Corey Payette is proud of his Oji-Cree heritage from Northern Ontario and has worked as a playwright, actor, composer, and director across Canada. He is the Artistic Director of Urban Ink (Vancouver, BC), past Artist-in-Residence with English Theatre at Canada’s National Arts Centre, and the founder Raven Theatre (Vancouver, BC) focusing on new works by Indigenous artists. Corey has worked as an Artistic Associate with Full Circle: First Nations’ Performance and The Indigenous Cycle at the National Arts Centre an investigation into the broad spectrum of the Indigenous body of work being created within Canada’s borders. This cycle resulted in the creation of a new department of Indigenous Theatre at the National Arts Centre to begin in 2019.
As a playwright, Corey’s work has been developed at the National Arts Centre, Vancouver Playhouse, Firehall Arts Centre, Western Canada Theatre, Arts Club Theatre, Urban Ink, Full Circle: First Nations Performance, Fugue Theatre, Bard on the Beach, and Raven Theatre. His original musical ‘Children of God’ has been developed in collaboration with English Theatre at the National Arts Centre and had its world premiere in 2017 at the York Theatre (The Cultch) in Vancouver followed by a tour to the Mainstage at the National Arts Centre. The second tour in 2017-18 to the Citadel Theatre in Edmonton and Western Canada Theatre in Kamloops and upcoming will be touring to the Segal Centre in Montreal, followed by a return engagement at the York Theatre (The Cultch) in Vancouver in Winter 2019.
His second musical 'Les Filles du Roi' (music and direction, co-book/lyrics with Julie McIsaac) in English, French, and Kanien’kéha (Mohawk) commissioned by Fugue Theatre had its world premiere in May 2018 in Vancouver at the York Theatre.
Corey’s acting credits include the world premiere of the musical 'The Road Forward' by Marie Clements at the PuSh Festival and docu-feature produced by the National Film Board of Canada, ‘Beyond Eden’ at Theatre Calgary/Vancouver Playhouse Theatre Company, ‘La Cage Aux Folles’ at the Vancouver Playhouse, three summers at the Chemainus Theatre Festival, and toured the Yukon with Gwaandak Theatre as the lead in their world premier production ‘Justice’ at the Yukon Arts Centre and was also presented at the NAC's Northern Scene Festival.
Corey holds a B.F.A. in music composition from York University, composed the film score to the documentary AMIN AMIR (OMNI TV), and was the past Grand Chief of the Board of Directors of the Indigenous Performing Arts Alliance (IPAA) and board member of Vancouver Native Health Society providing mental, physical, and spiritual relief to Aboriginal people on the DTES, Vancouver, BC.
As a playwright, Corey’s work has been developed at the National Arts Centre, Vancouver Playhouse, Firehall Arts Centre, Western Canada Theatre, Arts Club Theatre, Urban Ink, Full Circle: First Nations Performance, Fugue Theatre, Bard on the Beach, and Raven Theatre. His original musical ‘Children of God’ has been developed in collaboration with English Theatre at the National Arts Centre and had its world premiere in 2017 at the York Theatre (The Cultch) in Vancouver followed by a tour to the Mainstage at the National Arts Centre. The second tour in 2017-18 to the Citadel Theatre in Edmonton and Western Canada Theatre in Kamloops and upcoming will be touring to the Segal Centre in Montreal, followed by a return engagement at the York Theatre (The Cultch) in Vancouver in Winter 2019.
His second musical 'Les Filles du Roi' (music and direction, co-book/lyrics with Julie McIsaac) in English, French, and Kanien’kéha (Mohawk) commissioned by Fugue Theatre had its world premiere in May 2018 in Vancouver at the York Theatre.
Corey’s acting credits include the world premiere of the musical 'The Road Forward' by Marie Clements at the PuSh Festival and docu-feature produced by the National Film Board of Canada, ‘Beyond Eden’ at Theatre Calgary/Vancouver Playhouse Theatre Company, ‘La Cage Aux Folles’ at the Vancouver Playhouse, three summers at the Chemainus Theatre Festival, and toured the Yukon with Gwaandak Theatre as the lead in their world premier production ‘Justice’ at the Yukon Arts Centre and was also presented at the NAC's Northern Scene Festival.
Corey holds a B.F.A. in music composition from York University, composed the film score to the documentary AMIN AMIR (OMNI TV), and was the past Grand Chief of the Board of Directors of the Indigenous Performing Arts Alliance (IPAA) and board member of Vancouver Native Health Society providing mental, physical, and spiritual relief to Aboriginal people on the DTES, Vancouver, BC.