Fonds F0555 - Obsidian Theatre Company fonds

Founded in February 2000, Obsidian Theatre Company is a leading black theatre companies in Canada. As a producer of black theatre and community advocate, the company has endeavoured to produce plays, develop playwrights and train emerging theatre professionals. Their mission statement focuses on the exploration, development, and production of the black voice. The founding board included Awaovieyi Agie, Ardon Bess, David Collins, Roy Lewis, Yanna McIntosh, Diane Roberts, Kim Roberts, Sandi Ross, Djanet Sears, Satori Shakoor, Tricia Williams, Alison Sealy-Smith, and Philip Akin. Obsidian has encouraged Canada's local black playwrights and actors, mounting local works such as "The Adventures of a Black Girl in Search of God", "Consecrated Ground", "Born Ready" and "The Monument", as well as the first international collaboration (Canada and Barbados) of Austin Clarke's Giller Award winning novel "The Polished Hoe". They have also produced international plays such as "Intimate Apparel", "Late" and "Black Medea". Obsidian has established partnerships both locally and provincially working with companies such as The Stratford Festival of Canada, Mirvish Productions, The Harbourfront Centre, The Canadian Stage Company, Nightwood Theatre, The Harold Green Jewish Theatre, Factory Theatre, Theatre Passe Muraille, fu-GEN Theatre, Aluna Theatre, Roseneath Theatre, bcurrent, and the Frank Collymore Hall in Barbados. Obsidian produces plays from a world-wide canon focusing primarily, but not exclusively, on the works of highly acclaimed black playwrights.