BLACK BOYS
NOVEMBER 19 - DECEMBER 11
“this show has a unique point of view, the guts to make it heard, and a message that needs to be heard right now.”
— Toronto Star
Click here for information on the March 2018 Toronto production and national tour of Black Boys.
A raw, intimate, and timely exploration of queer male Blackness.
Black Boys is created from the lives of three Black men seeking a deeper understanding of themselves, of each other, and of how they encounter the world. As they explore their unique identities on stage, they subvert the ways in which gender, sexuality, and race are performed. Theatrical and intimate, Black Boys weaves together the ensemble’s own personal stories in search of an integrated self and a radical imagination.
At the heart of Black Boys is Saga Collectif, an impressive ensemble of skilled young artists. The three performers – Stephen Jackman-Torkoff, Tawiah Ben M’Carthy, and Thomas Olajide – have been seen on the stages of the Shaw Festival, the National Arts Centre, Canadian Stage, and the Stratford Festival, where Thomas received the Peter Donaldson Award. Stephen recently appeared in the Dora Award-winning double bill Botticelli in the Fire & Sunday in Sodom (Canadian Stage) and Buddies audiences will remember Tawiah from his Dora Award-winning show Obaaberima. Director Jonathan Seinen has been the creative force behind such innovative indie productions as Unknown Soldier (lemonTree creations) and Like There’s No Tomorrow (Architect Theatre), while Dora Award-nominee Virgilia Griffith choreographs after establishing herself as a formidable performer in her own right, most recently in Obsidian Theatre’s production of Up the Garden Path.
Black Boys was developed in Buddies Residency Program, sponsored by BMO Financial Group.buddiesinbadtimes.com/residency
photo of Stephen Jackman-Torkoff, Tawiah Ben M’Carthy and Thomas Olajide by Tanja-Tiziana.
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“this show has a unique point of view, the guts to make it heard and a message that needs to be heard right now.”
-Toronto Star (read article)
“As provocative as it is entertaining… a metatheatrical experience that’ll reinvigorate your love for live theatre.”
-The Reading Salon (read article)
“This is an exceptional, powerful, and quite delightful piece of work. I feel lucky and grateful to have been able to see it, and I predict you will be too.”
-Mooney on Theatre (read article)
“There are transcendent moments where the ideas explode and lodge in the audience’s soul”
-My Gay Toronto
Saga Collectif and Buddies in Bad Times Theatre present
BLACK BOYS
created by STEPHEN JACKMAN-TORKOFF, TAWIAH BEN M’CARTHY, THOMAS OLAJIDE
with VIRGILIA GRIFFITH + JONATHAN SEINEN
directed by JONATHAN SEINEN
starring STEPHEN JACKMAN-TORKOFF, TAWIAH BEN M’CARTHY + THOMAS OLAJIDE
choreography VIRGILIA GRIFFITH
dramaturge MEL HAGUE
set + costume design RACHEL FORBES
sound + video design STEPHEN SURLIN
lighting design JARETH LI
Show Photos by Jeremy Mimnagh
Rehearsal Photos by Dahlia Katz
Tuesdays – Saturdays at 8:00pm // Sunday at 2:30pm
Saturday, November 19 // 8pm (preview)
Sunday, November 20 // 8pm (preview)
Tuesday, November 22 // 8pm (preview)
Wednesday, November 23 // 8pm (preview)
with post-show talkback hosted by Ravyn Wngz
Thursday, November 24 // 8pm (opening)
Friday, November 25 // 8pm
Saturday, November 26 // 8pm
Sunday, November 27 // 2:30pm
with post-show talkback hosted by Ravyn Wngz
Tuesday, November 29 // 8pm
Wednesday, November 30 // 8pm
A Benefit Performance for BlackCAP
with post-show talkback hosted by LeeLee Davis
Thursday, December 1 // 8pm
with post-show talkback hosted by Sedina Fiati
Friday, December 2 // 8pm
Saturday, December 3 // 8pm
Sunday, December 4 // 2:30pm*
with post-show talkback
ASL Interpretation Provided
Tuesday, December 6 // 8pm**
Audio Described Performance
Wednesday, December 7 // 8pm
Thursday, December 8 // 8pm
with post-show talkback hosted by Mel Hague
Friday, December 9 // 8pm
Saturday, December 10 // 8pm
Sunday, December 11// 2:30pm
with Post-show talkback hosted by Luke Reece
*ASL-interpreted performance (see Accessibility tab for more information)
**Audio-description available for blind/low vision patrons (see Accessibility tab for more information)
Buddies and Saga Collectif will be offering ASL-interpreted and audio-described performances of Black Boys.
ASL-INTERPRETED PERFORMANCE
The ASL-interpreted performance is Sunday, December 4. Pay-what-you-can tickets will be available at the door. Check out the ASL vlog for more information.
AUDIO-DESCRIBED PERFORMANCE
The audio-described performance is Tuesday, December 6. Pay-what-you-can tickets will be available at the door for patrons wishing to access audio description. Audio-description is transmitted over earphones, which will only be given out to patrons requiring them. Due to a limited number of headsets, we ask that you please call ahead to book your spot: 416-975-8555, or e-mail barry@buddiesinbadtimes.com.
A PDF copy of the show program is available here.
Directions to Buddies in Bad Times Theatre available here.
Audio description is provided by Live Describe (Rebecca Singh & Kat Germain), in consultation with Blind Community Consultant Jess Watkin and Accessibility consultant Rose Jacobson.
Join us for Black On Black Loving, a day of exploring the intersections of blackness, queerness, and masculinity. Admission is FREE. A $5 lunch option will be available. Brought to you by Saga Collectif, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, and Obsidian Theatre.
Saturday, November 26, 11AM-4PM
Buddies in Bad Times Theatre
The first half of the day will feature a panel in the round with artists, academics, and activists discussing the current state of black queer masculinity in these charged and transformative times. Confirmed panelists include: Rinaldo Walcott, MJ Wrigema, Syrus Marcus Ware, LaLi Mohamed, and LeeLee Davis.
The second half of the day will consist of workshops on creation with critical thinking, reflective of their creation and rehearsal process. Facilitators will be Ravyn Wngz, Luke Reece and members of the Black Boys team.
All are welcome to attend. We strongly encourage those who self-identify as black and queer (cis, trans*, gender non-conforming) to attend this important discussion.
ASL Interpretation will be provided.
This TEC (Theatre Engaging Communities) project was made possible through the financial support of the École Nationale de Théâtre/National Theatre School (Montréal). Saga Collectif’s Outreach/Accessibility programming for Black Boys is supported by TEC, the Community One Foundation, and Obsidian Theatre Company.
Please register in advance as space is limited.
The Black Coalition for AIDS Prevention in partnership with Buddies In Bad Times Theatre invite you to a special one night only performance of Black Boys followed by a post-show reception with the cast.
When
Wednesday, November 30, 2016
Time
7:00 p.m. – Doors Open
8:00 p.m. – Performance
9:30 p.m. – Post-Show Reception Question & Answer with the Cast
Cost
$75
The Black Coalition for AIDS Prevention or Black CAP is a registered charity that works to reduce HIV/AIDS in Toronto’s Black, African and Caribbean communities and enhance the quality of life of Black people living with or affected by HIV/AIDS.
Black-CAP.com
Saga Collectif, founded in 2012, is a new theatre company that brings to the stage underrepresented bodies and voices in a fashion that is risky, honest, and new. As we are creating in the rehearsal hall and performing on stage, we are dissecting and dismantling, posing questions to unravel identity, ancestry and place in society. We bravely challenge ourselves to move into the unknown to discover personal truths, and hope to offer ourselves as examples of those who see limits and choose to transcend them. Saga Collectif is Virgilia Griffith, Stephen Jackman-Torkoff, Tawiah Ben M’Carthy, Thomas Olajide + Jonathan Seinen.
Buy Tickets
WAYS TO SAVE
Whether you want to see just one show or keep coming back for more, Buddies has affordable ticket options that are right for you. We have Rush Tickets during the week and Pay-What-You-Can shows every Sunday. We also have $25 tickets to select shows for folks who buy their tickets early, and you can save even more when you sign up for Buddies Rewards.
Click here to learn more about all the ways to save at Buddies
TICKET PRICES
BUY EARLY AND SAVE
Book your ticket early and save, with a limited number of $25 available for every performance – but prices go up November 18.
REGULAR
Previews $20
Tu/W/Th $34
F/Sa $39
Su $34 / PWYCUNDER 30 / ARTS WORKER
Previews $20
Tu/W/Th $29
F/Sa $33
Su $29 / PWYC
RUSH TICKETS
A limited number of $20 Rush Tickets will be available for performances on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.
For more information, including Group Rates and Rush Ticket policies, click here.
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