Performances run February 7 - March 2, 2025.
Swipe. Chat. Ghost. Repeat. Soulpepper Theatre Company & Obsidian Theatre Company will present the World Premiere of TABLE FOR TWO, a candid exploration of today’s online dating landscape, where swipes, likes, and matches collide with cultural traditions and personal aspirations. Written by and starring Akosua Amo-Adem and directed by Djanet Sears, TABLE FOR TWO will be on stage at Soulpepper’s Michael Young Theatre from February 7 - March 2, 2025 (Opening Night: Friday February 14, 2025, 8PM).
Playwright Akosua Amo-Adem stars as Abena Ohemaa Frimpong (Abby), a 35-year-old Ghanaian-Canadian woman navigating the world of online dating while balancing her family's traditions and personal aspirations. Determined to escape the suffocating grasp of her mom’s marriage jabs and the spotlight of her friends’ successful love lives, Abby continues her online search for love in a sea of red flags. Armed with Spanx, wigs, and her sharper-than-stilettos wit, Abby braves the cringe-worthy dates thrown her way while continuing to stay true to her own needs and desires. An uproariously funny and poignant new production that offers a fresh perspective on love, self-discovery, and cultural identity, resonating with anyone who has ever sought connection in today’s world.
Akosua Amo-Adem (Three Sisters, Soulpepper/Obsidian; Pipeline, Soulpepper) will be joined on stage with the rest of this production’s hilarious cast: Bola Aiyeola (Hedda Gabler, Les Belles Soeurs, Stratford Festival), Ryan Allen (The Book of Mormon, Broadway; The Color Purple, Neptune, Citadel, Royal Manitoba Theatre Company), and Meghan Swaby (Interior Design, Tarragon Theatre; Venus’ Daughter, Obsidian Theatre).
“Table for Two is my love letter to the perpetually single woman.” said Playwright Akosua Amo-Adem. “This show is for the hopeless romantic who, in spite of the tragedy that is the Toronto dating scene, still believes in love and the possibility of finding it. But it’s also for that immigrant child who is the bridge generation between Canada and back home, who like me, are constantly navigating their identity between two different cultural experiences and expectations. Writing Table for Two is my way of saying to these women and people that I see you. You are not alone and my play is waiting with open arms ready to embrace you!”
TABLE FOR TWO has been developed by Amo-Adem over the past eight years through Soulpepper's play development programs, with support from Obsidian Theatre. From its earliest drafts, the play has grown through workshops, readings, and meaningful collaboration with Soulpepper’s artistic community, evolving into the sharp, engaging, and deeply relatable production it is today. This development highlights both Soulpepper and Obsidian’s unwavering dedication to fostering new voices and bringing authentic, diverse stories to the stage.
"Soulpepper is thrilled to bring the world premiere of Table for Two to Toronto audiences, and to be collaborating with our producing partners at Obsidian again. It is a bold and brave story that captures the humor, heartbreak, and complexity of navigating love in today’s technological world. It will have you laughing and crying. Akosua Amo-Adem’s story and voice is one we all need to hear - we are proud to support her in bringing her first world premiere to life!” said Weyni Mengesha, Artistic Director of Soulpepper Theatre.
"At Obsidian, we champion the power of storytelling by Black artists, and Table for Two is a powerful testament to the richness of our experiences. Akosua Amo-Adem's work offers a modern, unflinching perspective of how culture, love, and self-discovery collide in today’s world of online dating. It has been an absolute joy to have supported this play’s development and to see it find its home on stage." said Mumbi Tindyebwa Otu, Artistic Director of Obsidian Theatre Company.
This World Premiere production is being helmed by the esteemed director Djanet Sears (Harlem Duet, Tarragon Theatre/Stratford Festival/Canadian Stage/Nightwood Theatre; Fences, The Grand Theatre), who directed Obsidian Theatre’s very first play 25 years ago, Adventures of a Black Girl in Search of God. Joining her on the creative team are Set & Costume Designer Astrid Janson (Mad Madge, Nightwood Theatre/VideoCab; Fences, The Grand Theatre), Lighting Designer Nick Blais (Wildwoman, Soulpepper; seven methods of killing Kylie Jenner, Obsidian Theatre), and Sound Designer Maddie Bautista (Wildwoman, Soulpepper; seven methods of killing Kylie Jenner, Obsidian Theatre).
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