Obaaberima
November 27 - December 9
“Theatrical magic on stage”
— Positive Lite
Imprisoned in Canada for committing a violent crime, a young man from Ghana tells his cellmates a story on the eve of his release. Although there is great risk in sharing his tale, he must tell it to be truly free. Through storytelling, dance, and live music, Obaaberima chronicles a young African-Canadian’s journey across continents, genders, races, and sexualities.
Winner of the 2013 Dora Award for Outstanding Production, Obaaberima has played on stages across the country, garnering rave reviews from coast to coast. Our 40th anniversary season sees Obaaberima’s long-awaited return to the Buddies stage.
Audiences will remember Tawiah from the Buddies / Saga Collectif hit production Black Boys, which premiered as part of our 2016-17 Season and returned in 2018 after a national tour. Obaaberima was the first project to be developed through the Buddies Residency Program – launching a platform for new work development that has gone on to produce eight mainstage productions in the past six years. buddiesinbadtimes.com/residency
photo of Tawiah M’Carthy by Tanja-Tiziana
See more, spend less.
Earn Buddies Rewards when you buy tickets to this show through our Buddies Rewards program.
photos by Jeremy Mimnagh
“mesmerising… i was blown away!”
-Live with Culture
“a powerful journey”
-Vancouver Courier
“as a performance it’s a tour de force and more than earned m’carthy the raucous ovation it received. as a play it’s persuasive and touching.
-Toronto Star
“such coming-out stories are no longer groundbreaking, but m’carthy enacts this one with such intimacy and skill that it becomes one we’ve never before heard.”
-Ottawa Citizen
“intensely funny, serious and sad”
-Fab Magazine
“theatrical magic on stage”
-Positive Lite
“M’Carthy is incredibly charismatic”
-Mooney on Theatre
“a resonant script that offers a complex look at human sexuality”
-Now Magazine
a Buddies in Bad Times Theatre production
OBAABERIMA
written + performed by TAWIAH BEN M’CARTHY
directed by EVALYN PARRY
live music by KOBENA AQUAA-HARRISON
set + costumes by CAMELLIA KOO
lighting by MICHELLE RAMSAY
associate lighting designer ANDRE DU TOIT
NOVEMBER 27 – DECEMBER 9, 2018
running time: approximately 90 minutes with no intermission
Tuesday, November 27 // 8:00 PM (preview)
Wednesday, November 28 // 8:00 PM (preview)
Thursday, November 29 // 8:00 PM (opening night)
Friday, November 30 // 8:00 PM
Saturday, December 1 // 8:00 PM (ASL Interpreted Performance)
Sunday, December 2 // 2:30 PM (Relaxed Performance)
Tuesday, December 4 // 8:00 PM
Wednesday, December 5 // 8:00 PM
Thursday, December 6 // 8:00 PM
Friday, December 7 // 8:00 PM
Saturday, December 8 // 8:00 PM
Sunday, December 9 // 2:30 PM
Deaf-Interpreted Performance in ASL – A deaf-interpreted performance in ASL will be held on Saturday, December 1st at 8PM. d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing patrons can access $10 tickets in advance using the code “ASL10” at checkout. Pay-what-you-can tickets will also be available at the door.
Relaxed performance – A relaxed performance will be held on Sunday, December 2nd at 2:30PM. Patrons can book $10 tickets in advance using the code “RP10” at checkout. Pay-what-you can tickets will also be available at the door.
View the visual story for Buddies in Bad Times Theatre and the visual story for Obaaberima.
Relaxed Performances are designed to welcome audience members who will benefit from a more relaxed performance environment, such as folks on the Autism Spectrum or who live with Tourettes, delayed learning, or diverse abilities.
Community Partner
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. Many shows have Rush Tickets during the week and Pay-What-You-Can shows every Sunday, 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
Previews $20
Tu_W $35
Th_F_Sa $40
Su $35
Previews $20
Tu_W $30
Th_F_Sa $35
Su $30
Pay What You Can
Buddies believes that everyone should be able to see our shows, which is why we’re expanding our Pay What You Can ticket program for our 40th Anniversary Season. Every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday a block of tickets will go on sale at noon for that day’s performance, and you pick the price. Whatever fits your budget, that’s what the ticket costs. Pay What You Can tickets are available until 7:00pm on weekdays and 2:30pm on Sundays, or until they sell out – whichever comes first.
Tickets are generally only available in-person at our box office, and we recommend getting here early for more popular shows as these tickets can sell fast. However, if getting down here in the middle of the day presents a barrier – accessible transportation, childcare, etc – simply call the box office at 416-975-8555 and we’ll hold a Pay What You Can ticket for you that you can purchase when you arrive to see the show.
For more information, including Group Rates and Rush Ticket policies, click here.