Published & Produced Works

Upcoming Productions

30 East 10th Street

St. Paul MN 55101

651-292-4323

boxofc@historytheatre.com

Published Plays

  • Band Camp | in Contemporary Plays by Women of Color, edited by Roberta Uno, Routledge Press, 2017

  • Friends | in Performing Worlds into Being: Native American Women’s Theater, edited by Ann Elizabeth Armstrong, Kelli Lyon Johnson, William A. Wortman, Miami University Press, Oxford Ohio, 2009. Indian Child Welfare Conference, Minneapolis 2008. Native American Radio Award winner 2008. Very Short Play Festival II, Northfield Arts Guild Theater, Northfield MN, April 2007

  • Bring the Children Home | in Footpaths & Bridges: Voices, edited by Shirley Huston-Findley, Rebecca Howard; University of Michigan Press, Ann Arbor, 2008; Native American Women Playwrights archive. Commissioned by Child’s Play Theatre (now Stages Theater + more info); Steve Barberio, Artistic Director; produced at Pillsbury House Theatre, 1996

  • SongCatcher: A Native perspective of Frances Densmore | Published in Keepers of the Morning Star: An Anthology of Native Women’s Theater; UCLA 2003. Staged reading by Red Road Productions, NY at the American Indian Community House Theater’s SkyWoman Festival, Nov 10, 1999. First full production Casey Stangl, Director; Ron Peluso, Artistic Director; Great American History Theatre, St. Paul MN, 1998 (2 hours)

Review by Journalist Janice Command:

“The play forwards a Native perspective on the life and work of Frances Densmore, whose early 20th Century recordings of traditional and sacred songs have been part of the tug-of-war between the Smithsonian Institute and tribal members in recent years. SongCatcher delves deep into the controversies that surround anthropology and cultural appropriation.

SongCatcher is a complex play in many ways. History, the spirit world, and contemporary life converge on stage. The plot involves Jack and Chris, a Native couple whose apartment becomes crowded with spirits when Jack innocently, but misguidedly, misuses sacred art and songs. One of those spirits wandering in the apartment is Densmore.

The play, commissioned as biography, is undoubtedly a controversial and enlightening perspective on the celebrated musicologist’s work. There will be disagreements as to whether the interpretation demonizes, or merely humanizes, its title character.”

Playwright note: In this age of multiculturalism, a much larger question being asked by this play is: From whose perspective is history told? Whose stories get accorded academic credibility? Who determines whose version of history is accurate? How does a history, told from a mono-culturistic point of view shape people’s perceptions, not only of historical times and events but also people’s perceptions of themselves?

Produced & Curated Works

  • Say Their Names | Staged reading, The History Theater, St. Paul MN 2022

  • Say Their Names | Staged reading, Out of Hand Theater / Net Theater Ensemble and Playwright Center, Atlanta GA 2021

  • Sweet Revenge | Staged Reading, in collaboration with Native Stakeholders; Muriel Tarrant, Director; Guthrie Playwright Center, Minneapolis 2020

  • ART IS…CreativeNativeResilience | Curated work for TwinCities PublicTelevision, June 2019

  • Indigenous Directors Institute | Pangea Theater; Minneapolis, 2017

  • Raving Native Date Night | Curated Native cabaret shows; Minneapolis, Jan - May 2016

  • Neurotica | Scripted in collaboration with Thunderbird Theatre Students at Haskell Indian College, Lawrence, KS; Pat Melody, Artistic Director, 2004

  • Predator/Prey | Marcie Rendon, text; Paul Herwig, script development, staging and Jennifer Ilse, choreography, from Off Leash Area Theatre, Minneapolis, MN; full production at The Playwright Center, Minneapolis, MN 2004

  • Sacajawea | Commissioned work with full production spring 2003 at Fargo-Moorhead Community Theatre, Fargo, North Dakota

  • The Trial of Standing Bear | In progress operatic theater piece with full outline and two completed scenes. Book by Marcie Rendon, music by composer Brent Michael Davids. Two completed scenes directed by Ben Krywosz at Nautilus Rough-Cuts, 2001

  • Rough Face Girl | The American Indian Repertory Theatre, Lawrence Arts Center, Lawrence, KS 2008. First full production, Rebecca Rice, Director; Janet Stanford, Artistic Director; BAPA Imagination Stage, Bethesda MD, 2001

Description: Billed as a Native American Cinderella story, this play is based on a Micmac tribal legend. It is a story about unhealed grief and one young woman's ability to see beauty in the face of fear, loneliness and pain. When we can see the beauty around us, in each other and ourselves, there is hope for love, togetherness and laughter.

  • Urban Rez | Poetic-movement piece exploring native life in the inner-city; Eye of the Storm Theater, SEED the Storm Series; staged reading directed by Casey Stangl, 2000 (40 minutes)

  • l837 Mille Lacs Treaty | Rendon worked as mentor and dramaturg with the students of the Minnesota American Indian AIDS Task Force Summer Native Arts Prevention Program to create this piece; play directed by Sharon Day. Produced at the Southern Theater, Minneapolis 1999; Mille Lacs Cultural Center, ML Reservation MN, 1999. (1 hour) Script © Minnesota American Indian AIDS Task Force program of the MN Indigenous Peoples Task Force, Sharon Day, Executive Director.

Description: This play depicts the urban struggles of people of color today alongside the historical and current treaty issues of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe in Minnesota.

  • FREE Frybread Telethon | Collaborative written, performed show. Music by Mohican composer Brent Michael Davids (Bluebutterfly). Standing room only production at Bryant Lake Bowl Theater, 1999; produced show at the Minneapolis Fringe Festival, 1999; dinner shows at AFACS annual banquet and the St. Croix Casino in Wisconsin, 1999; FREE Frybread and Chitlins Too, staged version at Intermedia Arts Black Natives art exhibit, Minneapolis, scripted, produced and directed by Rendon, 2000 (1 hour)

Description: Just what can you do on stage with a beaded leather thong bikini? Determined to break cultural stereotypes of drums, feathers and flutes, FREE Frybread was a hilarious evening of song, dance and performance art – complete with commercials from Rez-rider Auto Parts and Nit-Git. Native country’s own Vanna Brown tally’s the pledges. The Rice Girls and BuffyAin’tForFree are featured attractions. Even Elvis Shapeshifter makes an appearance. The audience are members of the telethon studio watching volunteer telephone operators take pledges to FREE Frybread.

  • Outside In, Inside Out | Script for © story/play by Peg Wetli, CLIMB Theatre, St. Paul 1997

  • A Place in the Sun | Song by M. Rendon for the collaborative work InnerCity Opera. The Great American History Theatre, St. Paul MN 1996

  • Looks into the Night | Screenplay, written with Valerie RedHorse; © story by Lorraine Norrgard (American Film Institute, l995; Winner of Best Dramatic Short - American Indian Film Festival, l996)

Director, curator, writer, and producer for community-based, collaboratively created Raving Natives theatre productions and Theater in the House pieces for site-specific locations. Plays are scripted and directed by M. Rendon, collaboratively written and performed:

  • Don’t Judge an Author by His Book Cover | Written by Rendon, produced and performed on Zoom for Patrick’s Pandemic Cabaret, 2020

  • The Ghost of Manifest Destiny | Written, performed by Brent Michael Davids & Eric Keast at Jungle Theater, in conjunction with pARTS Gallery’s photography exhibit Silent Witness – Landscapes that have witnessed genocide, 2002 (5 minutes)

  • As the Spiritual World Turns | Patrick’s Cabaret, May 2000 (20 minutes)

  • Ho Ho Ho and a Cuppa Jo | Performances at Black Bear Crossing Coffeehouse, St. Paul MN - April 1999 (1 hour), Dec 1999 (45 minutes). Also performed in private homes in the Seward and Powderhorn neighborhoods of Minneapolis, March 1999

Performance Art

Spoken Word Fellows, The Loft 2017 - 2018
  • Spoken Word Immersion Fellows | The Loft, Minneapolis MN 2017 - 2018

  • Poetry reading to benefit Standing Rock | Pangea Theater, Sept 2016

  • Go Back Home | Video created with John Gwinn and Migizi Students for Re-Imaging Minnesota Art exhibit, All My Relations Gallery, 2016

  • A Native Perspective | Hippie Localism exhibit, Walker Art Center, 2015

  • EQ | Poetry reading at The Loft 2015

  • What’s What Edition | Two Chairs Telling with Paul Metsa, Bryant Lake Bowl 2015

  • Minza | Poetry reading 2015

  • Poetry Reading | St. Paul Almanac, Black Dog Coffee Shop, St. Paul 2015

  • Shore | Story for Emily Johnson's curated reading at the Loft, 2014

  • Ghost Stories | Readings by six women who have survived historical trauma; with Mai Neng Moua, Joan Trygg, Carolyn Holbrook, Margie Newman.

  • Sister Nations | Poetry reading with poets Heid Erdrich, Linda Legarde, Pauline Danforth and Marcie Rendon; Fond du lac Tribal College, November 2010

  • True Ghost Stories for Halloween Eve! | Spirit in the House, Inc; Mpls., MN Oct 30, 2010 & 2011; 2013

  • Poetry performance, panel with EQ poets | AWP Conference, Denver CO, April 2010

  • We Are Each the Seventh Generation | Rendon monologue for The Playwrights’ Center: Inspired By! Suzan-Lori Parks’ writing 2008

  • Occupied Lands, Foreign and Utterly Domestic | The Artists’ Platform, curator Loren Niemi, Patrick’s Cabaret 2008

  • Poetry performance for Ojibwe school | sponsored by the Loft; East Lake MN 2008

  • 9 x 22: A Dance Lab | Cast member of Can you Be Hypnotized? by Oleg Soulimenko (Russian dancer, choreographer, teacher), Bryant-Lake Bowl, 2008

  • Performance | The World According to Pops by Ben Kreilkamp; Bryant-Lake Bowl 2007.

  • Patrick’s Cabaret 2007 & 2006







Cool Momma Cabaret, Patrick's Cabaret 2015

Dramaturg, Curated Readings, Signings

  • Ojibwe Poets Reading | University of Michigan, 2006

  • Winter Storytelling | Fond du lac Reservation, 2004 & 2005

  • Spoken Word Performance | With Bao Phi, Doug Kearney, Yurick Glasow | Russian Avante Garde Art Exhibit, Weismann Art Museum, University of Minnesota - Minneapolis, 2001

  • Aboriginal Women Reading on Racism | Aboriginal Eliminating Racism Conference, Sydney Australia, 2001

  • 38 by Rob Thomas | Minnesota History Theater, St. Paul, 2013

  • Friends; Urban Rez | 2nd Annual Tamael Pejuta Unyanhan Pi - Finding the Medicine Within Yourself to Help Conference, Rapid City SD, 2012

  • US Dakota War by Rob Thomas | Great American History Theater, St. Paul, 2012

  • Script | Buckskin for the Bride by Mark Anthony Rolo, Minneapolis 2012

  • Script | My Mother is Now Earth, by Mark Anthony Rolo, Minneapolis 2012

  • Curated Native American Poetry Readings | St. Paul Almanac, Black Dog Coffee Shop, St. Paul, 2010, 2011, 2012

  • Staged Reading | Zenteotl First Corn Energy, written by Deborah Ramos, co-directed by Marcie Rendon, Heart of the Beast Theater, Minneapolis, 2011

  • Curated, produced readings from published book of plays | What’s An Indian Woman to Do? by Mark Anthony Rolo, title inspired by Rendon poem of same title; Minneapolis American Indian Center, Sept 2010

  • Audio podcast | Adventures at Camp Kakeekwasha and the Magic Musky Casino! Raving Native Radio, 2009

  • Stands Alone: The Spirit in the House Festival | Raving Native Production, featuring Kohl Miner: The SemiConscious Memoirs of a Negligent Native; Sigwan Rendon and Kohl Miner in: Borders Uncrossed, Minneapolis MN 2008

  • Insiders Looking Out: An Evening of Native Performance | with William Yang, photographer; Colin Offord, musician; and five Native American performance artists. Two River’s Gallery, for the Walker Art Center 2008

  • Raving Natives Show | six Native artist performances at Patrick’s Cabaret, 2007

  • Return of the Native Rave: With more than a Hope and Prayer | Four Native American performance artists at MANNA Fest, Augsburg College, 2007

Lyrics

  • Opening Lyrics | Opera: Swede Hollow, Composer Ann Millikan, St. Paul, 2012

  • Earth Memory Holds Me | DAAK: Call to Action, Ananya Dance Company, 2008

  • Grandmother Walks | For Composer Ann Millikan, 2006

  • Thunder Calling | The Festival Choir of Madison, Composer Brent Michael Davids 2006

  • Spring Wind Dances at the River | The Mingling of Waters Ceremony, Grand Excursion Celebration, Composer Brent Michael Davids, 2004

  • Turtle Isle | World Voices Choir, Composer Brent Michael Davids, 2002

  • A Day in the Sun | Inner-City Opera, The Great American History Theater, 1996

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