Canadian actor
Waawaate Fobister |
|---|
| Nationality | Anishinaabe |
|---|
| Citizenship | Canada |
|---|
| Education | Theatre Arts Performance, Humber College, 2005 |
|---|
| Occupation(s) | Actor, dancer, playwright |
|---|
| Notable work | Agokwe |
|---|
| Awards | Dora Mavor Moore Award |
|---|
Waawaate Fobister (Anishinaabe) is a Canadian actor, dancer, playwright, choreographer, instructor, producer[1] and storyteller,[2] best known for their semi-autobiographical one-man play, Agokwe.[3]
Early life
Fobister grew up on the Grassy Narrows First Nation reserve, north of Kenora, Ontario. As a child, Fobister's father and grandfather introduced them to the indigenous oral storytelling tradition; a path that Fobister would choose for themself as well.[4] At the age of eighteen, Fobister came out as gay or two-spirited.[3] Growing up on the reservation, they encountered homophobia and abuse; experiences which they channel into their work.[5] Fobister got their spirit name, Waawaate, which means Northern Lights, as they began to explore their Native spirituality.[6] As Fobister recalls, they met with a medicine woman who could give spirit names. After presenting the woman with tobacco, she instructed them to come back in a few weeks and that after prayer, they would find a spirit name. Upon Fobister's return, the woman told them she had found their spirit name and said, "...when I saw it, I saw...dark sky, and I seen lights and I seen dancing", referencing the Northern Lights which, in Anishinaabe culture represent spirits dancing.[6]
Fobister earned a degree in Theatre Arts Performance as well as the Distinguished Performance Award from Humber College in 2005.[4] They also studied theater and dance at Banff Centre for the Arts, School of Toronto Dance Theatre, Centre for Indigenous Theatre, and Kahawi Dance Theatre.[citation needed]
Career
Fobister performed their first play, Savage, at public and private schools throughout Ontario. Savage tells the story of a young gay boy and his mentor in a small town.[2] Shortly after graduating from Humber College, Fobister wrote Agokwe (a variation of agokwa, the Anishinaabe word which loosely translates to "man-woman"[7] but in modern usage is better understood as "two-spirited"[5]), a story of unrequited love between two gay teenage boys. The play explores themes of love, sexuality, homophobia, isolation, and Native cultural traditions.[8] Agokwe premiered at Toronto's Buddies in Bad Times theater on September 23, 2008.[9] The play went on to win six Dora Mavor Moore Awards, including Outstanding New Play, in 2009.[10][11] Four years later, Fobister's second play, Medicine Boy premiered at the Scotiabank Studio Theatre, August 9–18, 2012.[12] Medicine Boy tells stories of inter-generational trauma within First Nations families stemming from colonization, residential schools, and industrial waste poisoning the land.[13] In 2019, Fobister introduced Omaagomaan (loosely translated as "someone biting very hard"), a dance that draws attention to the mercury poisoning and subsequent health problems within their community in Grassy Narrows.[14][15]
In addition to stage performance, Fobister has appeared in the films Famous (post-production)[16] and The Time Traveler (2009)[17] and was playwright in residence for the 2019–20 season at Native Earth Performing Arts in Toronto[18] and at Magnus Theatre in Thunder Bay.[19] In 2021 they were a panelist on "Dance Ogichidas" at The Bridge: A Festival of Ideas at the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, Curator of Indigenous Content at the 2021 Kick & Push Festival,[20] and named the coordinator of the new council for LGBTQ2S indigenous people in Grand Council of Treaty 3 territory.[21] In May 2021, Fobister presented their short play Ode to RED Auntie at the Tiny Plays, Big Ideas digital event for the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre.[22] As of 2021, Fobister teaches at the Manitoba Theatre for Young People.[1]
