Black Theatre Workshop Presents OUR FATHERS, SONS, LOVERS & LITTLE BROTHERS At Segal Centre, February 22–26

Black Theatre Workshop returns with a gripping story. Makambe K Simamba's acclaimed play Our Fathers, Sons, Lovers and Little Brothers will make its much-anticipated Montreal premiere, on February 22 until February 26, 2023, at The Segal Centre's Sylvan Adams Theatre.

Our Fathers, Sons, Lovers and Little Brothers is a Black Theatre Workshop and Tarragon Theatre co-production, based on the world premiere production produced by b current. Directed by Governor General's Award Three-Time Nominee, Donna-Michelle St. Bernard (Gas Girls (2011), this important work has been touring various Canadian cities, and its latest stop at Winnipeg's Prairie Theatre Exchange was critically acclaimed:

February 26, 2012, Florida. A 17-year-old Black boy wearing a hoodie leaves a 7/11 carrying a bag of Skittles and an iced tea. He never makes it home. Our Fathers, Sons, Lovers and Little Brothers invites us into the infamous world of one teen, into his last moments, and into his intricate dance to the afterlife.

The award-winning Our Fathers, Sons, Lovers, And Little Brothers is a poignant tale of what it means to be a young Black man in North American society. Yes, even in Canada, the mistreatment of people of colour by authorities or armed individuals is well documented. Think of Colten Boushie or Fredy Villanueva. This story affects us all.

Masterfully interpreted by Playwright and Performer, Makambe K Simamba, in the role of Slimm, Our Fathers, Sons, Lovers and Little Brothers is an event not to be missed this Black History Month, and a great reminder that beyond headlines and hashtags, Black lives matter.

Makambe K Simamba is a multiple award-winning playwright and actor.

Select stage acting credits include The First Stone (New Harlem Productions), Serving Elizabeth (Thousand Islands Playhouse), GIANT (Ghost River Theatre), Winners and Losers (Chromatic Theatre), Bea (Sage Theatre), inVISIBLE (Handsome Alice Theatre) and SIA (Pyretic Productions). On screen, she can be seen in projects such as Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Titans, True Dating Stories, Grand Army and more.

As a playwright, her solo work includes the multiple Dora Award-Winning Our Fathers, Sons, Lovers and Little Brothers, A Chitenge Story and Makambe Speaks. Makambe's works in progress have been supported by The Stratford Festival, Banff Playwright's Lab, Downstage Theatre, Alberta Theatre Projects, b current performing arts, Citadel theatre, Obsidian Theatre, and Green Thumb Theatre.

Makambe was the 2020/21 Urjo Kareda Artist in Residence at the Tarragon theatre, and the co-host of Cahoots Theatre's Blackstage Pass Podcast.

Makambe's intention is to be of service to her community through her ability to tell stories.

Black Theatre Workshop (BTW) is Canada's longest running theatre company dedicated to the works of Black and diasporic communities. BTW's mission is to promote and produce outstanding theatre that educates, entertains and inspires. The company strives to create greater cross-cultural understanding by challenging its audience and the status quo. Expanding the representation of Black Canadian artists, BTW bridges cultural divides - uniting hearts, minds and communities.

The artistic policy is to prioritize plays by Afro-Canadian playwrights in our programming, however plays are selected primarily on the basis of their artistic merit and their relevance to Black society and culture. This addresses the growing need among the multitude of Black communities in Canada to see themselves reflected in the stories they watch and to further answer the need for general audiences to better understand and participate in the many varied aspects of Black culture.

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