Note from the Authors
DISTANT THUNDER is a fictional story based on an amalgam of true events that have happened throughout Indian Country over the course of many years. We chose to set it on the Blackfeet Reservation because it is where Shaun met his mentor, Darrell Robes Kipp, and began to discover the connection between language and identity. Darrell co-founded the Piegan Institute and the Cuts Wood School** with Dorothy Still Smoking where the work to preserve Pikunni language and culture is now carried on by his son, Darren Kipp. The early idea for our show began there, was nurtured by Randy Reinholz and Jean Bruce Scott at Native Voices at the Autry in Los Angeles, by Donna Trinkoff at Amas Musical Theatre in New York with (readings and a lab), and further supported by Bill Rauch at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Kent Nicholson of Playwrights Horizons passed the script along to Michael Baron and, thanks to Michael, we have arrived at Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma.
Eternal thanks to our elders and advisors, the aforementioned Darrell Robes Kipp and his wife Roberta Kipp, Jill Kipp-Blueheron, Redman Little Plume, Robert Owens Greygrass, our current cultural advisor, Brent Florendo, and our beloved Joseph FireCrow. More recently, we have had the gift of learning dances from Michael Taylor and Louis Mofsie, artistic director of the award-winning Thunderbird American Indian Dancers and the gift of rehearsal space donated by Patricia Ripley and Butch Grier at Ripley-Grier Studios in New York. We are also grateful to our past supporters whose generous contributions have helped us develop the show. We honor them below.*
May there come a time when Indigenous children can look up on many stages and recognize themselves in the characters in many stories, then go home and write their own.
Lynne Taylor-Corbett and Shaun Taylor-Corbett
Thank you to all the supporters
Terry Schnuck
Paula Chaiken
Margaret Beals
Alan Govenor
Sharon Talbot
Kelly Taylor
Michael Dimen
Abby Dimen-Taylor
Jack and Janelle Murphy
Geraldine Dimen
Marilyn and Charlie Radaz
Debra and David Buchanan
Jordan Onorato and Catherine Reid
Dr. Andrew and Julia Wang
Dr. Keith Hasday and Mrs. Patti Hasday
Sandi Risser
Mitchell Pines
Helen Chaitman
Ian Pryor
Chris Fitzhugh
Nir Eyal
Geraldine DeRuiter and Rand Fishkin
Robert Barnett
Pamela Cooper
Tommy Flagg
Dee Heath
Steve Sagman
The Altshulers
Erin Craig and Richard Hester
Salgado Productions
Michael Balderrama
Special Thanks to
Original casting director, Carol Hanzel, at Carol Hanzel Casting in New York
Amrita Ramanan, former director of Literary Development and Dramaturgy at Oregon Shakespeare Festival
Sean Snyder and Adrian Stevens for Chicken Dance instruction and regalia consultation
Jesse DesRosier and Robert Hall for their tremendous help with the Blackfoot language
Smokey and Darnell Rides At The Door for embracing Shaun and their mentorship, friendship and guidance with Blackfoot language and culture
Darrell Robes Kipp and the Kipp family for your support and friendship over 25 years.
The Bullshoe family for sharing their knowledge and supporting me
The Florendo Family and Drum Dancing Spirit
Browning, MT and the Amskapi Pikunni people for everything you have given us
The Okan Society and Kaa Nux Im Mii Taaks and Amskapi Pikunni (Blackfeet people)
**Distant Thunder will proudly donate to the Cuts Wood School in perpetuity.