Native Voices at the Autry continues its vital role as the country’s only equity theater company dedicated exclusively to developing the work of Native American playwrights with a free staged reading of “Stand-Off at Hwy #37,” a new play by Vickie Ramirez (Tuscarora tribal affiliation) on Thursday, Sept. 26, at 7:30 p.m., at the Wells Fargo Theater at the Autry National Center in Griffith Park.
A dramatic tale about political, environmental and spiritual convictions, “Stand-Off at Hwy #37” begins when a clash between protesters and law enforcement over plans to build a highway through a reservation in upstate New York prompts a Tuscarora man to abandon his U.S. military uniform and join the protesters to defend his beliefs.
The reading, which is followed by an audience talk-back with Ramirez and the director, Jon Lawrence Rivera, is part of Native Voices’ signature First Look Series: Plays in Process, which brings playwrights together with professional directors, dramaturgs and actors for a workshop and public presentation at the Autry, providing an important next step in the play’s development.
Ramirez is an alumna of the Public Theater’s Emerging Writer’s Group 2009 and a member of Chukalokoli Native Theater Ensemble and Amerinda Theater. Rivera is a five-time Ovation Award nominee and the founding artistic director of Playwrights’ Arena; his productions have garnered over 150 local and international awards.
Native Voices at the Autry is located at the Autry National Center, 4700 Western Heritage Way, LA 90027-1462. Admission to the reading of “Stand-Off at Hwy #37” is free. For reservations or additional information, call (323) 667-2000, ext. 299, or visit www.NativeVoicesattheAutry.org.