Where We Belong

In 2015, Mohegan theatre-maker Madeline Sayet crossed the Atlantic to England to pursue a PhD in Shakespeare. What began as an academic journey became a profound exploration of ancestry, history and home.

Inspired by her time in the UK, Sayet's acclaimed stageplay examines Britain's uncomfortable relationship with its colonial past and its enduring connections to the Native peoples of North America. Weaving together her own experiences with the stories of Mohegan ancestors who travelled to England centuries before her, Where We Belong is a powerful and poetic meditation on connection, division, and belonging in an interconnected world. Here it is adapted for audio for the first time.

This drama is part of BBC Radio 4's Story of America, a major collection of dramatisations of milestone American titles marking 250 years since the Declaration of Independence and the foundation of the United States.

Where We Belong is written and performed by Madeline Sayet
With,
Allison Hicks
Kholan Studi
Jason Forbes
Clare Corbett

Original music is by Erik Schilke

Sound design ..... Pete Ringrose
Sound recording ..... James Murray
Producer ..... Anne Isger
Production Co-ordinators ..... Jon Powell and Sara Benaim

A BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 4

Madeline Sayet is an award-winning Mohegan playwright, director, and scholar recognized for her work in contemporary Native American Theatre and reimagining the classics. She serves as Clinical Associate Professor at Arizona State University with the Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies and previously served six years as the Executive Director of the Yale Indigenous Performing Arts Program at Yale University. Her plays include: The Fish, The Last Laugh, The Knife, FAUST(US), The Neverland, and Up and Down the River. Where We Belong and The Neverland are published by Methuen Drama. Where We Belong was performed at Shakespeare's Globe in 2019, then completed a national tour of the United States produced by Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company and the Folger Shakespeare Library from 2021-2024. Accolades include: TED Fellow, MacDowell Fellow, Hermitage Fellow, Forbes 30 Under 30, recipient of the White House Champion of Change Award from President Obama.

Erik Schilke is an ambient electronic artist and award-winning composer working in film, theater and visual media. He has scored and sound designed multiple projects for acclaimed directors including Seth Godin’s The Practice directed by Fernando Lazzari, Madeline Sayet's Where We Belong directed by Mei Ann Teo, Eva MeiLing Pollitt's Éléphant directed by Akia Squitieri, Melissa Tantaquidgeon Zobel’s Flying Bird's Diary and The Wishing Well directed by Madeline Sayet. His work has also been seen at The Public Theater, Goodman Theatre, Seattle Rep, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Portland Center Stage, Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, Baltimore Center Stage, Folger Shakespeare Library, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, The Old Globe and University of San Diego Shiley Graduate Theatre Program and internationally in museums such as Pixelbase and Moravská Galerie in Prague as well as online magazines including Stash Media. His debut album Synthesis was recently released on the German label Hymen Records.