TURTLE ISLAND THEATRE

Turtle Island Theatre has been a fixture in the social fabric of Kahnawà:ke since 1993. It was created by founding Artistic Director, Kevin John Saylor, and began in the classrooms of local elementary schools.

From there, the program gained momentum and expanded its services through the Brighter Futures Initiative under Kahnawà:ke Shakotiia'takehnhas Community Services (KSCS). Programs such as Kateri School Singers, Musical Entertainers, and Turtle Island Players were among those developed in the decade following its inception.

After a temporary setback and closure in 2013, Turtle Island Theatre partnered with the Kahnawake Youth Center (KYC) in 2022, with funding provided through Onkwatá:karitáhtshera. The goal of this partnership was to bring children’s drama programming back to the community of Kahnawà:ke and to support the growth of Turtle Island Theatre as an organization.

Our programs provide after-school drama classes for children and teenagers, as well as adult drama programming. Turtle Island Theatre has been highly successful in building local talent and fostering an inclusive, thriving arts community in Kahnawà:ke.

Beyond this, Turtle Island Theatre is a key community organization that offers an inclusive and supportive space for children, youth, and adults. It has become a critical safe space where young people can build confidence, connect with peers, and explore their identities.

In April 2026, Turtle Island Theatre will be moving into the new Language, Culture, and Arts Center, Kanatahkwèn:ke. This move will increase our capacity to host and produce performances, offer skill-building workshops, and operate as a dedicated performing arts space for children, youth, adults, and elders in our community.

Turtle Island Theatre before it closed in 2013 was located at the Kateri Hall in Kahnawà:ke, Quebec. The space fit approximately 115 audience members. The seating was built with parent volunteers and recycled seating.

The new Turtle Island Theatre concept drawing by architects Provencher Roy. The new theatre space will be located in the new cultural arts building Kanatahkwèn:ke, set to open to the public in June 2026. This space will seat 168 audience members with retractable seating to allow for dinner shows and conferences.

Photo Courtesy of Provencher Roy

Our Logo-The logo of Turtle Island Theatre was designed by Kevin John Saylor and Danny Boulerice in 1997. It has appeared on every poster, program, and promotional item since then. The logo was slightly modified in 2020, after the Turtle Island Theatre Company became Turtle Island Theatre.

OUR FOUNDER

Kevin John Saylor, MA, MSM, has been working in Theatre as an Actor, Director, Choreographer, Designer, Playwright, and Drama Teacher at various times throughout his entire adult life. Holding four University Degrees, he is a graduate of the Professional Acting Program at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York, holds both a BA and MA in Theatre (Cum Laude) from the State University of New York, and his Teaching Degree in Drama Education from McGill University. In 1993, Kevin founded Turtle Island Theatre in his home community of Kahnawà:ke, Quebec, where he served as Artistic Director for over three decades. In 2004, Kevin had the distinction of being decorated with the Meritorious Service Medal by the Governor General of Canada, for his National contributions to the Performing Arts, particularly recognizing his mentorship of emerging Indigenous Creatives. Besides his work with Turtle Island Theatre, Kevin has Directed professionally for several Montreal Theatre Companies, mounting Dramas, Musical Theatre, and Operettas. He was a Theatre Professor at the State University of New York, and has been professionally consulted for Coaching and Dramaturgy in Canada and abroad. Kevin John Saylor is also the owner and Artistic Director of the Royal Theatre Thousand Islands in Gananoque, Ontario, where he founded the First Peoples Circle of the Thousand Islands, and annually produces the First Peoples’ Performing Arts Festival of the Thousand Islands (which frequently features Kahnawà:ke Artists). Kevin’s quiet activism and advocacy for Indigenous Creatives are of paramount importance to him, as he proudly witnesses First Nations talent emerging more and more to the forefront on the Canadian Arts Scene, often featuring Creatives whom he himself mentored through Turtle Island Theatre in Kahnawà:ke.  


Mission

Turtle Island Theatre is committed to fostering the growth and appreciation of the arts within Kahnawà:ke. Our mission is to provide accessible theatre education and performance opportunities for individuals of all ages, creating pathways for artistic expression and skill development. We are dedicated to maintaining a safe, inclusive, and welcoming environment where people from all backgrounds can explore their creative potential. Through productions that reflect the culture, interests, and values of our community, Turtle Island Theatre seeks to strengthen cultural identity, encourage community engagement, and contribute to the vibrant artistic landscape of Kahnawà:ke.

Vision

Turtle Island Theatre envisions a thriving, inclusive arts community in Kahnawà:ke where theatre serves as a powerful vehicle for cultural expression, education, and connection. We aspire to be a leading creative hub that nurtures emerging talent, celebrates Kanien’kehá:ka stories and perspectives, and inspires future generations to engage with the performing arts as a means of preserving tradition and fostering innovation.

Meet the Team

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

  • Kyle Zachary

    COMMUNITY SEAT

    KYLE ZACHARY began performing with the Turtle Island Theatre at 10 years old, which, if you’re doing the math, means he has spent 75% of his life on stage. Over the years, Kyle has worn many hats. He performed in numerous Turtle Island Theatre productions such as: Grease, West Side Story, Fiddler On The Roof, Crazy For You, Murder With Ghosts, The Matchmaker, and Murder Afoot. He’s served as Lighting and Sound Technician for such shows as 42nd Street, Oliver, Peter Pan and The Sound of Music. He has Directed several productions including Rumours, & … And Then There Were None. He also directed Turtle Island Theatre/Starcatcher Productions co-productions Curtains, and Urinetown: The Musical for which he and Kirk Elsmore won the broadwayworld.com Regional Award for Best Director. 

  • Jessica Hernandez

    COMMUNITY SEAT

    JESSICA HERNANDEZ is a Kanien’kehá:ka mother, business owner of Nicia’s Accessories, award winning beadwork artist, and dedicated Turtle Island Theatre member for over 30 years. She has been an active board member since 2009, adding the role of building committee representative for the Kanatahkwèn:ke;  Kahnawà:ke’s new culture & arts center since 2016.

    Jessica has acted in many community theatre productions as a child, teen, young adult, such as; West Side Story, A Chorus Line, Oliver, Mack and Mabel, Fiddler on the Roof, and Les Misérables. She was also a part of the casts of Little Shop of Horrors, The Man Who Came to Dinner, The Sound of Music, and Rehearsed to Kill through John Abbott College’s Theatre Workshop program. More recently she took the stage in Turtle Island Theatre’s production of Murder Afoot. Alongside her stage roles she also had a small recurring role in the award winning television series, Mohawk Girls.

  • Krissa Paul

    COMMUNITY SEAT

    KRISSA PAUL has been a member of Turtle Island Theatre since 1994. She has acted in 35+ productions over the years, such as: Anything Goes, Once Upon a Mattress, And Then There Were None, Murder with Ghosts, The Matchmaker, and Murder Afoot. She also worked as a Camp Counsellor in her teens and acted as Stage Manager during the productions of How to Succeed in Business Without Even Trying and Fools. Since 2019, she has been employed at The Mohawk Council of Kahnawake, where she processes the weekly payroll.

  • Melissa Jean Deer

    COMMUNITY SEAT

    MELISSA JEAN DEER is a dedicated mother and active community member who serves as an Administrative Technician and Project Coordinator with PlanIt Consulting and Communications here in the community. She is also a member of the Board of Directors for the Kateri Memorial Foundation, where she contributes her time and expertise to supporting community initiatives.

    Melissa Jean has been involved with Turtle Island Theatre since the age of eight, when she made her stage debut as ‘Chubby Pink Fish #1’ in The Little Mermaid. Since then, she has participated in numerous productions, both on stage and behind the scenes, including serving as Stage Manager on multiple occasions.

    She is passionate about the arts and is committed to strengthening and supporting the theatre community.

  • Daryl Leclaire

    Daryl Leclaire

    ORGANIZATIONAL SEAT- TEWATOHNI’SAKTHA

    DARYL LECLAIRE recently joined the Turtle Island Board of Directors as the Tewatohnhi’saktha representative. After a lifetime of working in a video store, and seeing a thousand movies of all genres, I’ve been at Tewatohnhi’saktha since 2001, first as a Business Services Officer and now as Director of Business Services. All my roles have led me to a sense of community, as well as a sense of volunteerism to provide assistance and support where I can. I look forward to the challenges and work ahead.

  • Lisa Phillips

    ORGANIZATIONAL SEAT- KANIEN’KEHA:KA ONKWAWEN:NA RAOTITIOHKWA LANGUAGE AND CULTURAL CENTER

  • Kahnawà:ke Youth Center

    ORGANIZATIONAL SEAT

    This seat has been deferred for one year. A representative will sit on the Board of Directors starting on March 2027.

Partnerships

In 2014, one year after theatre programming ended under Kahnawà:ke Shakotiia’takéhnhas Community Services (KSCS), the Kanien'kehá:ka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language & Cultural Center (KOR) approached Turtle Island Theatre to collaborate on the Kanatahkwèn:ke Cultural & Arts Center, then known as the Multi-Purpose Building Project. In 2016, the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke (MCK) added their support, leading to the formation of a building committee to move the multi-million-dollar project forward.

During the ten-year closure of theatre programming (2013–2022), and while funding efforts for the new building were underway, the Kahnawake Youth Center (KYC) recognized a growing need for theatre programming—especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, which had a significant impact on youth confidence, social skills, and overall well-being. In response, a partnership formed that enabled the KYC to restart theatre programming through Onkwatá:karitáhtshera, with the full support of Turtle Island Theatre.

That partnership will continue for one more year, while funding is identified to help sustain the Turtle Island Theatre independently and even more so to grow into an all around performing arts center for the Kanien'kéha community of Kahnawà:ke.

Turtle Island Theatre is a non- profit organization and more recently in has hired Planit Consulting & Communications in order to find and secure funding to help sustain programming and operations.

  • The Kanatahkwèn:ke Cultural and Arts Center is a new multi-purpose cultural hub being built in Kahnawà:ke to support Kanien’kéha language revitalization, arts, and community life. The project will bring together the Kanien'kehá:ka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language & Cultural Center, a Museum that will tell the history of Kahnawà:ke and it’s people, Turtle Island Theatre, Kahnawà:ke Tourism, and Tota Ma’s Café under one roof. Designed as a gathering place for learning, creativity, and cultural pride, Kanatahkwèn:ke will serve as a home for storytelling, education, history, and artistic expression for future generations.

  • The Kahnawà:ke Youth Center is a long-standing, multi-generational community organization located in the Kahnawake Mohawk Territory. Originally founded in 1972 as the “Caughnawaga Boys and Girls Club,” it offers a wide range of recreational, cultural, educational, and fitness programs for people of all ages.

    In 2023, they partnered with the Turtle Island Theatre to revive it’s programming and bring the performing arts back to life in Kahnawà:ke

  • Our goal is to provide every client with the expertise needed to carry out their most important projects.