DIRECTOR-DRAMATURGE NOTE
by d’bi.young anitafrika
speaking of sneaking by daniel jelani ellis is an audacious journey across the intersectionalities of identity. It’s an homage to liberation, offering freedom to traverse the infinite spectrums of gender, sexuality, and class via a Black queer lens. Drawing from his own experiences, danny’s multidisciplinary mashup of dance, poetry, and pantomime becomes a portal through which past meets present, myth meets reality.
Anansi, the Akan trickster god, is re-conceptualized as a pansexual, omnipotent, gender-nonconforming entity. Like the weaving of Anansi, the play intricately interweaves Black bodies’ personal and political experiences in neo-colonial contexts. Anansi becomes a strategic archetype, generating dancehall-infused dialogues on choices, desire and dreaming new possibilities of being.
There are portals guided by serendipitous familial ties between danny and I. My mother, Anita Stewart, was auditioned by danny’s father–Owen ‘Blakka’ Ellis–when she went to theatre school in the early 80s. Blakka also mentored me in theatre at age twelve. Fast forward, and a high-school danny is an audience member for the Jamaican-Canadian play da kink in my hair by Trey Anthony. For me these connections are ancestral affirmations that add a layer of sacred trust and brilliance to our collaborative process.
The Anitafrika Method—a decolonial praxis rooted in dub poetry’s dynamic lineage and shared by both our parents—is the dramaturgical framework of speaking of sneaking; supporting danny as he examines the colonial imprints on queer Jamaican identities, cultural/theatrical forms and Afro-Caribbean-Tkarontonian storytelling aesthetics. Since its 2018 Theatre Centre debut, the play’s evolution mirrors the profound growth both danny and I have experienced as theatre practitioners.
As you witness this piece, I invite you to engage deeply. Enter Anansi’s portal where the trickster enables us to reach inside selves, webbing a now, liberated from internalised colonial constraints. Ase Esu. Ase Ancestors. Ase Spirit Guides. Ase Orishas. To our parents, families, friends, communities, and freedom lovers, we say thank you. Ubuntu–I am because we are.
— d’bi.young anitafrika
CREATIVE + PRODUCTION TEAM
daniel jelani ellis // creator, performer + producer
d’bi.young anitafrika // dramaturg + director
Fairy J // choreographer
Lexi Sproule // stage manager
Rachel Forbes // set + costume designer
André du Toit // lighting designer
Stephon Smith // sound designer
Micha Edwards // artistic associate
Chanti Laliberte // head of wardrobe
Rebecca Vandevelde // production manager
Conrad McLaren // technical director
Kit Norman, Darry Shaen, Van Ward, Amber Pattison // head technicians
Diamond Srey // audio technician & Qlab programmer
El Patey, Matt Armour, Mike Dowdall, Zev Shoag, Nate Gurarie, Katherine Teed-Arthur // install & strike crew
Groundwork Redux acknowledges the tremendous support of Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, Obsidian Theatre, and the Toronto Arts Council Black Arts Program. Abundant gratitude and admiration for the architects of this iteration: d’bi.young anitafrika, Rachel Forbes, Fairy J, Chanti Laliberte, Stephon Smith, Lexi Sproule, and André du Toit. Thanks to Annette Ellis, Owen Ellis, Nelly Notice, Gabrielle Ward, Virgilia Griffith, and Micha Edwards. Shoutout to Daniel Carter and Bilal Baig.
Thank you to collaborators Evalyn Parry, Cassy Walker, Audrey Dwyer, Brian Solomon, Victoria Wang, Jesse Ellis, Kathleen Jones, Deb Lim, Sandra Henderson, Kelly Read, Owais Lightwala, Ravi Jain, and Samson
Bonkeabantu Brown; thanks on thanks on thanks to supporters Karen Carter, Elvira Fernandes, Vanessa Fernando, Gregory Foster, Sarah Haney, Shelagh Haney, Alex de Jordy, Diana Luong, Brad Murphy, Nadijah Robinson, Alejandro Santiago, and Rhoma Spencer.
Groundwork Redux returns to a fertile foundation thanks to beloved ancestors Iris Malcolm and Leslie Ellis, with respect due to all our ancestors known and unknown, immediate and long passed.
Rachel foRbes
faIRY J
leXI sPRoUle andRÉ dU toit
stePhon smith
micha edwaRds
danIel JelanI ellIs
d’bI.YoUnG anItafRIKa
photo of daniel jelani ellis by Diana Luong, photo of d’bi.young anitafrika by Ocean Morisset, photo of Lexi Sproule by daniel jelani ellis, photo of André du Toit by Ulises Regalado, photo of Stephon Smith by Juliet Jones-Rodney.
chantI lalIbeRte
daniel jelani ellis // creator, performer + producer
Greetings! My name is daniel jelani ellis and I’m a Jamaican artist working in performance-installation creation, playwriting, dub poetry, and acting. My artistic practice is Afrocentric and celebratory. I’m especially passionate about arts-based community organizing for social justice. I’m a graduate of the English Acting program at the National Theatre School of Canada. I live in Toronto with my dog and many plants. I steer ad-hoc entity Groundwork Redux - an ever-evolving gathering of artists and projects - creating original art, performance, and community activations. www.groundworkredux.com
Theatre credits include: as performer: The First Stone (New Harlem Productions, Buddies in Bad Times, GCTC), The Bridge (2b, Neptune, Obsidian) receiving a Merritt Award nomination for outstanding performance in a supporting role, Risky Phil (YPT), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Pacific Opera Victoria); as playwright, co-producer, and performer: speaking of sneaking (Why Not, Groundwork Redux) receiving 5 Dora Award nominations including outstanding new play, outstanding production, and outstanding performer.
d’bi.young anitafrika // dramaturg + director
Renowned Canadian playwright-director-dramaturge, theatre scholar and activist, d’bi.young anitafrika, is celebrated for transformative theatre practices advocating social justice. A nonbinary African-Xaymacan-Tkarontonian womxn, their work, including the acclaimed Sankofa, Orisha, and Ibeyi Trilogies, demonstrates an unwavering commitment to Black queer feminist theatrical forms while rupturing colonial-systemic oppression. Accolades include three Dora Awards and numerous nominations, a KM Hunter Theatre Award, and a Global Leader in Theatre and Performance Award from Arts Council England.
Beyond writing and directing, as Founding Artistic Director of Watah Theatre, d’bi. young has mentored hundreds of emerging playwright-performers into industry leaders. They conceived The Anitafrika Method, a decolonial performance praxis, nationally and globally applied in spaces like Soulpepper Theatre and the United Nations. Presently a PhD candidate, d’bi.young is completing the first monograph on the transformative pedagogies of Black womxn theatre-makers in Canada.
FAIRY J // choreographer
FAIRY J, is a Barbadian-Canadian multi-hyphenate artist based in Toronto. She started her career in 2007 and for the past 15 years has been building her career as a performance artist, choreographer, movement director, dancer, singer/musician, outside eye/creative mentor, group facilitator and more recently, handmade skincare small business owner.
She made her debut as a movement director and choreographer for theatre in 2011, working under the direction of Philip Akin and Obsidian Theatre. In 2017 she worked with Soulpepper Theatre as the co-choreographer for For Coloured Girls. In 2019 she had the opportunity to work under the direction of Mumbi Tindyebwa as the Movement Director (MD) for The Brother’s Size and she made her return to the theatre post-pandemic, working with Mumbi again as the MD of Is GOD Is. In 2022
she made her debut with Stratford Festival as the Choreographer for Death and the King’s Horseman. In addition, she also made her debut at the Shaw Festival as the MD for Just to Get Married. She was the co-choreographer for Bahia Watson & Liza Paul MASHUP pon di road and her solo open light was presented by the Yensa Dance Festival created by Lua Shayenne Dance Company. Last Fall she premiered her interactive art experience titled The Reception at Nuit Blanche. She was the choreographer for the 20th year anniversary of Da Kink in my Hair and she was a dancer/singer/dance captain for Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha
Lexi Sproule // stage manager
Lexi Sproule is an Italian-Canadian writer, producer, stage manager, and teacher based in Tkaronto, Ontario. Her passion is in creating and supporting political, community-based art that heals and transforms. Lexi is author of the book of short stories Wormhole (published under the name Alexandra Sproule), and co-creator of the upcoming podcast Money No Get Enemy from Odoba Media. She is a member of the Switch Collective and an editor at Spolrusie Publishing. Lexi tutors Grades 2-12 in Math, Science, and English.
Rachel Forbes // set + costume designer
Rachel is an award-winning set and costume designer creating for theatre, dance, opera, and film. Her designs have been seen on stages, sites and screens across Canada. She is a researcher, design educator and board member for the Associated Designers of Canada. Rachel is particularly interested in the development of new works, interdisciplinary explorations, experimental creation methods and designled theatre projects. Selected Credits: Topdog Underdog, Fairview, Choir Boy, New Monuments (Canadian Stage); Treemonisha (Volcano Theatre); Of the Sea (Tapestry Opera/ Obsidian Theatre); Da Kink in My Hair, A Streetcar Named Desire, The Brothers Size (Soulpepper Theatre); Death and the King’s Horseman (Stratford Festival); Harlem Duet (Bard on the Beach); The Doctor’s Dilemma, Trouble in Mind, Victory, 1837: The Farmers’ Revolt (Shaw Festival).
André du Toit // lighting designer
André du Toit is a lighting designer for live performance based in Toronto, although his designs have been seen across Canada and beyond. His recent designs include Lady M (1S1 Theatre); Maanomaa, My Brother, Love and Information (Canadian Stage); Prince Hamlet, What You Won’t Do For Love (Why Not Theatre); Broken Shapes (Theatre Centre); The Cave, Le Grand Continental (Luminato); R+J (Stratford Festival of Canada); Getting Married, The Orchard (Shaw Festival); The Queen in Me (Canadian Opera Company/Nightwood Theatre/Theatre Gargantua); Now You See Her, Mouthpiece (Quote Unquote Collective); Oraltorio (Obsidian/Soulpepper); Jerusalem (Outside the March/Company Theatre); Animal Farm, A Delicate Balance, Vimy, The 39 Steps (Soulpepper); Italian Mime Suicide, Paolozzapedia, The Double (Bad New Days). He has received five Dora Mavor Moore Awards for Outstanding Lighting Design.
Stephon Smith // sound designer
Stephon Smith A.K.A Spliffon is an actor, rapper, songwriter, producer, and sound designer born in Toronto. Stephon was always inspired by the sounds of Hip Hop, RnB, Reggae, and Dancehall music from all eras. At the age of 9, Stephon began writing songs of his own. He later took an interest in acting and stand-up comedy and began writing scenes and stories as well as acting in school plays. Stephon attended 3 years at Humber College where he wrote and designed numerous songs and sounds for different productions within the Theatre performance program.
Following his theatre training Stephon wrote and acted in the Common Boots Theatre Production, Scadding in the 2019 Fringe Festival, and in the Paprika Festival’s production of Mandem for the 2021 Playwrights Unit. In 2022 he began designing 8 site-specific audio experiences for B Current’s Wheel of the Year Walks production launched in June 2023. In the future Stephon would like to collaborate with many more artists and further explore his range of abilities.
Micha Edwards // artistic associate micha (my-ka) edwards “FYA FYA” is a self-taught Tkaronto-based Artist from Rural Jamaica, known for their innovative burlesque-monologues that promote Freedom, Joy, and the celebration of uniqueness, while fiercely challenging societal norms. As a Queer Refugee Micha shares their story to inspire and heal folks through Art. Micha is the inventor of HAPPIE, a decolonized art practice that ignites the flame through creative self expression and food conversations. Micha self published a book with the 9 principles of their practice. Micha is currently developing a docu-musical titled “Jewels of Jamaica”.
Chanti Laliberte // head of wardrobe
A Toronto-based theatre craftsperson and Head of Wardrobe with a BFA from York University; Chanti is a two-time nominee for the Pauline McGibbon award and co-owner of Awl Or Nothing Creative Inc. She spent many seasons with The Blyth Festival and has worked as a shoe craftsperson for both the Stratford Festival & Jitterbug Boy. Her wardrobe work has been seen on stages throughout Ontario for the past fifteen years. Select HOW credits include: School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play (Obsidian/Nightwood/Buddies); Maanomaa, My Brother (BBTC/Canadian Stage), Fairview, As You Like It (Canadian Stage), All But Gone (Necessary Angel/ Canadian Stage);The Men In White, Prairie Nurse, Bang Bang, trace, Little Pretty and the Exceptional, The Gravitational Pull of Bernice Trimble (Factory Theatre); Musik Fur Das Ende (Soundstreams/Crows); Obeah Opera (Asah Productions/Luminato). Chanti can be found advocating and creating community through the Toronto Wardrobe People facebook group and at Shoppe and Tailor Studios. Stay weird and drink more water.
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BY DYLAN MITRO
PHOTO NOT PUBLIC AGENCIES an Ontario government agency un organisme du gouvernement de l’Ontario PHOTO OF DANIEL JELANI ELLIS AND MAKAMBE K SIMAMBA
PUBLIC AGENCIES an Ontario government agency un organisme du gouvernement de l’Ontario PHOTO OF DANIEL JELANI ELLIS MAKAMBE K SIMAMBA DYLAN MITRO “WHAT
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I HAVE
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BY DANIEL JELANI ELLIS
DIRECTED BY D’BI.YOUNG ANITAFRIKA
