niggas in pontréal¹
fringeMTL - June 10-19th | V5 - lachapelle theatre
ABOUT
“Niggas in Pontréal¹” is a court-based play that questions 3 out of the 6 accused of blackface. The question that we are made to find the answer to is who's to blame? The reason this show is in FringeMTL is that it was written based on the true realities of the consistent dehumanization of black folks. Using, humor, art, song, and dance we investigate while also practicing the care for the black psych.
DATES
*June 10th 2022: 9:15pm/21h15
*June 15th 2022: 8:45pm/20h45
*June 16th 2022-4:15pm/16h15
*June 17th 2022- 7:30pm/19h30
*June 18th 2022-6:15 pm/18h15
*June 19th 2022- 12:45pm/12h45
"This is dissruptiv. I'm making this show because I have a lot of questions that need to be answered. a lot of these questions are continuously deflected, so why not used the stage to be direct with it. What better way to talk about race than to talk about blackface. Why is blackface back?? Why is it a trend? WHY IS IT BACK? 'Who's to blame?' What kind of question is that?
I wrote this show because I have a lot of questions for folks who are non black, why is it that you don't care about black people? Thus, I wrote this for my niggas. I'm excited because I'm going to get my answers and I'm excited to be dissruptiv. The (Tiohtià:ke) montreal scene needs to be disrupted, and I guess I'm forced to that. BRRT BRRT "
- chadia
TEAM
beyonce 🦄 (HER)
chadia 🐘 (they/them)
rachel mcnamara 🦙 (she/her)
meet. dah. cast.
❤️ Charity Adzie as AD/HD 🧠
Charity Adzie is a bilingual actor and creator born and raised in Montreal, Quebec. She graduated from the Dawson College Theatre Program in 2020.After graduating she joined Black Theatre Workshops 2020-2021 Artist Mentorship Program. She participated in a Tableau D’Hôte Theatre showcase presented by the Segal Centre ; Class of 2020: Voices from the Pandemic.
She’s had the pleasure of facilitating a Geordie productions/Desta Mental Health Workshop for 10 black youths alongside Dr. Lisa Ndejuru and Cindy Balan. She’s currently teaching for Geordie Theatre school and The Segal Academy.
You can find her taking classes at Montreal Improv in her spare time. She is passionate about participating in art that is accessible, challenging, joyful and vulnerable.
💕 Bénédicte Bélizaire as RIDEAU 🧊
b. is elsewhere, everywhere and nowhere. b. is obsessed with deeply satisfying cleaning videos. Sloths are the superiorest animals, no questions asked. b. aspires to live, breathe and create art dangerously. b is also creating a show called titi&beck which is also premiering at the 2022 fringe festival.Freedom! you askin me about freedom. askin me about freedom?Ill be honest with you. I know a whole more about what freedom isntThan about what it is, cause Ive never been free.I can only share my vision with you of the future, about what freedom is.Uhh, the way I see it, freedom is-- is the right to grow, is the right toBlossom.Freedom is -is the right to be yourself, to be who you are,To be who you wanna be, to do what you wanna do (common)🖤 Joy Mwandemange as MAKAYABU 🔥
Joy Mwandemange, aka Thandizo, is a Malawian actress and musical artist who graduated from Carleton University with a B.Mus (Hons) specializing in Musical Theatre Voice. Her passions include rapping, choreographing, directing and writing.Joy is a board member of Lost Baggage Musical Theatre (LBMT), in Ottawa, and has directed, musically directed and choreographed a number of their productions. She also recently joined the board of TotoToo Theatre (Ottawa’s LGBTQ theatre company).
She has a passion for creating and participating in theatre and art that speaks to her experiences, culture and principles. So she gravitates to art that portrays and celebrates the black experience in all its forms. Joy was a part of the Black Theatre Workshops Artist Mentorship Program ensemble (2020-2021).
💙 Seeara Lindsay as SCOTIA 🌈
Seeara Lindsay (they/she) is a black/ brown, and queer actor and interdisciplinary creator currently based in Tiohti:áke.Seeara uses performance, poetry, and photography, as mediums of expression; focusing on work that explores race, sexuality, gender, and spirituality.
Seeara is entering their second year of acting at the National Theatre School of Canada, where they continue to train their skills as a performer.
Seeara hopes to create work that is radical, challenging, honest, and joyful.
Fun fact: I really really love mango juice
🤍 chadia as CAREN HWITE-PHAGGÉT 🌎
my name is chadia, and I am a multidisciplinary artist currently based in Tiohtià:ke. Before moving to Tiohtià:ke to pursue my artistic endeavors, my parents and i immigrated from a refugee camp in Turkana, Kenya to the Algonquin land. being the eldest of five to two African no- BURUNDIAN parents. i have since then been focusing on creating and collaborating with artists on finding the essence of what is “canadian theatre". i strive to create and support works that instigate conversations and challenge societal norms.
crew
chadia (they/them)
WRITER
DIRECTOR
PERFORMER
DESIGNER
CO-PRODUCER
chadia is a Burundian, queer, agender creator.
🎈Rachel McNamara (she/her) 💛 CO-PRODUCER / WHITNESS ADVISOR
hi from Tkaronto! I'm originally from the Ottawa-Gatineau region and a mish-mash of random skills & facts that are sometimes useful when I perform, create, devise, mess around with lights, installations, costume design, directing, and managing projects & exhibits.
I recently graduated from York University's Theatre & Performance Studies M.A. program, which complements my B.A. (Hons) in Drama and double major in Arts Administration from Bishop's University.
As a white settler, I'm still figuring out my shit. Here's to the kind of art that makes you go oh sh*t and flips your world inside out.
bts
when 2/3 on the team have adhd 🙃
"WEFORGOETA PHOTO" - 15/05/2022 8:52PM, post zoom. first rehearsal
special thanks
jessica bournival - 🚨STAGE MANAGEMENT WORKSHOP! 🚨
Thank you so much @jessjbc 💕 for your timeeeee, guidance and for sharing your 💫incredible brain💫with our stage manager @coco_wonder_truly the best to do it coming outta that "school".love it when nerds bonddddddd 🥲🧡question for yall:do you know any black stage managers in Tio'tia:ke? 👀
HUGE THANKS TO DARRAGH MONDOUX
WE WOULDNT HAVE FILMED THIS WITHOUT YOU!
Thanks to everyone who come out to see the show and/or supported us through Paypal