After a three-year postponement, the Encore Players at Littleton United Methodist Church will sponsor a Native American Short Play Festival, produced by a new organization, Celebration of Native Arts (CoNA). Mark your calendar for April 21 (7 p.m.) or April 23 (2 p.m.). The purpose of CoNA is to promote Native American theater, music and dance.

The five plays — each 10 minutes or less in length — will be presented as staged readings and they explore universal themes such as rites of passage, grief, empowerment and family, according to directors Annawyn Shamas, and Ellen Shamas-Brandt, founder of CoNA and Denver actor/director Pamela Clifton.

The Shamas mother/daughter duo are longtime Littleton residents — and are Chickasaw tribe members, as is Laura Shamas.

Annawyn’s great-grandfather was Chickasaw, she says, and they and sister/playwright Laura have registered as members.

This has been a major project for them and the theater-oriented family has been focused on Native American writing for some time: attending performances and making contacts.

These plays, which will have staged readings, were originally performed in Los Angeles at Native Voices at the Autry Theater’s Annual Short Play Festival. They are: “The Origin of Law” by Diane Glancy (Cherokee), “Four Women in Red” by Laura Shamas (Chickasaw), “The Tamale Man” and “Slow Your Roll,” by P.C. Verrone (Osage, Kiowa) and “Flight” by DeLanna Studi (Cherokee).

Native Voices at the Autry was founded in 1994 and is devoted to developing and producing new works for the stage by Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian and First Nations playwrights.

They are “moving, thought-provoking and humorous,” according to Shamas-Brandt, who sent out casting calls to the theater community.

Actors/readers will have four rehearsals and will be paid, she said, happy that she had filled the roles when we spoke last week. Applicants sent a head shot, resume, short video and monologue.

Rehearsal time will be brief, but the actors will read from the scripts, rather than performing in the round. It’s a pleasant prospect to have the opportunity to participate in new works and we hope this community will become involved.

Admission is free, and a free will offering will be taken to benefit the United Methodist Native American Ministries.

The festival coincides with Native American Sunday on April 23 at 5824 S. Datura St., Littleton. The church has lots of free parking.