Directing Niizh: A Powerful Journey with Two-Spirit Talent and Community

I recently had the incredible opportunity to direct Niizh, written by Joelle Peters. This was the debut production of the Mni Giizhik Theatre Ensemble, a company I co-founded alongside Sara Pillatzki-Warzeha and Adrienne Zimiga-January. Niizh marked both our company’s inaugural performance and the national premiere of the play.

Niizh is an Ojibwe rom-com that explores identity and love. At its core, it is a heartfelt and humorous coming-of-age story. Directing this play was one of those rare creative processes that felt deeply rooted in something sacred — where identity, community, and storytelling came together in the most beautiful way.

What made this experience so powerful was the people. I had the honor of directing two phenomenal Two Spirit actors, whose presence and performances brought Niizh to life in ways that moved all of us. At many points during rehearsals, at least half of the room was made up of Two-Spirit folx, and I can’t express how special that was to me. As someone who is Two-Spirit myself and who has so often felt unseen in spaces, especially theatre spaces, this opportunity was a gift.

To hold space like that, where we weren’t the only ones, where we didn’t have to explain ourselves or fight to be understood, was deeply affirming. It was emotional. It was freeing. It felt like returning to something that had been missing for a long time.

Too often in theatre, especially in colonial institutions, Two-Spirit voices are pushed to the margins or erased altogether. But in this room, we were centered. We were leading. We were thriving. The energy in the space was one of deep respect and cultural connection. There was a softness to it too, an ease that only happens when you’re surrounded by people who get it.

The word Niizh means “two” in Anishinaabemowin. That duality was reflected everywhere: in the story, in the cast, in the layers of identity each person brought into the room. It was more than a play. It was an act of reclamation.

I’m beyond grateful to our cast, crew, and every Two-Spirit person who helped make this production what it was. Mni Giizhik was founded to create spaces like this, rooted in culture, community, and care. And Niizh reminded me why that mission matters so much.