November marks Native American Heritage Month in the U.S. – a period of recognition that began at the turn of the century as one day set aside for “the First Americans.”
Approved as an official National Heritage Month in 1990, Native American Heritage Month serves as a time to celebrate a diverse set of cultures, traditions, and histories, and to call attention to the challenges tribal citizens face. November also recognizes Alaska Native Heritage Month and the dozens of indigenous groups that make up more than 20% of the state’s population.
Long-time Shakespeare & Company Artist Jake Waid, seen most recently in the role of Don Pedro in Shakespeare & Company’s 2022 production of Much Ado About Nothing, is a member of Southeastern Alaska’s Tlingit Nation. He’s currently featuring in the world premiere of Where the Summit Meets the Stars by Frank Henry Kaash Katasse, also a Tlingit artist, at Perseverance Theatre in Juneau. He took time in between rehearsals to reflect on his years on stage, his relationship with Shakespeare, and what roles he sees Native actors playing – both today and in the future.
Shake & Co.: What was your first experience with Shakespeare & Company?
Jake Waid: In 2008, I stepped into the role of Horatio in the already established, critically acclaimed production of Hamlet starring Jason Asprey and directed by Eleanor Holdridge. The show already had a great run in Lenox, and I was cast in the tour. It was my dream to work with Tina Packer and Dennis Krausnick. Oh, and Nigel Gore…C’mon! Heavyweights.
By the time I joined the cast, there were no questions about the world of the play or the direction, which was so fun because up to that point, I had never been cast in an already-established production. It was a gift to jump on that moving train. I’ve had the great fortune to return a couple of times since then (the last time with my family!) and encounter the next generation of heavy-hitters like Kelly Galvin and Caroline Calkins, who (can I swear here?) holy sh*t, are just blazing talents!
SC: Has Shakespeare & Company shaped your acting experiences? If so, how?
JW: Working at Shakespeare & Company provides a blueprint for Shakespeare. Yes, part of that is trying to hold your own with more experienced actors, but mostly, it’s about plugging into a tried-and-true system developed over the last four decades (spoiler alert: it’s a whole crap-ton of hard work).
Shakespeare & Company has, without a doubt, galvanized my confidence as an actor. It’s a confidence that knows there is no stage in the world that I don’t belong on, and wouldn’t be better for having me on it. Period.
SC: What are you working on now?
JW: I am currently performing in my hometown of Juneau, Alaska, in Perseverance Theatre’s world premiere of Where the Summit Meets the Stars by my favorite playwright, Frank Henry Kaash Katasse, who is also a Tlingit man from Juneau.
This work was developed with an all-Native cast with the intention of decolonizing the creative process of rehearsing a play by reconnecting with our traditional ways. Every week, we would root ourselves in the land, our land, Tlingit Aani. We picked blueberries in our mountains to make and devour a pie, took a day trip paddling off of Douglas Island in a dugout canoe, and did a strength dip in Auke Bay’s 38-degree ocean water.
The resulting bond between the cast and our land that has translated into our performance cannot be replicated in any other way. The play celebrates a new era of Tlingit storytelling and is a reflection of my Southeast Alaska culture. We are performing for sold-out crowds and have even extended the run. Frank and I are also creating a one-man show starring yours truly.
SC: What are your hopes for the future professionally, or perhaps more globally?
JW: In recent years, I’ve led with my pride in my Tlingit culture. With that pride, I’ve found my path and want to continue to represent my Tlingit and Haida people, Alaska Native, and all Indigenous people that may be seeking a career in theater.
I am always looking for ways to include young Native actors in spaces that maybe Natives have not been represented in the past. My most recent play was Much Ado About Nothing this past summer at Shakespeare & Company, and I’d love for the audience to say, “Wasn’t that the play with the Native man?” I want audiences to find it inconceivable to imagine a Shakespeare play without Native Americans in lead roles.
One of my recent hopes for Shakespeare & Company has also come to pass: {Artistic Director} Allyn Burrows approached me for advice on Native land acknowledgments this summer. His concern in our conversation was that he didn’t want an acknowledgment to seem like an empty gesture. I told him “an empty gesture is a fine place to start.” It’s the continual practice of acknowledgment, like a mantra, that fills that empty space eventually, and begins the journey of decolonization. After our conversation, Shakespeare & Company began the practice of land acknowledgments before performances, acknowledging the Stockbridge Mohicans as the traditional caretakers of the land on which the campus resides.
Our ancestors deserve recognition. That, in turn, will give pride to the living descendants who might someday dare to say “there is no place on earth that I don’t belong, or wouldn’t be made better by my presence.”
Gunalchéesh!
This interview is part of Shakespeare & Company’s #LiveinCompany campaign, an extension of the Company’s mission to live creatively, work collaboratively, and honor the community. #LiveinCompany content highlights the words and work of visionaries in various disciplines and aims to answer the three questions at the heart of each of Shakespeare’s plays: What does it mean to be alive? How should we act? and What must I do? – Jaclyn C. Stevenson
Photo by Nile Scott Studios
