PHOTO: Posing July 17 before the staging of their production of “You’re Not Alone” are College of Menominee Nation and Menominee Nation High School students, front row, from left, Sydney Mitchell, Urijah Reevis and Rikki Latender, and back row, from left, Madyson Mikle, Natalie Peters, Kenew Awonohopay and Michael Peters. (Ryan WInn)
William Shakespeare writes, “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players; they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts.”
For one of the College of Menominee Nation’s cohorts from Menominee Nation High School, the play was their fellow actor Rikki Latender’s script “You’re Not Alone” and the roles required of them were unlike any other they’d undertaken.
The student-theater practitioners were participating in CMN’s Learn and Earn program. Funded by a grant from the state of Wisconsin, the program “allows high school juniors and seniors to get a head start in college while gaining confidence in their ability to succeed in higher education.”
The play was created in CMN’s spring 2025 playwriting course under the tutelage of Adjunct Professor Justin Eagle Gauthier. I had the privilege of directing the three-week course that spanned from script selection through production on July 17.
“You’re Not Alone” shares the story of a high school valedictorian and track star who is struggling with a hidden addiction. While it isn’t difficult to imagine how this story resonates as the United States is grappling with an opioid epidemic, the larger goal of the course is to teach fundamentals that can be applied on both the literal and proverbial stage.
While anyone who has feigned confidence for a role in their life could imagine how theater’s lessons could resonate, the ideas of “living truthfully in the moment” and confronting others with “generosity, humility and tact” are equally implacable long after the curtain closes.
When I asked them to describe their experiences applying theater theory to a public performance, the aspiring thespians were quick to share their thinking about the experience of coming together to produce a show for their community.
Playwright turned actor Latender said, “I really appreciated how supportive and encouraging we all were throughout the course. We created a space where it felt safe to take risks and grow, which helped me build confidence as an actor.”
Actor Madyson Mikle agreed, stating, “I built a bond with everyone. We spent lots of time doing homework together and running lines over and over again. We created a safe, and fun environment which made the course so much more enjoyable.”
Actor Michael Peters echoed his peers.
“I’m very honored to have been a part of this course,” he said. “The environment made me very comfortable and made acting and doing things I normally wouldn’t do, much easier.”
Actor Kenew Awonohopay noted his surprise that a director would join them on stage during rehearsal, recognizing that theater is unlike other disciplines he’s studied.
“Instead of saying do this or do that, Dr. Winn got up and showed us what he wanted us to do,” Awonohopay said. “Not many people do that. He actually got up and was in the moment with us. He was in the moment and he wanted to make us better.”
When I asked the collective for any tips they have for aspiring theater practitioners, they offered some sage advice gleaned throughout their process.
Technical director Natalie Peters noted her best advice to future students was to “pay attention, your instincts will react in the moment. Definitely don’t plan ahead, just be real, be you during the scene.”
Stage manager Sydney Mitchell concurred. “I would also say that the way I succeeded in this course was that I wasn’t afraid to look dumb in front of my peers by asking the weird questions, or saying silly things, as part of acting games. Lastly, I would say that I tried to live truthfully in every moment.”
Actor Urijah Reevis added, “Make sure you are having fun with the roles you’re in because it makes it a lot better and rehearse the lines lots of times because it will be worth it.”
In 1969, the Institute of American Indian Arts produced a document to guide their work around the belief that “theater has always been ‘the mirror of the age for each generation of men,’ and that ‘Indian people today desperately need such a mirror.’” While IAIA’s mirror might have been topical, the skills taught this summer are transferable.
The combined wisdom of Shakespeare, IAIA and CMN’s summer 2025 theater production course resulted in a memorable show. The students each played many parts, nailed all their entrances and exits, and are one step closer to taking their skills beyond the classroom and onto the world’s stage.
Ryan Winn, Ph.D., teaches communications, English, history and theater at the College of Menominee Nation. Visit www.menominee.edu for more information about the school.