René Highway Explained

Birth Date:6 November 1954
Birth Place:Brochet, Manitoba, Canada
Death Place:Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Partner:Micah Barnes
Resting Place:Leaf Rapids Cemetery, Leaf Rapids, Manitoba, Canada
Known For:dancing · acting
Relatives:Tomson Highway (brother)

René Highway (November 6, 1954 – October 19, 1990[1]) was an Indigenous Canadian dancer and actor of Cree descent from Brochet, Manitoba. He was the brother of playwright Tomson Highway, with whom he frequently collaborated during their time at Native Earth Performing Arts in Toronto, and the partner of actor and singer Micah Barnes.

Highway studied dance at the Toronto Dance Theatre, at the in Denmark, and at the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto. Highway helped to create the role of Nanabush in his brother's play The Rez Sisters (1986), and was the choreographer for Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing (1989).[2]

He died of AIDS-related causes in Toronto in 1990. His partner was singer Micah Barnes.[3]

Native Earth Performing Arts started the René Highway Foundation in his memory.

Further reading

References

  1. Web site: Rene Highway . Find A Grave . 28 May 2021.
  2. News: Citron . Paula . Obituary: Rene Highway, 36, 'charismatic' performer . 28 May 2021 . The Toronto Star . October 20, 1990 . 6 July 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110706171604/http://www.canadianshakespeares.ca/multimedia/pdf/highway_obit.pdf . dead .
  3. Web site: I'm aggressively single: Micah Barnes. Purvis. Lara. May 5, 2009. Xtra Magazine.