Yvette Nolan
Playwright

Yvette Nolan, a playwright, director, dramaturg, educator and arts administrator, has left an indelible mark on the landscape of Indigenous Canadian Theatre. She was born in 1961 in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, to an Algonquin mother and an Irish immigrant father. 

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As a playwright, she has crafted compelling narratives, including The Unplugging, The Birds, and Annie Mae’s Movement. Her exploration of various mediums extends to libretti, such as Shanawdithit and Sophia, as well as forays into film with Katharsis and audio plays like Flag, You Can’t Get There From Here, and Lache Pas La Patate. 

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In her monograph, Medicine Shows: Indigenous Performance Culture (Playwrights Canada Press, 2015), Yvette Nolan envisions the Indigenous Theatre as an encounter where  "artists make medicine by reconnecting through ceremony, through the act of remembering, through building community, and by negotiating solidarities across communities.”  Theatre, in the words of Nolan “is all about relationships, and how we move from conflict to conciliation, so of course, it is the perfect place to explore the relationships between Indigenous people and Canadians."

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Yvette has played pivotal roles in the administrative sphere. She served as the President of PUC (now Playwrights Guild of Canada) from 1998 to 2001, demonstrating leadership in shaping the Canadian Theatre landscape. From 2003 to 2010, she assumed the role of Managing Artistic Director at Native Earth Performing Arts in Toronto. Currently undertaking a Masters in Public Policy at the Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, Yvette Nolan embodies a commitment to bridging the worlds of art and societal impact.