Biography

Madeline Sayet is a playwright, director, performer, writer, and educator based in New York and New England. A member of the Mohegan Nation, she explores cultural intersections through original theater productions in an effort to highlight indigenous perspectives. Her work ranges from reinterpretations of Shakespeare to absurdist comedy, and explores the complexities of race, culture, and media. In 2015, she premiered a critically acclaimed production of Mozart’s The Magic Flute that embedded indigenous ideologies in the classic opera.

Sayet’s mission is to present Native peoples with positive images and complex realities onstage. She is currently pursuing a PhD at The Shakespeare Institute, developing Ty Defoe’s new play The Fire Bird Tattoo, and collaborating with director Young Jean Lee on a new film project. Sayet is a 2016 TED Fellow, a recipient of The White House Champion of Change, a Van Lier Directing Fellow at Second Stage, and a National Arts Strategies Creative Community Fellow. She is the Resident Director at Amerinda (American Indian Artists) Inc., and is currently pursuing her PhD at the Shakespeare Institute in Stratford-upon-Avon, UK.