Obeah Opera was initially developed in Toronto, Ontario by b current as part of its rock.paper.sistahz Festival 2009 & 2010, in a workshop production in rock.paper.sistahz Festival 2011, and as part of its rAiz’n the Sun Program in 2011. An earlier version of Obeah Opera was first produced by b current and Theatre Archipelago in Toronto, Ontario, in February 2012 at the 918 Bathurst Centre for Culture with a cast of 15 received critical acclaim by both critics and audiences alike, along with a Dora Mavor Moore Award nomination in the 'Outstanding new Musical/Opera' category in May 2012. After attending the showcase and inspired by the work, Nightwood Theatre agreed to provide dramaturgical assistance in the fall of 2013 and Obeah Opera went back into intense development.  A partnership was formed between Cultchahworks Arts Collective & Nightwood Theatre with a commission from the PAN AM/ParaPan American Games to premiere Obeah Opera in August 2015. Prior to the world premiere, a workshop production of the new work was presented in Nightwood’s Groundswell festival in September 2014 for five consecutive sold out performances to rehearse and test new material. A premiere of the newly developed work followed suit on August 4 - 8, 2015 with a limited 6 show run all of which were sold out and was met with double standing ovations for each and every performance.

In 2016/2017, Obeah Opera went back in development with the goal to mount Obeah Opera with a complete 20+ diverse female cast, fully executed music, dance and design to present in the 2018/2019 season with the additional goal to make it ‘tour ready’. Preceding the full run, Fall For Dance North Festival in October 2018 commissioned to showcase new dance numbers to a 6K audience.  Obeah Opera’s 2.5 hour final incarnation was commissioned and had a 10 day successful run for its world premiere at Luminato Festival in June 2019 with the noted support from the Canada Council Canada 150 grant and the NAC – National Creation Fund among other supporters.  With such a track record, the production in complete form with a fully fleshed out technical rider and score now sets its sights to tour both nationally and internationally with its first stop in South Africa.

Photo by Osato Erebor
 
  • 2020 Dora Award Nominee - Outstanding Original Choreography (Anthony 'Prime' Guerra)
  • 2020 Dora Award Nominee - Outstanding Feature Performance (Tu Nokwe)
  • 2019 Nominee for the Jon Kaplan Legacy Fund Award - Performer
  • 2014 Recipient of BBPA Harry Jerome Arts Award
  • 2012 Dora Award Nominee - Outstanding new Musical/Opera
Obeah Opera World PremiereLuminatoJune 2019
Obeah Opera 2019 ExcerptsFall For Dance North FestivalOctober 2018
Obeah Opera PremierePanamania! August 2015
Obeah Opera Workshop ProductionGroundswell Festival Nightwood September 2014
Obeah Opera Special Promotional PresentationMay 2013
Obeah Opera Production918 Bathurst CenterFebruary 2012
Obeah Opera Workshop Productionrock.paper.sistahs 10!
(4th presentation 60 mins in length)
May 2011
Obeah Opera rock.paper.sistahs 9!
(3rd presentation 30 mins in length)
April 2010
Obeah Opera Rhubarb Festival
(2nd presentation 20 mins in length)
February 2010
Obeah Opera Canonize This!
Obsidian Theatre Company
* a reading by author only
October 2009
Obeah Opera rock.paper.sistahs 8!
(1st presentation 10 mins in length)
May 2009

PRODUCTION INFORMATION

Dates: June 13-22, 2019

Post show Artist Q&A June 18, 2019

Fleck Dance Theatre - Harbourfont
207 Queens Quay West, Toronto, ON
3rd Floor, Queen's Quay Terminal

Photo by Jeremy Mimnagh
Photo by Jeremy Mimnagh

BILLING

Creator/Writer/Composer: Nicole Brooks
Director: Lezlie Wade
Musical Director: Melanie DeMore
Choreographer/Co-Director/Cultural Consultant: Anthony ‘Prime’ Guerra
Set and Costume Design: Robin Fisher
Lighting Design: Bonnie Beecher
Sound Design: Emily C. Porter
Associate Musical Director: Tara Litvack
Associate Lighting Design: Jennifer Lennon
Assistant Sound Design: Stephanie Routcliffe-Phypers
Stage Manager: Kevin Bowers
Assistant Stage Managers: Katherine Belyea and Lily Chan
Production Manager: Suzie Balogh
Production Assistant: AJ Morra
Head of Wardrobe: Chanti Laliberte
Head of Props: Lisa Nighswander
Harness Maker: Karen Rodd
Mask Maker: Silvie Varone
Cutters: Ina Kirklaan and Ilana Herendorff
Stitchers: Melanie McNeill, Victoria Banjavcic, and Cara Johnson
Dressers: Ellen Roach and Victoria Banjavcic
Cultural Consultant: Christopher Pinheiro
Dance Captain: Teisha Smith-Guthrie
Fight Captain: *Michelle Polak

*The participation of these Artists is arranged by permission of Canadian Actors’ Equity Association under the provisions of the Dance Opera Theatre Policy (DOT).

Performers:

Uche Ama
*Nicole Brooks
Krystle Chance
*Amanda DeFreitas
Saphire Demitro
*Michelle Fisk
*Trudy Lee Gayle
*Arinea Hermans
Jamila S. Joseph
Shelly Ann Mc Leod
Aisha Nicholson
Debbie Nicholls-Skerritt
Tu Nokwe, Melissa Noventa
*Dana Jean Phoenix
Michelle Polak
*Tringa Rexhepi
Teisha Smith-Guthrie
Irene Torres

Executive Producer: Nicole Brooks
Producer: Sascha Cole
Associate Producer: Indrit Kasapi

VIEW PHOTOS & BIOS