Hanay Geiogamah
| Hanay Geiogamah | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1945 Lawton, Oklahoma, United States |
| Nationality | Native American |
| Education | Anadarko High School |
| Alma mater |
University of Oklahoma Indiana University |
| Information | |
| Period | Contemporary |
| Genre | Theater, Movies, Dance |
| Notable work(s) |
New Native American Drama: Three Plays The Native Americans: Behind the Legends, Beyond the Myths (TBS) |
| Magnum opus | American Indian Dance Theatre |
New Native American Drama: Three Plays
Hanay Geiogamah (born 1945) is a playwright, TV and movie producer, artistic director, and a Professor in the School of Theater, Film and Television at the University of California, Los Angeles. He was born in Oklahoma and is a Kiowa and Delaware Native American. He is considered the first widely known and successful Native American playwright and one of the few Native American producers in Hollywood.
Geiogamah was born in Lawton, Oklahoma to a Kiowa father and Delaware mother. He graduated from Anadarko High School and studied journalism at the University of Oklahoma. He later attended Indiana University Bloomington. Following his graduation, he landed a job as the public affairs liaison for Commissioner of Indian Affairs Louis Bruce within the Bureau of Indian Affairs under President Richard Nixon.
In late 1971, Geiogamah formed a theater group at the La MaMa Experimental Theater Club in New York City's Lower East Side. Initially called the American Indian Theatre Ensemble, the group changed its name in 1973 to the Native American Theatre Ensemble. (The reason for this name change "was complex but simple," the company explained in text that appeared in a 1973 show program. "Too many non-Indians who approached us during [our] tours [and] after performances...seemed unable to understand that we were real people, really alive and breathing, and that we were certified residents of the United States of America.") Geiogamah's first play for the company was Body Indian in 1972 followed by Coon Cons Coyote and Foghorn. The group produced his final play 49 in 1982.
In 1980, Geiogamah became the author of New Native American Drama: Three Plays, published by the University of Oklahoma Press.
Geiogamah later formed the widely acclaimed American Indian Dance Theatre, which gave its first public performance in 1987 with Geiogamah as its director and Barbara Schwei as its producer. The 24-member dance troupe represented about 18 Indian nations and toured both nationally and internationally. The dancers wore a variety of traditional costumes, and the music was performed on traditional instruments made by the performers. The group made their New York City debut in 1989 in Manhattan's Joyce Theater.
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