2:00
Sat May 21|7:30
Sun May 22|2:00
Wed May 25|2:00
Thu May 26|7:30
Fri May 27|7:30
Sat May 28|2:00
Sat May 28|7:30
P Preview
Opening Night
Closing Night

Cast & Creative

Director Esther Almazán
Intimacy and Fight Director Alyssa Kay
Scenic Design Tommer Peterson
Costume Design Raphael Regan
Lighting Design Olivia Burlingame
Sound Design Gina Salerno
Properties Design Gerald B. Browning
Stage Manager Celeste Elaine
Casting Associate Margaret Layne
Composer Esteban Bailon
Cherokee Language Consultant John Ross
Company COVID Safety Manager Edania Liptzin
Fight Captain Jason Marr
Steve Wood John Ridge
Josephine Keefe Sara Ridge Polson
Kenneth Ruthardt Major Ridge/Roger Ridge Polson
Lance Claymore Elias Boudinot/Watie
Esteban Bailon John Ross/Jim Ross
Avery Clark Andrew Jackson/Ben
Jason Marr Samuel Worcester/Mitch
Erica McAdams Sarah Bird Northrup/Flora Ridge
Nathan Rice White Chorus Man
Kenneth Ruthardt and Avery Clark are members of the Actors' Equity Association.

More Info

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Squaxin Island Museum Exhibit

To coincide with the run of Sovereignty, a variety of pieces from the Squaxin Island Museum Library and Research Center will be on display in the State Theater lobby throughout the month of May.

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Sovereignty: Two Interviews with the Cast and Director

In the first interview, Director Esther Almazán and actors Steve Wood and Kenneth Ruthardt* unpack Sovereignty. In the second, actors Josephine Keefe, Avery Clark*, Lance Claymore and Esteban Bailon dive deeper into the Native experience.

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Press for Sovereignty

A collection of all the press for Harlequin's production of Sovereignty. This page will be updated as new articles are published!

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