No Native actor on record had ever been hired for a full season at American Players Theatre. Then came Donio Hinsley.
The Pascua Yaqui actor has since stepped into classical roles never written with someone like him in mind, all while finishing his MFA at DePaul’s Theater School. In this interview, he talks about the toll of being the first one through the door, how he picks projects that suit his own terms, from the APT stage to a guest spot in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer: New Sunnydale pilot, and what he hopes younger Indigenous and queer performers feel the moment they walk into a theater.
Q. What do you remember about the moment theater started to feel like your path?
I auditioned for a production of Newsies and had never tap danced in my life, but I faked it with a smile. To my surprise, I booked a featured tap dancer role and immediately called the director, insisting there had been a huge mistake. She gave me 2 options: go on your merry way OR get in tap classes and work hard to be in the show. I chose the latter and realized anyone could do the hard things we saw in entertainment if they cared enough to work hard. From that moment forward, I’ve worked hard to improve my skills every day.
Q. What did you see in The Thanksgiving Play that changed how you think about art and what it can do?
Before The Thanksgiving Play, I had never seen a show where the goal was to make the audience uncomfortable, to see a show so carefully handle native issues while making theatre audiences (mostly white) cringe at things we’ve normalized for far too long. I witnessed so much change through that discomfort. After the shows, people would chat in the lobby about how differently they view narratives around native issues, and I saw so much power in those conversations, so much learning. Now, I never join a project without being sure there is a need for it and that the project will help change people for the better.
Q. What kept you moving forward through the barriers you faced growing up, and what did those experiences teach you about resilience?
For me, it was always about freedom. There was a sense of freedom in the arts because it taught me to be whatever I wanted and create a world that I wanted to live in. Any challenge I faced became much easier to deal with when I knew what I was fighting for.
Q. How has each stage of your training shaped the artist you’re becoming, and what has your time at American Players Theatre added?
Each stage of my training has shown me that I know nothing and can do anything. The more I know, the less I know, and the more I realize all I need is bravery. American Players Theatre reinforced a motto I started at Juilliard: “I just want to be brave!” I have learned so much about what it means to be a native body in work that has been used to strip our culture. The power of decolonizing these texts and stepping into these roles with a native identity means that someone else can see themselves in this work, that is something I never had.
Q. How do you decide which projects are worth your time and energy, and what does each form let you say that the others don’t?
One of the first questions I ask a project’s team is this: “Why does this project matter to you right now, and what do you think the world could learn from it?” I only join a project if its vision is clear and promising. I enjoy TV/Film because it’s the most accessible and can create change faster, but theatre lets an artist sit with a project’s issues longer, which changes the artist. My favorite form of art is improv because it allows for extreme bravery and creativity that encourages unfiltered, thought-provoking conversations. I also love playing a troll in some random scenario, so improv is great for that too.
Q. Your first television credit was a guest-starring role in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer: New Sunnydale pilot, directed by Chloé Zhao. What was that experience like for you?
My time filming Buffy the Vampire Slayer: New Sunnydale was amazing! I got to meet so many people I look up to in this industry and work with them on screen. Getting to be on a supernatural show has always been a dream, and the fact that I got to be on such a huge IP show and immediately have my first TV credit be a guest star in it is huge. Especially being able to work with Oscar Award-winning director Chloé Zhao, whom I’ve admired for a while. Her directing style is more therapeutic than I’ve ever experienced. I hope to work with her again in the future, as well as all of my wonderful castmates in the show. It is a shame Hulu didn’t pick up the show when the world needed a vampire slayer most.
Q. What part of your creative process feels the most challenging right now, and what part feels the most rewarding?
Lately, the most challenging aspect has been Indigenous representation in the spaces I work in. Because of that lack of representation, I often have to have difficult conversations I’m not always equipped for, which creates more work than I signed up for. This work is imperative for growth in art spaces, so I will ALWAYS do it, but unfortunately, many of my counterparts don’t have that stressor. The most rewarding part is seeing the change that work creates, knowing the next person in my position won’t have to worry about asking all the questions I had to ask to the fullest extent. I hope they get to relax SLIGHTLY more.
Q. What kinds of barriers have you encountered in a largely white-dominated field that don’t always get talked about publicly, and how have you learned to navigate them?
The largest barrier I’ve faced is clouded perspectives that are informed by privilege, which makes it hard to feel seen/understood. Even in the most liberal, loving, and caring spaces, defensiveness comes up when people question how a space can become more diverse and equitable. I’m still learning how to navigate these spaces, but recently I’ve learned to either work with the perspective others understand to guide them toward my own, or walk away if the conversation isn’t worth my attention. Some people don’t even realize they don’t want to change because it challenges their current comfort. So, I try to understand what matters to them and how it intersects with my goals, then I present my goals in a way that fits their world.
Q. Were there moments when you had to trust your instincts over outside expectations, especially when your perspective and experience weren’t fully understood or valued?
1000%! I remember getting into an Ivy League drama program and hearing it was the obvious choice. Still, after an unfortunate interview experience with that program, I decided to attend another MFA program. Many people around me questioned why I wouldn’t go with an Ivy League school, but I knew that if I attended a school that made me feel bad in the interview, I would never know how to say no to other things that made me feel bad about myself. Plus, I knew I needed to be in Chicago, and DePaul’s MFA program was my top choice.
Q. When you think about the next generation of Indigenous and queer artists picking up their first script right now, what do you hope they see as possible that wasn’t visible to you when you were starting out?
I hope they stick with a quote that Viola Davis said: “why not me?” Recently, I attended a talkback at APT where a high schooler asked, “Why did you all choose to cast touchstone as a woman in As You Like It?” This raised questions about choosing a queer relationship onstage, and the actors’ response was, “Why not?” I want more Indigenous and queer artists to assume they belong on stage in these stories immediately and to think, “Why can’t this role be me?”
Q. When you imagine your life and work five or ten years from now, what feels most important to protect and stay true to as your career grows?
I want to protect my identity and commitment to positive change. I dread the idea of fame, but crave consistent work in places that create change and good work. No matter how others view me, I want to stay true to my values and, most importantly, keep courage alongside me.
Ask Donio Hinsley why he does any of it and the answer keeps coming back to bravery and the desire to create more opportunity for himself and his peers. Somewhere along the way he borrowed a question from Viola Davis. Why not me?
Theater and film still treat Indigenous and queer stories as niche, and meaningful roles are still far and inbetween. As a result, many talented creatives spend years waiting for their opportunity to break into the industry. Donio stopped waiting when he started asking “Why not me?” and embraced the courage to prove why it should be him.
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