KWEH, ǪMATĘRUˀ

"Madeline Easley (she/her) is a Wyandotte artist whose work as a writer and performer converges at the intersection of magical realism and elevation of Tribal Sovereignty, the inherent right of Tribal Nations to govern themselves. Born in Kansas City, MO, Madeline is a proud citizen of the Wyandotte Nation of Oklahoma (Porcupine Clan). She seeks to infuse her cultural inheritance within community-centric narratives to advance recognition, healing, and strength to challenge the colonial dystopia that denies Indigenous history and futurisms. Madeline is the inaugural Four Directions Resident Playwright for 2023, a new partnership between Tulsa Artist Fellowship, Tofte Lake Center, Great Plains Theatre Commons (GPTC), and the Kansas City Repertory Theatre (KCREP). She is also a 2022 Greenhouse Playwriting Resident at SPACE on Ryder Farm and a 2021 First Peoples Fund Cultural Capital Fellow. Madeline is one of six filmmakers who premiered short films at "We The Peoples Before'' in the summer of 2022 at the Kennedy Center. Her film The Feathered Girl was a 2022 LA SKINS FEST featured selection and made its west-coast premiere at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. Her plays include SHIFT, FEAST FOR THE DEAD, and a new play commissioned by KCREP about Lyda Conley and her protection of the Wyandot National Burying Ground in Kansas City, KS. As an actor, Madeline has performed regionally and Off-Broadway."

maddieeasleyinfo@gmail.com

Writing Resume

Headshot

Acting Resume

Current

2023 Four Directions Playwriting Residency
Playwriting commission from Kansas City Repertory Theatre (KCREP) to tell the story of Lyda Conley, the first Native American woman (and Wyandot) to argue a case in front of the Supreme Court.

Recent

"THE FEATHERED GIRL" premieres at the LA SKINS FEST 2022 as a Featured Selection at the TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood.
Native Women in Film Panel with First Peoples Fund and LA SKINS FEST.
Madeline directs and performs in a staged reading of "QUANTUM" at Primary Stages.
Selected as a 2022 Greenhouse Playwriting Resident at SPACE of Ryder Farms.
Madeline performs in "FLYING BIRD'S DIARY" at Long Wharf Theatre
Madeline performs in "DÉJÀ VU: BEFORE AMERICA WAS AMERICA" at Signature Theatre with T41.
Madeline is commissioned by First Peoples Fund to create a film for "WE THE PEOPLES BEFORE" at the Kennedy Center.

Plays

Feast for the Dead

A Full-Length Play

By M.Easley

Kay was illegally adopted out of her Tribe after the fall of ICWA in the days leading up to the zombie apocalypse. But her wealthy new family left her behind when they escaped the carnage by sea. Seven years later, Kay is a thriving citizen of a Confederacy of Tribes who took over governance of Turtle Island after the settler government fell. Then suddenly, the zombies disintegrate, and the one percent return from the sea, ready to re-colonize. The only solution? Revive the centuries-old, Huron-Wendat tradition of holding a Feast of the Dead.

TBA - Conley Story

A Full-Length Play

By M.Easley

In 2023, with the support of Four Directions and mentorship from Cherokee Playwright Mary Kathryn Nagle, Madeline is focused on telling the story of Lyda Conley, the first Native American woman to argue a case in front of the Supreme Court. Lyda was a member of the Wyandot Nation of Kansas, a sister Tribe to the Wyandotte Nation of Oklahoma. Lyda fought the legal issue surrounding the "Huron Cemetery," a historical burial site of the Wyandot People and the Wyandotte Nation of Oklahoma's historical jurisdiction over it as the sole Wyandot/Wyandotte band recognized by the United States Government. Madeline's work on this story centers on bringing the two Tribes closer together after the separation and violent colonization of the Wyandot/Wyandotte People.

Shift

A Short Play

By M.Easley

A Native American woman with terminal illness due to lead poisoning from growing up in Picher, Oklahoma, AKA "The Most Toxic Town in America," returns home to spend a final night with her high school sweetheart. Together, they discuss past wrongs and future dreams, leaning into a new world where their love and land were never tainted.

Recent Projects/Performances

Get in Touch

Other Performances/Events

Maddie as "Henrietta Leavitt" from SILENT SKY

Maddie as "Lady Bona" from HENRY VI. PART III.

Maddie as "Clytemnestra" from IPHIGENIA AND OTHER DAUGHTERS