The Manitoba theatre community is deeply saddened by the unexpected passing of Ian Ross, a renowned Métis-Ojibway playwright, storyteller, and educator who died at the age of 57. Kelly Thornton, the artistic director of the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, expressed the significant loss felt by all who knew Ian and the broader community. Ian, born in McCreary, Manitoba, in April 1968, later moved to Winnipeg and obtained a bachelor’s degree in film and theatre from the University of Manitoba.
His play “fareWel,” a dark comedy depicting life on a fictional First Nations reserve, debuted at Winnipeg’s Prairie Theatre Exchange in 1996 and was honored with the Governor General’s Award for English Drama, establishing Ian as the first Indigenous playwright to receive this prestigious accolade. The play was subsequently showcased at the esteemed Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2001.
Apart from “fareWel,” Ian authored several other plays like “The Gap,” “Heart of a Distant Tribe,” “An Illustrated History of the Anishinabe,” and “Baloney,” which addressed poverty-related themes for young audiences. His more recent work, “The Third Colour,” premiered at Prairie Theatre Exchange in 2019.
Ian was also recognized for creating the character “Joe from Winnipeg,” featured in segments he wrote and performed on CBC Radio and TV during the 1990s. Additionally, he was actively involved in mentoring and supporting other Indigenous playwrights in Manitoba, exemplified by his leadership in RMTC’s Pimootayowin Creators Circle program, which nurtures new plays by Indigenous artists in Manitoba.
Described as a “consummate storyteller” by Thornton, Ian’s legacy lives on through the continuation of the Pimootayowin Creators Circle program. Thornton emphasized the importance of Indigenous storytelling, noting that Ian’s vision and the sharing of these stories must endure on stages for all to experience and appreciate.