Girl OF Fire

Artist and activist LaDonna BlueEye (she/her) incorporates her lineage and lived experience to create work that crosses traditional boundaries.  In the ways of the warrior, BlueEye served in the U.S. Army as a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division at the end of the Cold War. She earned a PH.D in Public and Community Health.    An enrolled member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, BlueEye now actively reclaims and reincorporates the language into her life and art. LaDonna holds a responsibility to ensure the language of her ancestors lives on for future generations.

Kaylanah Strange Owl is a proud member of the Northern Cheyenne Nation from Lame Deer, Montana, USA. Kaylanah was named Miss Northern Cheyenne in 2023 and represented her tribe in traditional, cultural, language preservation, educational seminars and events throughout the United States. Kaylanah was a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) athlete in Cross Country and track & field athlete who majored in Natural Sciences. Kaylanah started the first Indigenous Student Organization to provide space for other Indigenous students who seek community and cultural connection while they study far from their families. In May 2026, Kaylanah graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree Dominican University, Chicago, Illinois. Kaylanah is a textile designer who makes traditional clothing and regalia in ways taught by her ancestors. Kaylanah has the talent to merge traditional Indigenous elements of regalia with modern fabrics to make a unique fashion statement. Her passion to mentor Indigenous youth is expresses through traditional, athletic, artistic events and/or educational programs that give back to her community in a meaningful way.

Katie is the Founding and current Co-Artistic Director of Akron, Ohio’s Gum-Dip Theatre.  Since launching the company in 2016, Katie has produced or directed 115 performances, with an emphasis on the mission of highlighting underrepresented voices.  Her work with new scripts and community based original works is a hallmark of her artistry.  Some of her highlights as a playwright are DrunKatie, Obnoxiously Unconstitutional, Rebranding the City: A humanizing Tour of Akron, Into the Mold, and A Town for Us.  Her unique contribution to the Akron cultural life have been recognized in many awards and grants, including an artistic residency with Akron Soul Train and three Knight Foundation Arts Challenge Awards.

For thirty years Mary maintained a solo architectural practice in New York City with a primary speciality focused on live performance venues.  Peace Corps volunteer service shifted her towards a ‘practice of presence’, community-based design process, building on the principle that everyone deserves good design.

Her first book Free Rose Light – Stories around South Street was published by University of Akron Press.  Her completed architectural projects can be found on every continent except Australia (project in the planning stage), South America and Antarctica.   Mary is tremendously grateful for LaDonna’s trust in bringing Girl of Fire to the world.

Rubber City Theatre is a dynamic professional theater company based in Akron, Ohio, dedicated to reimagining the classics and elevating contemporary voices through a lens of accessibility and innovation. Since its founding, the company has distinguished itself by stripping away the "pomp and circumstance" often associated with high art, focusing instead on

the raw, transformative power of storytelling to connect a diverse community. By operating under a Small Professional Theatre (SPT) agreement with the Actors' Equity Association, they bridge the gap between local talent and professional standards, ensuring that the "Rubber City" remains a vibrant hub for high-quality, thought-provoking performance.