In 2021, Obsidian Theatre engaged twenty-one writers to create twenty-one new stories about imagined Black futures. Each playwright was tasked with scripting a ten-minute monodrama in response to the question "What is the future of Blackness?" To counter the intense early-pandemic isolation and the trauma of witnessing heightened violence toward Black bodies, Obsidian's goal was to give as many opportunities to as many diverse Black artists as possible and to bring new voices together from both theatre and film. A radical offering in unprecedented times, newly appointed Obsidian artistic director Mumbi Tindyebwa Otu's curatorial aim was joyful, aspirational, and empowering: create something communal, unapologetically Black, and with the Black gaze at its centre-art as the architecture for creating those futures. What is the future of Blackness? Obsidian Theatre presents twenty-one versions of it. In 2021, Obsidian Theatre engaged twenty-one writers to create twenty-one new stories about imagined Black futures. Twenty-one to celebrate Obsidian's twenty-first anniversary in 2021. Each playwright was tasked with scripting a ten-minute monodrama in response to the question "What is the future of Blackness?" To counter the intense early-pandemic isolation and the trauma of witnessing heightened violence toward Black bodies, Obsidian's goal was to give as many opportunities to as many diverse Black artists as possible and to bring new voices together from both theatre and film. It was a grand experiment to create a rich tapestry of possibilities and to uplift Black artists in the process. A radical offering in unprecedented times, newly appointed Obsidian artistic director Mumbi Tindyebwa Otu's curatorial aim was joyful, aspirational, and empowering: come together in this moment and create something communal, unapologetically Black, and with the Black gaze at its centre-art as the architecture for creating those futures. Includes plays by Amanda Parris, Cheryl Foggo, Shauntay Grant, Donna-Michelle St. Bernard, Lawrence Hill, Djanet Sears, and many others. A Radical Offering in Unprecedented Times: The Story of 21 Black Futures by Mumbi Tindyebwa Otu The Death Doula by Amanda Parris The Sender by Cheryl Foggo Jah in the Ever-Expanding Song by Kaie Kellough Beyere by Shauntay Grant Madness With Rocks by Peace Akintade-Oluwagbeye Witness Shift by Donna-Michelle St. Bernard Sensitivity by Lawrence Hill Special by Keshia Cheesman Umoja Corp by Jacob Sampson Notice by Luke Reece Blackberries by Miali-Elise Coley-Sudlovenick Emmett by Syrus Marcus Ware Georgeena by Djanet Sears Rebirth of the Afronauts by Motion Cavities by K.P Dennis 40 Parsecs and Some Fuel by Omari Newton The Prescription by Lisa Codrington Chronologie by Stephie Mazunya Yɛn ara asaase ni by Tawiah M'Carthy Builders of Nations by Joseph Jomo Pierre Omega Child by Cherissa Richards • Canadian Screen Awards - 21 Black Futures: Best Web Series or Series; Best Writing, The Death News, Amanda Parris.
