Introducing our OTC25 campaign!

For 25 years, Obsidian Theatre has stood as a beacon of excellence, proudly producing, developing, and training Black artists within the Toronto theatre community and across the country. Through our commitment to amplifying Black voices, we have become a cornerstone of Canadian theatre, celebrating the diversity of Black stories on stage.

As we mark this significant milestone, we reflect on our achievements and look toward a future filled with even greater opportunities for growth and impact. Our goal is to raise $250,000 by the end of 2025. This funding will go directly towards:

• Supporting the general operations of Obsidian Theatre
• Building new play development opportunities
• Training and creating more opportunities for emerging Black artists
• Expanding the Obsidian team to better serve our community

Your financial contribution is crucial to sustaining this vital work.It allows us to provide artists with essential resources,  ensure the longevity of our programs, and create opportunities for the next generation of Black creatives to thrive. Together, we can continue to lead the charge in fostering a more inclusive and diverse theatre landscape

Strengthening Toronto’s Theatre Sector together!

We’re excited to proudly announce a Creative Collaboration Initiative between Obsidian, Soulpepper Theatre, The Musical Stage Company, Bad Hats Theatre and The Toronto Fringe Festival! 

This Creative Collaboration Initiative focuses on community-building, shared capacity and creative cross-pollination, while allowing each organization to retain its unique artistic identity and autonomy. In practice, the initiative will include co-productions and presentations at Soulpepper Theatre, co-commissioning of new works, audience development and co-marketing initiatives, and a commitment for each partner company to amplify the work of the others. Each company will continue to present their own productions at any venue they choose and be free to collaborate with any other company.  

Following the incredible success of Three Sisters in February 2024, Obsidian Theatre and Soulpepper Theatre are co-producing the World Premiere of Table For Two by Akosua Amo-Adem in early 2025. 

The Creative Collaboration Initiative is an open invitation to Toronto audiences to discover some of Canada’s most exciting theatrical works by some of our city’s leading companies and build a new model for collaboration that will serve the arts sector for years to come. 

“This partnership represents a significant step towards further amplifying Black voices on Toronto’s stages, allowing us to build new bridges within our community and beyond, sharing stories that resonate and connect us all.” 
Mumbi Tindyebwa Otu

Photo by Dahlia Katz

Back Row (L to R): Laura Paduch (TO Fringe), Mumbi Tindyebwa Otu (Obsidian), Victor Pokinko (Bad Hats), Weyni Mengesha (Soulpepper), Michael Sinclair (Obsidian), Rachel Kennedy (TO Fringe), Paul Beauchamp (Musical Stage Company), Matt Pilipiak (Bad Hats). Front Row (L to R): Fiona Sauder (Bad Hats), Gideon Arthurs (Soulpepper)

Love and Basketball Season Pass!

It’s our 25th Anniversary, and we’re celebrating in style by bringing our own rendition of “Love & Basketball” to the mainstage! 

Take advantage of our Love and Basketball Season Pass, your ticket to an unforgettable theatre experience. With this pass, you’ll enjoy 30% off access to Table for Two and Flex at a special 25th anniversary price—a deal too good to miss!

Gain access to concierge-like service, making it easy and convenient for you to select your preferred show dates (Tuesday to Friday), ensuring maximum flexibility to suit your schedule.

Don’t wait too long—the sale ends January 17, 2025! Secure your Season Pass now and celebrate 25 years of storytelling, passion, and community with us.

Meet this year’s Playwrights Unit!

We are thrilled to announce the talented artists selected for this year’s Playwrights Unit. Please welcome Cameron Grant, Oprah Lemorin, Phillip Dwight Morgan.

The Playwrights Unit is designed to support playwrights through individual mentorship and group sessions. The program is facilitated by actor and playwright, Lisa Codrington. The unit will culminate in a workshop with actors and a director and a presentation in June 2025 as part of Obsidian’s annual Playwrights Unit Showcase.

We are excited to explore and showcase new works, and cannot wait to share them with everyone! 

THREE SISTERS PICKS UP TWO BIG WINS AT THE DORA MAVOR MOORE AWARDS!

Three Sisters took home both Outstanding Production and Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in the General Theatre category! 

Thank you so much to The Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA) and the jury, to our co-producers Soulpepper Theatre and to the entire cast, creative team and production and administration teams, and every single person who contributed to the success of this show!! 

This was such a special show for us and we are so grateful to our audiences, our sponsors and our board for their support. 

Congratulations to all of the Dora winners, nominees and to every theatre maker who continued to create incredible work this past year!  We couldn’t be prouder to be a part of this community!    

Three Sisters

A Obsidian Theatre and Soulpepper Theatre Co-Production
By Inua Ellams
After Chekhov

Director: Mumbi Tindyebwa Otu

Starring: Akosua Amo-Adem, Virgilia Griffith, Daren A. Herbert, Sterling Jarvis, JD Leslie, Tawiah M’Carthy, Ngabo Nabea, Tony Ofori, Oyin Oladejo, Makambe K. Simamba, Ordena Stephens-Thompson, Amaka Umeh, Matthew Brown (Standby) 

Assistant Director: Natasha Mumba
Set Design: Joanna Yu
Costume Design: Ming Wong
Lighting Design: Andre du Toit
Sound Design & Composition: John Gzowski
Vocal Coach & Arrangements, Additional Composition: Adekunle Olorundare (Kunle)
Movement Director: Esie Mensah
Fight & Intimacy Director: Anita Nittoly
Dialect Coach & Cultural Consultant: Dienye Waboso
Dialect Coach: Paul de Jong
Historical Consultant: Ugochukwu Okoye

Stage Manager: Robert Harding
Assistant Stage Manager: Emilie Aubin
Apprentice Stage Manager: Keleshaye Christmas-Simpson

Canada’s leading Black arts organization, OBSIDIAN THEATRE, announces two major premieres for their 25th Anniversary Season

World Premiere of TABLE FOR TWO by Akosua Amo-Adem

Canadian Premiere of Candrice Jones’ FLEX

Toronto, May 9^th, 2024 – As their acclaimed 23.24 season continues with the Canadian Premiere of seven methods for killing kylie jenner set to begin previews on May 12^th, Obsidian Theatre is thrilled to announce the details of their upcoming 24.25 season.

Distinguished by the Canadian Premiere of a buzzy and critically acclaimed work by an African-American playwright and the World Premiere of a first play by a celebrated Black Canadian performer, the 24.25 season also celebrates the company’s 25^th anniversary – 25 years of exploring, developing, and producing Black excellence on Canada’s stages.

“It is truly humbling to be a part of the incredible legacy of this company and exciting to be co-leading Obsidian at this benchmark moment alongside Michael Sinclair,” comments Obsidian Artistic Director Mumbi Tindyebwa Otu. “The longer I do this job, the more immensely grateful I am to my predecessors Philip Akin and Alison Sealy Smith and the founding members, for their hard work and legacy of advocating and championing the Black voice during their foundational time leading the company.

“In our 25th year, we have programmed work that centers the Black gaze and offers fresh perspectives about the Black experience – a World Premiere by a cherished local Black artist alongside the Canadian premiere of a celebrated contemporary African-American writer. This 25^th season is also a real celebration of contemporary Black women in pursuit of their dreams.”

First up, in February 2025, Obsidian partners again with Soulpepper Theatre to co-produce the World Premiere of Akosua Amo-Adem’s TABLE FOR TWO. In the uproarious yet poignant new work, Akosua Amo-Adem takes centre stage as Abena Ohemaa Frimbog, affectionately known as Abby. Directed by the acclaimed Djanet Sears, this captivating and hilarious production delves into the trials and tribulations of modern-day dating.

Following Abby, a Ghanaian woman with an impressive resume, TABLE FOR TWO is a candid exploration of the digital dating landscape, where swipes, likes, and matches collide with cultural traditions and personal aspirations. With razor-sharp wit and unflinching honesty, the play invites audiences to join Abby on her journey as she confronts the complexities of romance, identity, and the pursuit of happiness in the 21st century. 

“TABLE FOR TWO has been programmed during Black history month and opens on Valentine’s Day,” comments Tindyebwa Otu. “This is exciting! A story about a Black woman in pursuit of love is a powerful counter to the stories of Black trauma that we often find programmed during Black history month. This production feels doubly special, as not only are we joining forces again with Soulpepper who we had a rich and meaningful collaboration on THREE SISTERS, but it is bringing together the powerhouse duo of actor/playwright Akosua Amo-Adem and the incomparable Djanet Sears.” 

A founding member of Obsidian, Sears’ play ADVENTURES OF A BLACK GIRL IN SEARCH OF GOD was the company’s first full-scale production in 2002 and she has not directed for Obsidian since that time. Amo-Adem has equally been a major part of Obsidian’s history starring in critically acclaimed roles in productions including THREE SISTERS, 21 BLACK FUTURES, SCHOOL GIRLS, OR THE AFRICAN MEAN GIRLS PLAY, and VENUS’ DAUGHTER.

In the spring at Streetcar Crowsnest, Obsidian partners with Crow’s Theatre on the Canadian Premiere of the buzzy FLEX from American playwright Candrice Jones and directed by Obsidian Theatre Artistic Director Mumbi Tindyebwa-Otu. Winner of the National Arts Club’s Kesselring Prize for Playwriting and a New York Time’s Critics Pick, FLEX takes audiences back to 1997 and the WNBA is changing the game. Every player on Plainnole’s Lady Train High School basketball team dreams of going pro. But first, they must navigate the pressures of being young, Black, and female in rural Arkansas, where a mistake on the court can become a foul in real life. 

With the swagger, determination, and adrenaline of a four-quarter game, FLEX celebrates the fierce strength and athleticism of young women and what it means to be going for your shot at greatness. 

Tindyebwa-Otu comments, “Candrice Jones’ FLEX is a raw and vulnerable coming-of-age piece that looks at the dreams, hopes, and aspirations of a basketball team of young Black women. Issues of  gender equity, race and class in competitive sports are at the centre of the piece, as are questions about the raw desire to win, and individual ambition at the expense of friendship and team spirit. This piece is inherently theatrical; it will be like staging an immersive basketball game. I am also excited for what conversations this piece will spark with our Toronto audiences especially in light of ongoing talks about a local WNBA.”

For additional information about Obsidian Theatre’s 25^th anniversary season programming, visit obsidiantheatre.com.

Media contact:

Suzanne Cheriton, RedEye Media, suzanne@redeyemedia.ca, 416-805-6744

OBSIDIAN THEATRE 24.25

TABLE FOR TWO (World Premiere)

A Soulpepper & Obsidian Theatre Co-Production 

Feb 7 – Mar 2, 2025 at Soulpepper Theatre

Written by and Starring Akosua Amo-Adem 

Directed by Djanet Sears

“Ghanaian parents don’t talk about sex and when they do, it’s not very helpful.”

In the uproarious yet poignant, in TABLE FOR TWO, we meet Abby, a Ghanaian woman with an impressive resume. She’s waiting at a restaurant for yet another online suitor – the mysterious JD45. Her last date with Marcus007 couldn’t have gone worse, but maybe this time will be different! Maybe JD45 will put an end to the societal pressures, including her best friend’s recent engagement and her mother’s constant questions: Why are you still single? Where are my grandbabies? Why don’t we find you a nice man from Ghana? 

A candid exploration of the digital dating landscape, in TABLE FOR TWO swipes, likes, and matches collide with cultural traditions and personal aspirations. With razor-sharp wit and unflinching honesty, the play invites audiences to join Abby on her journey as she confronts the complexities of romance, identity, and the pursuit of happiness in the 21st century. Don’t miss this world premiere production that promises to leave hearts fuller, and spirits lifted. 

“What makes her piece work so well is the clarity of her writing and the intensity of her performance…Amo-Adem is astonishing.” (The Home Project) Top 10 Stage Artists, NOW Magazine

FLEX (Canadian Premiere)

A Crow’s Theatre & Obsidian Theatre Co-Production 

Apr 15 – May 18, 2025 at the Streetcar Crowsnest Guloien Theatre 

Written By Candrice Jones 

Directed By Mumbi Tindyebwa Otu 

“Flex hits the right rhythms on the court and off.” – New York Times (*Critic’s Pick)

It’s 1997 and the WNBA is changing the game. Every player on Plainnole’s Lady Train High School basketball team dreams of going pro. But first, they must navigate the pressures of being young, Black, and female in rural Arkansas, where a mistake on the court can become a foul in real life. 

With the swagger, determination, and adrenaline of a four-quarter game, FLEX celebrates the fierce strength and athleticism of young women and what it means to be going for your shot at greatness. 

Winner of the National Arts Club’s Kesselring Prize for Playwriting. 

shaniqua in abstraction OPENS TODAY!

shaniqua in abstraction opens today at Crow’s Theatre. Congratulations to writer and performer bahia watson, director Sabryn Rock and the entire creative team!

An intrepidly daring one-woman play, the action follows an actor as she responds to a casting call and slips into a musing multiverse of narratives and characters including an artist, a wet nurse, a talk show host, a descendant of slaves, a comedian, and a convict.

With her poet’s heart and charming humour, bahia defiantly pushes against the boundaries defining and holding back Black women.

A Crow’s Theatre Production in association with paul watson productions and Obsidian Theatre

shaniqua in abstraction
Written and Performed by bahia watson
Directed by Sabryn Rock

Creative Team
Echo Zhou – Set Designer
Kimberly Purtell – Lighting Designer
Laura Warren – Video Designer
Thomas Ryder Payne – Sound Designer
Jaz Fairy J – Choreographer
Sabrina Pye – Head of Props & Design Associate
Des’ree Gray – Head of Wardrobe & Costume Consultant

PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN on Sunday April 14!

Limited tickets are available day-of. Tickets will be available IN PERSON ONLY at the Crow’s Theatre Box Office, starting at noon.

BLACK OUT PERFORMANCE
Join us on Friday, April 26 for a Black Out Performance of shaniqua in abstraction. Black Out Performances are dedicated to celebrating Black stories, Black artists, and Black audience members by providing a safe and welcoming space to experience theatre that is for and by the Black community.

Following the performance of shaniqua in abstraction will be a post-show reception and in the lobby bar. All tickets $20 plus fees and hst.

Get Tickets!

Photos by Roya DelSol. Illustrations by blackpowerbarbie.

Watch the drama unfold with “seven methods of killing kylie jenner”

Get ready for a rollercoaster of emotions and drama as seven methods of killing kylie jenner is about to storm Toronto. Queerness, friendship and cultural appropriation will be served hot, so bring your friends and an open mind. In association with Crow’s Theatre, we’re hitting the drama highway from May 12. Buckle up, it’s going to be a wild ride, folks!

The scoop:
An Obsidian Theatre Production in Association with Crow’s Theatre
Written by: Jasmine Lee-Jones 
Directed by: Jay Northcott
Show Dates: May 12-26, 2024
Venue: Streetcar Crowsnest, Studio Theatre, 345 Carlaw Ave, Toronto, ON M4M 2T1

Yes, it’s as cool as it sounds!

Illustration by: blackpowerbarbie

Three Sisters OPENS on March 7!

Get ready, theater lovers! Inua Ellams’ breathtakingly reimagined classic, Three Sisters, is making its North American premiere on March 7. This isn’t just any production – it’s a star-studded affair directed by the renowned Obsidian Artistic Director, Mumbi Tindyebwa Otu. Hurry and grab your tickets before their gone! And the good news doesn’t stop there; we’ve extended the show until March 24!

Three Sisters
By Inua Ellams
After Chekhov
A Soulpepper and Obsidian Theatre Co-Production

Director: Mumbi Tindyebwa Otu

Starring: Akosua Amo-Adem, Virgilia Griffith, Daren A. Herbert, Sterling Jarvis, JD Leslie, Tawiah M’Carthy, Ngabo Nabea, Tony Ofori, Oyin Oladejo, Makambe K. Simamba, Ordena Stephens-Thompson, Amaka Umeh, Matthew Brown (Standby)

Assistant Director: Natasha Mumba
Set Design: Joanna Yu
Costume Design: Ming Wong
Lighting Design: Andre du Toit
Sound Design & Composition: John Gzowski
Vocal Coach & Arrangements, Additional Composition: Adekunle Olorundare (Kunle)
Movement Director: Esie Mensah
Fight & Intimacy Director: Anita Nittoly
Dialect Coach & Cultural Consultant: Dienye Waboso
Dialect Coach: Paul de Jong
Historical Consultant: Ugochukwu Okoye

Stage Manager: Robert Harding
Assistant Stage Manager: Emilie Aubin
Apprentice Stage Manager: Keleshaye Christmas-Simpson

Photos by Dahlia Katz

African Celebration Night was a huge success!

We want to extend our gratitude to Ngoma Drum and Dance for making the evening lively and entertaining. Also, a big shoutout to Afrobeat Kitchen for providing the most delicious Nigerian cuisine. Take a look at some of the photos we’ve shared to see how amazing the night was.

Our African Market will continue to run on March 9, 16 and 23 from 3pm to 8pm. And if you haven’t already, be sure to grab your tickets for Three Sisters!

Photos by Taiwo Bah