Niizh

Joelle Peters

Playwrights Canada Press

Synopsis

It’s summertime on the rez. The frybread is sizzling, and the local radio station plays bluegrass, Anishinaabemowin lessons, and Friday-night bingo numbers. Lenna, the youngest of the Little family, is preparing to leave home for her first year of college, with little enthusiasm or help from her stubborn father and reckless brother. Amidst lingering doubts about departing the family flock, Lenna collides into a meet-cute with the charming and awkward Sam Thomas, who is returning to the reserve after many years away. With the promise of a romance budding between them, Lenna is caught in a whirlwind of uncertainty, wondering if she’s ready to bid farewell just as she’s about to take flight.

Filled with Indigenous humour, small-town seasoning, and dream-world interludes, this heartwarming love story captures the bittersweet highs and lows of a rural teenage upbringing. A love letter to community, Niizh is a refreshing coming-of-age romcom about two young lovebirds leaving the nest.

About the Author

Joelle Peters is an award-winning Indigenous (Anishinaabe) actor/playwright working in theatre, television, film and current Artistic Director of Native Earth Performing Arts. Her plays include Niizh, Frozen River (with Michaela Washburn and Carrie Costello), and do you remember? Joelle has performed at the Stratford Festival, SummerWorks, the Thousand Islands Playhouse, Western Canada Theatre and more. She can be seen in the hit TV show Shoresy (Crave/Hulu), the film In Her City (Raven West Films Ltd.) and Web of Lies (Discovery+). In 2020, Joelle was selected as the playwriting protege for the Siminovitch Prize by laureate Tara Beagan.

Read more about Joelle Peters

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