Johnathan Boyd (in robot suit), Shinaana Secody, Nathaniel TwoBears, and Bianca Tovar Photo by

To date, twenty-four theatre companies have signed on to the project; among them, they will produce plays by twenty different playwrights. New Native Theatre is one of those twenty-four, and playwright Ramón Esquivel is one of those twenty. According to Artistic Director Rhiana Yazzie's pre-show announcement, Fallenstar: The Watchoverers is the third of those plays to be brought life in a full staging. It premiered in October at the NorShor Theatre in Duluth, under the auspices of Duluth Playhouse, and since has been performed in schools around the Twin Cities before settling in for a limited public run at the Minneapolis American Indian Center.

The plotline of Fallenstar: The Watchoverers is a fairly by-the-book origin story for a trio of superheroes. What makes it distinctive is that the three are all Native teenagers, and the story unfolds within the context of Native culture. The play begins with Shania playing hot and heavy on the basketball court, being cheered on by her sister Rosie and their cousin Billy-Sweet. Shania is the game's hero, scoring the winning points, but in the process she falls and incurs an injury that puts an end to her basketball-playing days. Rosie and Billy-Sweet try their best to boost Shania's spirits, and take her out to beautiful mountain country, but Shania's need to rely on crutches makes it hard for her to appreciate their efforts.

All this changes when a meteorite falls to earth. They hear the roar as it sears the Earth's atmosphere and the boom of its impact (terrific sound design work is by Eric M.C. Gonzalez), then go in search of the space rock. When Rosie finds it, she attributes animate qualities to the meteorite, naming it Fallenstar. As each makes physical contact with Fallenstar, they acquire a superpower. For Rosie it is super strength, for Shania it is super-speed, and for Billy-Sweet it is the ability to fly. They are then faced with serious decisions, such as whether or not to keep Fallenstar to themselves and, of course, deciding on their super-hero identities, though Shania needs to be brought up to speed on the concept of alter-egos.

Their superpowers are immediately put to the test when two large robotic machines, Earthchomper 1X followed by Earthchomper 2Z, attack the threesome in an effort to seize control of Fallenstar. This leads to super-hero style action fight scenes, and also calls for the heroes to make a difficult decision requiring a sacrifice. The results are rather predictable, but it is still fun to watch these neophyte crusaders go to battle against the ingeniously designed monsters–actually human-sized puppets, designed and operated from within by Johnathan Boyd. The play wraps up with their selection of a name they can go by as a group, like the X-Men or The Avengers. Their choice comes from a place deeply rooted in their culture that forges an identity distinct from other superhero collectives.

Fallenstar: The Watchoverers is performed by a quartet of young actors with varying degrees of stage experience, all of whom demonstrate a knack for forming a distinct character and immersing themselves in a theatrical narrative. Nathaniel TwoBears conveys a natural stage presence. As Billy-Sweet, he is a flippant jokester on the outside, but reveals tenderness and loyalty within. Shinaana Secody, as Shania, empathically expresses the angst of a young person who has lost their path (after her basketball accident) and needs new direction. Bianca Tovar, making her acting debut as Rosie, is the group's optimist and natural leader, showing her inner strength even before Fallenstar endows her with physical super-strength. Johnathan Boyd acts from within the puppets to bring the two Earthchompers to life, coordinating his actions with robotic voices pre-recorded by Meredith McCoy.

Director Alejandro Tey has knitted together a tight ensemble, with the actors playing off one another with great authenticity, and has devised some simple but ingenious staging that serves as the play's "special effects," such as the way in which he depicts Billy-Sweet as a superhero in flight, or the way in which Earthchomper 1X swallows one of the characters whole. Of course, these are patently pretend, but within the universe of this simple but heartfelt story, they serve the purpose beautifully and add a joyful whimsy to the proceedings.

Indigenous costume designer Amber Buckanaga's provides imaginative superhero get-ups, as well as a traditional ribbon skirt for Rosie. Michael Haas's scenic design offers a striking natural landscape that is a wellspring for many indigenous practices, values and beliefs. At the play's end, a comic-book cover banner is unfurled revealing the superhero team's image and logo, ready to soar into further adventures, with character images created by Kameron White. The company also lists Mary Abraham in the credits as Company Elder. I am sure I have not seen such a credit cited before, and am not certain what a Company Elder does, but it seems like a wonderful idea if it means someone with a storehouse of background knowledge and wisdom who helps keep the collaborative work on an even keel. Perhaps something like a dramaturg with inborn cultural credentials.

Fallenstar: The Watchoverers is a breezy and delightful short (about 50 minutes). The audience I saw the play with included a few children, a good number of youth, and about an equal number of adults of all ages. Most of the audience appeared to be of indigenous heritage, but the storyline is absolutely relatable to any young person familiar with superhero or comic book culture. The extra measure it takes to depict indigenous culture, and to be performed by an all-indigenous cast, may give it extra resonance within that community, which is all for the good, considering how many theatre works have completely ignored them. At a question-and-answer session after the performance, one young theatregoer asked if there would be more stories based on these characters–always a good sign that the company had done things right.

Fallenstar: The Watchoverers, a production of New Native Theatre, runs through November 3, 2024, at the Minneapolis American Indian Center, 1530 East Franklin Ave., Minneapolis MN. For tickets and information, please visit www.newnativetheatre.org.

Playwright: Ramón Esquivel; Director: Alejandro Tey; Scenic Design: Michael Haas; Costume Design: Amber Buckanaga; Sound Design: Eric M. C. Gonzalez; Puppeteer: Johnathan Boyd; Comic Artist: Kameron White; Stage Manager: Becca Wilts.

Cast: Johnathan Boyd (Earthchomper 1X and Earthchomper 2Z), Meredith McCoy (Voice Actor: Earthchomper 1X and Earthchomper 2Z), Ardie Medina (Voice Actor: Fallenstar), Shinaana Secody (Shania/Pronghorn) Bianca Tovar (Rosie/ Painted Turtle), Nathaniel TwoBears (Billy-Sweet/Goshawk).