Stories from the Stage, the WORLD-original series showcasing extraordinary stories told by ordinary people from all walks of life, premieres its seventh season on Monday, Oct. 16, at 9:30 p.m. EST. Seven Native Americans are in the spotlight in upcoming episodes of the series this season, which was produced in collaboration with Arizona PBS, Nebraska Public Media and Vision Maker Media. Series hosts, humorists, and storytellers — Theresa Okokon and Wes Hazard set the stage for the evening’s theme and welcome each episode’s three amateur storytellers to perform for a live audience.
The episode On Sacred Ground (Oct. 23) features three Lincoln, Nebraska, residents. Award-winning journalist and managing editor of Indianz.com Kevin Abourezk – a citizen of the Rosebud Lakota Nation – details his work to rally his Native community to oppose a massive housing development on tribal land in Lincoln. Artist Colleen New Holy – an enrolled member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe of Pine Ridge, South Dakota – details the judgment heaped on traditional healing through stories of her mother, noted activist and educator Reneé Sans Souci, and her work as an educator preserving Native culture. Valery Killscrow Copeland – a member of the Oglala-Lakota Sioux Tribe – takes viewers on a hike … that’s interrupted by Bigfoot!
The second Native American episode Sacred Circle (Nov. 13) opens with Omaha resident Levelle Wells of the Elk Clan of the Omaha Tribe, who is Afro-Indigenous, as he finds a path to meaning, healing and helping after prison. Lawrence, Kansas filmmaker and University of Kansas assistant professor Rebekka Schlichting – an enrolled member of the Ioway Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska – honors the keeper of the connection between her people and culture. The episode closes with Los Angeles resident Charlie Perry, who has light skin and hair, as he reflects on trying to be accepted by fellow members of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation of Mayetta, Kansas.
Tempe, Arizona resident Kyle Mitchell, a Diné (Navajo) storyteller and Army veteran, shares the love and wisdom he received on the Navajo reservation in All Connected (Nov. 20).
New episodes premiere Mondays at 9:30 p.m. EST through June 2024 on WORLD and stream across WORLD digital platforms, including YouTube.
Connection through identity is interwoven throughout this season of Stories from the Stage. Audiences will find humor, poignant lessons and moments of triumph in episodes such as Finding Family (Dec. 4), Bucket List (Jan. 8), Quest (Jan. 22), From the Heart (Feb. 12), Extraordinary Women (March 4), Be the Change (March 18), Belonging (May 6) and Sound Check (May 13).
Audiences can view Stories from the Stage on WORLD, YouTube, worldchannel.org and the PBS App. Individual stories and exclusive digital content can also be viewed on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and on the WORLD YouTube Channel. The series can also be experienced via podcast with Stories from the Stage: The Podcast bringing deep dives, interviews and more, with highlights selected by series co-creators and podcast co-hosts Patricia Alvarado Núñez and Liz Cheng. Select stories from Stories from the Stage broadcast Fridays on The World, a globally focused radio program from PRX and GBH.