Join us for our Annual General Meeting

Learn more about Obsidian Theatre, in our upcoming Annual General Meeting on January 29 at 7pm.

Rehearsals for Three Sisters are now underway!

We are ecstatic to begin rehearsals for Three Sisters! The creative energy in the room was electric, and we can’t wait to bring this timeless classic re-imagined by Nigerian born British playwright Inua Ellams to life! 

Three Sisters Synopsis:
A year has passed since their father died but the three sisters – Lolo, Nne Chukwu and Udo – are still grappling with his loss. What’s more, they’re stuck in a small village in Owerri, Nigeria and are longing to return to the cosmopolitan city of their birth, Lagos. What they don’t know is that the Biafran Civil War is about to erupt and change their lives and their country. Chekhov’s classic play is reimagined to explore the devastation of colonialism and a fight for emancipation through the lens of family and love.

Learn more about the cast and creative team!

Creative Direction: Chinedu Ukabam

Poster Photo By: Roya DelSo

Rehearsal Photos By: Dahlia Katz

We have a Two-Show Deal!

We have a special holiday offer! Get tickets for Three Sisters and seven methods of killing kylie jenner for ONLY $60+HST using code “OTCDEAL24“.

Unlock the benefits of a concierge-like service to help you select preferred show dates from Tuesday to Friday, ensuring flexibility, convenience, and savings while watching our upcoming season.

This exclusive holiday rate will only last until January 3, 2024! The prices go up afterwards. Limited passes are available. 

Don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity.

Our show deal includes:

Learn more about these shows!

Tis’ the Season of Giving!

We wanted to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has been a supporter of Obsidian Theatre.

As we approach the end of the year, we are reaching out to our community for support during this season of giving. Your contribution, no matter the size, will play a pivotal role in ensuring the success of our upcoming season, as well as the development of our artistic programming.

Your generosity has always been a driving force behind our ability to bring impactful stories to the stage, and we are immensely thankful for your continued support.

From Mumbi, Michael, daniel and Cherise, we wish you and your loved ones a joyful holiday season and a prosperous New Year!

Photo by: RoyaDel Sol

Creative Direction: Chinedu Ukabam

In Memory of Charles Officer

We are devastated about the passing of beloved Director, Actor and talented human, Charles Officer. Charles was a dear friend, mentor, colleague and inspiring co-conspirator to the Obsidian team and our community at large. We greatly mourn his passing. 

Charles fought hard to put Black stories and Black talent at the forefront of his work as a Director and influential filmmaker and theatre maker. Some of his most notable work  included Nurse. Fighter. Boy, The Skin We are In, Unarmed Verses, Akilla’s Escape and The Porter TV Series. For Obsidian Theatre, Charles most recently directed The Death News by Amanda Parris as part of our 21 Black Futures series which went on to win three Canadian Screen Awards including Best Direction. Charles also directed the theatrical production of Aneemah’s Spot by Motion which Obsidian sponsored in 2012. 

“Charles was such an inspiration. He blazed a trail for so many of us Black storytellers in the industry. Even though he was predominantly working in film and tv, he loved the theatre and made it possible for me to imagine the possibility of moving fluidly between both mediums. When we decided to embark on 21 Black Futures, he was one of the first people I called. And I called him many times during that process! He was a huge resource. And the beautiful  thing is that I knew I could call him because he had always been incredibly generous with his time. No matter how busy he got. And he was so generous because he loved our community and cared deeply about our stories. It is truly hard to imagine he is gone but his legacy brightly shines on.” 

Mumbi Tindyebwa Otu, Artistic Director, Obsidian Theatre

Elevate the Black Voice: Join Obsidian Theatre Company on Giving Tuesday!

Dear supporters,

As we approach the season of giving, Obsidian Theatre Company extends heartfelt gratitude to you, our invaluable supporters, for standing with us on this Giving Tuesday. This year, your generosity has the power to make an impact not just on a single day, but throughout the entire week. From November 28 to December 1, we invite you to join us in this week-long celebration of uplifting the Black voice in theatre. 

Obsidian Theatre Company is dedicated to amplifying the Black voice, fostering diversity, and pushing the boundaries of storytelling. Through your generosity, we’ve been able to produce groundbreaking performances that resonate with authenticity and captivate audiences. This Giving Tuesday, we invite you to be a part of our continued journey to keep the Black voice heard.

Your donation today will directly contribute to our mission of empowering underrepresented voices in the theatre. It enables us to produce thought-provoking plays, support emerging Black playwrights, and provide opportunities for Black artists to shine on stage. Your contribution is not just a donation; it’s an investment in the power of storytelling to create positive change.

Whether you’ve been a longtime supporter or are considering making your first donation, we appreciate every gesture that helps us fulfill our mission. No amount is too small, as each contribution adds up to create a resounding impact.

Thank you for your consideration, and for joining us in giving back this Giving Tuesday. Together, let’s continue to elevate the Black voice and make a lasting difference in the world of theatre.

With gratitude,
Obisdian Theatre Company Team

Announcing the 23/24 Playwrights Unit!

We are thrilled to announce the talented artists selected for this year’s Playwrights Unit. Please welcome Taija Shonée Chung, Mobólúwajídìde D. Joseph, and Lili Robinson.

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 2024 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!

21 Black Futures: The Anthology is now OUT!

Have you heard the latest news?

The anthology of our acclaimed series, “21 Black Futures,” has been unveiled, and we’re thrilled to share it with you! This award-winning series originally produced in collaboration with CBC Arts showcases remarkable plays by twenty-one accomplished Black playwrights, each responding to the question: “What is the future of Blackness?”

To celebrate Obsidian’s twenty-first anniversary in 2021, we commissioned twenty-one writers from different generations and diverse levels of experience—writers who represent the rich tapestry of Blackness in Canada. Each writer was given the task of creating a ten-minute monodrama, a one-person play, in response to the question about the future of Blackness. Additionally, we collaborated with twenty-one Black directors and twenty-one Black actors to transform these stories into short theatrical films.

Our objective was to provide opportunities for a broad spectrum of Black artists, fostering inclusivity and bringing together new voices from both the film and theatre realms. The project aimed to be a grand experiment, weaving together a rich tapestry that imagines diverse Black futures.

THE PLAYS OF 21 BLACK FUTURES: THE ANTHOLOGY

The Death News by Amanda Parris
The Sender by Cheryl Foggo
Jah in the Ever-Expanding Song by Kaie Kellough
Beyere by Shauntay Grant
Madness With Rocks by Peace Akintade-Oluwagbeye
Witness Shift by Donna-Michelle St. Bernard
Sensitivity by Lawrence Hill
Special by Keshia Cheesman
Umoja Corp by Jacob Sampson
Notice by Luke Reece
Blackberries by Miali-Elise Coley-Sudlovenick
Emmett by Syrus Marcus Ware
Georgeena by Djanet Sears
Rebirth of the Afronauts by Motion
Cavities by K.P. Dennis
40 Parsecs and Some Fuel by Omari Newton
The Prescription by Lisa Codrington
Chronologie by Stephie Mazunya
Yɛn ara asaase ni by Tawiah M’Carthy
Builders of Nations by Joseph Jomo Pierre
Omega Child by Cherissa Richards

CANADA’S LEADING BLACK ARTS ORGANIZATION, OBSIDIAN THEATRE, ANNOUNCES BENCHMARK 4-SHOW 23.24 SEASON

SPEAKING OF SNEAKING by daniel jelani ellis

THREE SISTERS by Inua Ellams

seven methods of killing kylie jenner by Jasmine Lee-Jones

shaniqua in abstraction by bahia watson

Toronto, October 12^th, 2023 – Following a history-making 22.23 for the company that saw them co-produce hit productions of IS GOD IS and FAIRVIEW with the National Arts Centre, Canadian Stage, and Necessary Angel as well as Canada’s first all-Black Canadian opera OF THE SEA with Tapestry Opera, Obsidian Theatre is thrilled to announce their upcoming 23.24 season. The new season is distinguished by two Canadian premieres of critically acclaimed work by international Black playwrights and a World Premiere of a new work by a celebrated Black Canadian playwright and performer, in addition to the recent production that got the season underway, speaking of sneaking by daniel jelani ellis, produced by Groundwork Redux and Buddies in Bad Times in association with Obsidian. Consistent with Obsidian’s artistic focus and values, the work this season continues to shed light on the diversity of the Black experience both aesthetically and culturally. 

“I am extremely excited about the eclectic mix of offerings that we have for our audiences this season. Stories that continue to speak to the richness of the Black identity.” says Mumbi Tindyebwa Otu, Artistic Director at Obsidian Theatre. 

Next up in the season is a benchmark production for the company, who are co-producing with Soulpepper Theatre.  In late February 2024, Obsidian Theatre and Soulpepper Theatre will produce the Canadian Premiere of THREE SISTERS, an epic adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s renowned play by London-based Nigerian Poet/Playwright Inua Ellams (Barber Shop Chronicles). A powerful work about sisterhood, survival and longing, the production will be directed by Obsidian’s AD Mumbi Tindyebwa Otu.

“This adaptation by Inua Ellams is stunning,” comments Otu. “We are so used to viewing this play through a Eurocentric lens – seeing this story transported to 1960s Nigeria during the Biafran War will be unlike anything we have ever seen before on a Canadian stage.” 

Otu has assembled an unparalleled all-star Black cast for the production including Akosua Amo Adem (School Girls, Le Belle Soeurs), Virgilia Griffith (Queen Goneril, our place), and Makambe K. Simamba (Our Fathers, Sons, Lovers and Little Brothers) as the three sisters and featuring Daren Herbert, Sterling Jarvis, JD Leslie, Tawiah McCarthy, Ngabo Nabea, Tony Ofori, Oyin Olajedo, Ordena Stephens-Thompson, Amaka Umeh. 

“I can’t think of an assembly of Black actors on stage together that parallels this group of artists,” adds Otu. “This is an astonishingly powerful group of artists who are the literal embodiment of Black Excellence.  I am both honoured and humbled to be coming together with them to make this production, which will undoubtedly be a highlight of my career.”

In May, Obsidian will produce the Canadian Premiere of seven methods of killing kylie jenner, by the internationally acclaimed and award-winning British playwright and actor Jasmine Lee-Jones.  Premiering at London’s Royal Court Theatre in 2019 and receiving the Critics’ Circle Award for Most Promising Playwright and the Stage Debut Award for Best Writer, seven methods of killing kylie jenner became a runaway success and instant contemporary classic.  Revolving around close friends Cleo and Kara who are grappling with the pervasive influence of social media and celebrity culture in their lives, this electric and provocative play explores ownership of Black bodies, cultural appropriation, social media, and female friendships.  This new production will be directed by Jay Northcott and produced in association with Crow’s Theatre.

“The piece is vicious and tender in equal measure,” shares Otu. “It’s also deeply cathartic and playful in the way it looks at how young Black women live and move in between worlds, both digital and real, and speaks to the human need to be seen, loved, and accepted just as you are. Jay Northcott’s smart and deeply playful approach to theatre-making is the perfect fit for this work and I can’t wait to see what they do with it.” 

Earlier in the spring, Obsidian will also partner with Crows Theatre and paul watson productions  to support the World Premiere of beloved artist bahia watson’s play shaniqua in abstraction.  Following her 2022 hit MASHUP PON DI ROAD, watson’s new work thoughtfully blend’s razor-sharp humour with piercing cultural critique in this intrepidly daring new one-woman show.

“shaniqua in abstraction is a powerful solo piece that speaks to sensuality, performance, and Black femininity,” says Otu. “We are truly looking forward to the conversations this piece will spark with our audiences.”

For additional information about Obsidian Theatre’s 23.24 programming, visit obsidiantheatre.com

THREE SISTERS by Inua Ellams (Canadian Premiere) 

An Obsidian and Soulpepper Theatre co-production 

Directed by Mumbi Tindyebwa Otu

Feb 29 – Mar 24, 2024

In the tumultuous backdrop of Owerri in 1967, as the Nigerian-Biafran Civil War looms ominously, three siblings; Lolo, Nne Chukwu, and Udo, grapple with the profound loss of their father. The nation has been thrust into turmoil by two military coups, with foreign involvement fueling the chaos. As the conflict gradually engulfs their rural village, the sisters yearn to return to Lagos, their cherished former home.

shaniqua in abstraction by bahia watson (World Premiere)

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

Directed by Sabryn Rock

April 9 – April 28, 2024

In this searching new work, bahia brings her poet’s heart, vaulting imagination, and disarming humour to shape a kaleidoscopic explosion of experiences and shifting identities that defiantly push back the boundaries defining Black womanhood.

seven methods of killing kylie jenner by Jasmine Lee-Jones (Canadian Premiere)

An Obsidian Theatre production in association with Crows Theatre

Directed by Jay Northcott

May 6 – May 26, 2024

seven methods of killing kylie jenner evolves around close friends Cleo and Kara grappling with the pervasive influence of social media and celebrity culture in their lives. This powerful and provocative play explores ownership of Black bodies, cultural appropriation, social media and female friendships.

We are growing!

Obsidian Theatre Company is delighted to welcome our newest member to the team, Cherise Solomon, in the role of Marketing and Development Officer!

Cherise Solomon, a versatile artist, dance instructor, actor, and marketing expert, has left her mark on grassroots nonprofits and prestigious dance organizations alike. With a dynamic career that includes acting and dance in commercials and TV/film, she also imparts the culture of Hip Hop dance to young minds.

Now, Cherise eagerly anticipates elevating Obsidian’s brand and expanding its reach to new communities. Her blend of artistic talent, marketing expertise, and dedication to education make her a true force in the world of arts and entertainment.