Darrell Dennis
Encyclopedia
Darrell Dennis is a native
Canadian
comedian
, actor
, screenwriter
and radio personality
.
He has appeared in various Canadian television series including Northwood
and The Rez
. He wrote the film, Moccasin Flats
which was an official selection at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival
and later adapted for television on the Showcase Television Network.
In the summers of 2008, 2009 and 2010, he produced and hosted the CBC Radio One
radio documentary
series, ReVision Quest
, which explored and challenged the various stereotype
s about North American indigenous peoples.
His semi-autobiographical one-man play, "Tales of an Urban Indian", in which he explored themes of growing up as an indigenous First Nations
Native American
, was performed by him on a city bus driving on the streets of Barrie, Ontario
in 2009. He performed the show in New York in March 2009. A second run of performances in Barrie took place in early 2011 in preparation for taking the show on the road to other cities.
Nation in British Columbia
. He is married to actress Katya Gardner.
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
, actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
and radio personality
Radio personality
A radio personality is a person with an on-air position in radio broadcasting. A radio personality can be someone who introduces and discusses various genres of music, hosts a talk radio show that may take calls from listeners, or someone whose primary responsibility is to give news, weather,...
.
He has appeared in various Canadian television series including Northwood
Northwood (TV series)
Northwood was a Canadian drama television series which aired on CBC Television from 1991 to 1994 about the lives of teenagers living in North Vancouver, British Columbia. The series was created and produced by Nick Orchard....
and The Rez
The Rez
The Rez was a first nations, Canadian television series, which aired on CBC Television from 1996 to 1998. Most of the characters were based on W.P...
. He wrote the film, Moccasin Flats
Moccasin Flats
Moccasin Flats is a Canadian drama series that ran for three full seasons. This series, which has been aired on the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network and Showcase Television since 2004, is a co-produced by Big Soul Productions Inc. and Stephan Onda Productions inc....
which was an official selection at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
and later adapted for television on the Showcase Television Network.
In the summers of 2008, 2009 and 2010, he produced and hosted the CBC Radio One
CBC Radio One
CBC Radio One is the English language news and information radio network of the publicly-owned Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It is commercial free and offers both local and national programming...
radio documentary
Radio documentary
A radio documentary or feature is a purely acoustic performance devoted to covering a particular topic in some depth, usually with a mixture of commentary and sound pictures. It is broadcast on radio or published on audio media, such as tape or CD...
series, ReVision Quest
ReVision Quest
ReVision Quest is a radio documentary program that has aired on CBC Radio One in the summers of 2008 through 2011 so far.The program's name references historical revisionism and vision quests; it is hosted by Darrell Dennis, and explores the roles of First Nations people in modern society while...
, which explored and challenged the various stereotype
Stereotype
A stereotype is a popular belief about specific social groups or types of individuals. The concepts of "stereotype" and "prejudice" are often confused with many other different meanings...
s about North American indigenous peoples.
His semi-autobiographical one-man play, "Tales of an Urban Indian", in which he explored themes of growing up as an indigenous First Nations
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
, was performed by him on a city bus driving on the streets of Barrie, Ontario
Barrie, Ontario
Barrie is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada, located on the western shore of Lake Simcoe, approximately 90 km north of Toronto. Although located in Simcoe County, the city is politically independent...
in 2009. He performed the show in New York in March 2009. A second run of performances in Barrie took place in early 2011 in preparation for taking the show on the road to other cities.
Personal life
Dennis is a member of the Secwepemc (Shuswap)Secwepemc
The Secwepemc , known in English as the Shuswap people, are a First Nations people residing in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Their traditional territory ranges from the eastern Chilcotin Plateau and the Cariboo Plateau southeast through the Thompson Country to Kamloops and the Shuswap...
Nation in British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. He is married to actress Katya Gardner.
External links
- ReVision Quest: Dennis' CBC Radio summer series