Muriel Miguel facts for kids

Muriel Miguel (born August 15, 1937) is a talented Native American director, choreographer, playwright, actor, and teacher. She has roots in the Kuna and Rappahannock tribes. Muriel grew up in Brooklyn, New York. In 1976, she started the Spiderwoman Theater with her sisters, Gloria Miguel and Lisa Mayo. This theater group was the first Native American women's theater group to become famous around the world. It is also the longest-running Native American female performance group. Muriel Miguel has directed almost all of Spiderwoman Theater's shows since 1976. She is currently the artistic director, guiding the group's creative work.

Early Life and Cultural Roots

Muriel Miguel was born in Brooklyn, New York. She is the youngest of three sisters. Her mother, Elmira Miguel, was a member of the Rappahannock tribe from Virginia. Her father was a Kuna Indian from the Kuna Yala islands, which are off the coast of Panama.

When Muriel was in elementary school, she was taught that Native American culture was "dead." To show this was not true, she created a group called the Little Eagles with her friend Louis Mofsie. The Little Eagles brought Native children together. It encouraged them to be proud of their culture. They met in a church basement and performed traditional songs and dances. The Little Eagles group is still active in New York City today. It is now known as the Thunderbird American Indian Dancers.

Muriel later studied modern dance with famous teachers like Alwin Nickolais, Erick Hawkins, and Jean Erdman. She was also one of the first members of Joseph Chaikin's Open Theater.

Muriel Miguel's Career

The Spiderwoman Theater's Journey

In the early 1970s, Muriel Miguel started working with women from different backgrounds. They focused on telling stories using "sound, movement, and breath."

In 1976, Muriel's sisters, Lisa Mayo and Gloria Miguel, joined the group. With Pam Verge and Lois Weaver, the sisters formed the Spiderwoman Theater. They often explored and challenged old ideas about gender roles and cultural stereotypes. Their first show, Women in Violence, aimed to highlight important issues affecting women. It premiered at Washington Square Methodist Church. Muriel wanted to express the strong feelings about the "Indian situation" and the challenges Native people faced. They took Women in Violence to a festival in France. This made them the first feminist theater group to perform there. In 1977, they presented their second play, The Lysistrata Numbah!. This play combined Aristophanes' Lysistrata with personal stories from the group members. They called this method "storyweaving."

Later, the group changed, with Lois Weaver leaving to start another group. However, the three Miguel sisters continued as the Spiderwoman Theater. They understood how important it was for Indigenous stories to be shared. Using their special "storyweaving" method, they became a key part of Indigenous arts and theater. Some of their other shows included Trilogy: Friday Night Jealousy, My Sister Ate Dirt (1978), and Oh, What a Life (1980). Many of these plays challenged racism and classism.

Muriel Miguel continues to direct shows for the theater. She serves as its artistic director.

Teaching and Workshops

Muriel Miguel has also had a long teaching career. She was an assistant professor of drama at Bard College. For seven years, she taught Indigenous Performance at The Banff Centre for the Arts. She also directed the Aboriginal Dance Program there. Muriel worked with Native youth in cities on health issues. She developed shows for The Minnesota Native American AIDS Task Force. This group is now called The Indigenous Peoples Task Force. She teaches Indigenous Performance at the Centre for Indigenous Theatre (CIT). She also directs the CIT's three-week summer program. Muriel leads "Storyweaving Workshops" across the US, Canada, and Europe.

Writing and Choreography

Muriel Miguel choreographed two pieces, Throw Away Kids and She Knew She Was She. These were for the Aboriginal Dance Program at the Banff Centre. Muriel is also known for her one-woman shows. These include Hot 'N' Soft, Trail of the Otter, and Red Mother.

Other Artistic Work

In 2019, Muriel Miguel directed Marie Clements' play The Unnatural and Accidental Women. This was the first play presented by Canada's National Arts Centre's Indigenous Theatre department.

Awards and Recognitions

In 1997, Muriel and her sisters helped start the Native American Women Playwrights Archive. This archive is at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Because of their important work, they received honorary Doctorates of Fine Arts from Miami University. These awards recognized their lifelong contributions to theater. In the same year, she was chosen for the Native and Hawaiian Women of Hope poster.

In 2003, Muriel received the first Lipinsky Residency. This was for the San Diego State University Women's Studies Department. In 2010, Muriel and her sisters received the Lifetime Achievement Award. This award came from the Women's Caucus for Art.

Muriel Miguel is also a member of the National Theatre Conference. In 2015, she attended the Rauschenberg Residency. In 2016, Muriel was named a Guggenheim Fellow. In 2018, she received a large award of $275,000 from the 2018 Duke Awards. She also received the 2019 Distinguished Career Award at the Southeastern Theatre Conference. In 2022, Muriel was featured in the book 50 Key Figures in Queer US Theatre.