Charlene Van Buekenhout
Charlene (she/her/char) is a Michif/Belgian-Canadian theatre artist, Artistic Producer of Echo Theatre and Creator and co-producer of Kiyanaan Indigenous Theatre Festival, actor, director, go go dancer, Metis jigger, Southern Michif Language learner, partner and parent.
“Minoosh Doo-Kapeeshiw” was created by Charlene and first premiered at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival digitally in 2022 and live in 2023 since then it has played outside on the grass, in community halls, and in its renovated interactive language workshop form, on the banks of Assiniboine River, and in the snow! Other Michif language theatre projects include “Doo-Pashkishok Lii Padrii” which has been performed and transformed both as a family theatre piece and a racy burlesque all in the name of language revitalization, as well as various Michif Clown explorations and performances throughout Treaty 1.
Charlene played Josephine-Marie (lead role/ narrator) in Manitoba Opera’s Li Keur: Riel’s Heart of The North and was honoured to work with French Michif language keepers through that process. Charlene was the Script Carrier for Tara Beagan’s Rise, Red River in 2024 produced by TCM, PTE, and Article 11 and carried forth language preservation through translations and edits of this new work in Anishinaabemowin, French, and English surtitles.
Charlene was part of the 2023 RMTC RBC National Mentorship Program with Lori Marchand (Managing Director at NAC-Indigenous) and recently completed an apprentice producer contract with Isabelle Ly as part of 2025 NAC Apprenticeship program. Charlene and Kiyanaan Indigenous Theatre Festival will be presenting a Cabaret for the Gathering of Alongquian Languages conference in October 2025. Her company Echo Theatre is currently the Company-In-Residence at Prairie Theatre Exchange to present the second Kiyanaan Indigenous Theatre Festival slated for February 6-8, 2026.