Aren Okemaysim (he/him) is an interdisciplinary performing artist with a professional background in theatre and music. He is originally from Beardy’s & Okemasis First Nation located in Treaty 6 territory but now resides in Treaty 4 Regina SK. Aren has received formal theatre training through University of Saskatchewan’s Bachelor of Fine Arts: Acting program and Globe Theatre’s Conservatory Actor Training program. As a musician, he is mostly self-taught through stage experience and a bit of classical training in high school and university.
Select theatre credits include: In Care (world premiere, Gordon Tootoosis Nikaniwin Theatre, Saskatoon SK); Peter and the Starcatcher (Globe Theatre, Regina SK); Only Drunks and Children Tell the Truth – co-production (Western Canada Theatre, Kamloops BC/Thousand Islands Playhouse, Gananoque ON); Forget About Tomorrow – co-production (Belfry Theatre, Victoria BC/Arts Club Theatre, Vancouver BC); Law of the Land (Caravan Farm Theatre, Armstrong BC); Trespassers Waltz – Grand Acts of Theatre (Curtain Razors/NAC-ET, Regina SK) and many more.
As a multi-instrumentalist, Aren has performed with a variety of local Saskatchewan artists spanning more than a decade across the prairie provinces. Some select musical highlights include sharing the stage with Chester Knight and the Wind, performing on the same bill as C-Weed Band, and opening for Blue Rodeo at Regina Folk Festival with The North Sound as a session guitarist. He has also been in the process of writing and recording original music for a solo project that will be announced soon.
Most recently, Aren had completed a residency at the Globe Theatre as an artistic associate with a focus in developing his skills as a theatrical sound designer, audio technician, and as a devised theatre collaborator. Some of his work will have most recently been shown as part of Globe Theatre’s Art Out Loud mini performance festival as well as being a mentee with the Narrative Design Collective (NDC), a collaborative partner with National Arts Centre – English Theatre’s Grand Acts of Great Hope.
