ON NATIVE LAND
Photo by Matt Barnes.
On Native Land
A Musical by Corey Payette
Produced by Raven Theatre in collaboration with Urban Ink (Vancouver)
World premiere – April 8-16, 2025
The York Theatre
ON NATIVE LAND
On Native Land is a new musical that intertwines the lives of three seemingly disparate characters—a lawyer, a Chief, and a rising singer-songwriter—whose paths converge in a powerful tale of identity, land, and love.
A dive into the heart of contemporary Indigenous narratives, On Native Land is a sweeping love story with a focus on urban Indigenous communities, offering solace and solidarity.
Corey Payette’s contemporary score has a driving force rooted in the drum, grounding the music in Indigenous tradition while soaring melodies echo groundbreaking Broadway scores such as Company and Dear Evan Hansen. Richly textured and emotionally charged, his compositions bridge ancestral and modern tonalities, creating a soundscape that is both timeless and boldly innovative.
Below photos by Matt Reznek.
Produced and developed with support from Raven Theatre
Developed in collaboration with the National Creation Fund at Canada’s National Arts Centre.
Development Phases
On Native Land
Workshop Production – November 9, 2024 as part of TRANSFORM Festival
Creative
Corey Payette – Director, Writer and Composer
Dean Edward Thiessen – Music Director
Jera Wolfe – Choreographer
Jared Raschke – Set Designer
Halley Fulford – Costume Designer
Jonathan Kim – Lighting Designer
Melanie Thompson – Stage Manager
Ryan Lino – Producer
Starring
čačumḥi – aaron m. wells as The Fool
Jordan Stanley as Elliot
Zac Bellward as Jakob
Kaitlyn Yott as Rielle
Cathy Wilmot as Liz and Sarah
Jesse Alvarez Kyle, Judge, Reporter, and Interviewer
Dillan Chiblow as Youngblood
Winona Myles as Gracie
Taninli Wright as Chief
Sarah Cantuba as Bethany, Reporter, and Interviewer
Nathan Coburn as Dancer
Jera Wolfe as Dancer
Orchestra
Dean Edward Thiessen – Pianist
Sarah Ho – Violin
Chris Fraser – Guitar
Emilio Suarez – Cello
Summer 2024
Summer 2024 Workshop cast & crew: Tiana Jung, Cailtyn Hayes, Taryn Yoneda, Cheri Maracle, Corey Payette, Tristen Foy, Cheyenne Scott, Jesse Alvarez, Zac Bellward, Jordan Stanley, Aaron M. Wells, Kaitlyn Yott, & Winona Myles.
Fall 2023 Workshop cast & crew: Aaron M. Wells, Antony Knight, Cheri Maracle, Jacob Woike, Jennifer Lines, Jordan Stanley, Kelsey Kanatan Wavey, Melanie Thompson, Patrice Bowler, Raymond Jordan Johnson-Brown, Winona Myles and Kim Collier.