dance Immersion is thrilled to present the Toronto Premiere of this incredibly moving one-woman show by Shayna Jones of B.C., produced by Pi Theatre. Black & Rural incorporates spoken word, movement, and music to create an essential theatre experience that gives voice to rural Canadians of the African Diaspora. 

Black & Rural is an artistic inquiry into the hearts and minds of Black folks tucked away on Canada’s countryside. Project lead, Shayna Jones, aims to seek out, honour, and showcase stories from rurally based Blacks (like herself) to nuance and challenge the monolith of what matters to Black Lives. Created and performed by Shayna Jones and produced by Pi Theatre, Black & Rural weaves spoken word, movement, music, and verbatim theatre together in a spellbinding performance that is resonating across the country. www.blackandrural.com

Shayna Jones (she/her) is an award winning actor, a playwright, a folklorist, and a multi-disciplinary spoken word artist specializing in the traditional oral storytelling of African and Afro-Diasporic lore. As a professionally trained performer, vocalist, and fine mover, Shayna has crafted performances for countless audiences across Canada featuring Afro-centric Folk History, Folklore and Contemporary Experience. Learn more about Shayna and her work at: www.wearestoryfolk.com 

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BLACK & RURAL CREDITS

Written, performed, and created by Shayna Jones

Featuring voice-over performances by Tom Pickett, Omari Newton, Kwasi Thomas, Giselle Clarke-Trenaman, Ivy Charles, Britney Buren, and Mariam Barry ‍

Directed by Richard Wolfe

Tour Manager: Kayleigh Sandomirsky

Stage Manager: Maria Zarrillo

Producer: Libby Willoughby

Lighting Design: Brad Trenaman

Associate Lighting Designer: Victoria Bell

Toronto Lighting Consultant: Gabriel Cropley

Set Design & Costume Consultant: Cecilia Vadala

Sound Design & Composition: Rufus Cappadocia

Movement Director: Amber Barton

Dramaturg: Angela Konrad

Toronto Production Manager: Charissa Wilcox

Toronto Artist Talk Moderator: Nicole Inica Hamilton

Opening Night Acknowledgement Ceremony: Kim Wheatley

About Director Richard Wolfe:

Richard (he/him) is the Artistic and Producing Director of Pi Theatre as well as a dramaturg and a specialist in contemporary theatre and performance.  He’s been nominated 6 times for Outstanding Director (winning twice) and once for Significant Artistic Achievement in Vancouver’s professional theatre.  Canadian and world premieres he’s directed include: Black & Rural by Shayna Jones, Truth & Lies (4 original plays about the digital world), Lampedusa, by Anders Lustgarden, Hir by Taylor Mac, Dance Like No One’s Watching by Munish Sharma (site-specific dance performance), At the Speed of Light by Peter Dickinson (original audio drama), The Events by David Greig (Canadian premiere at the PuSh Festival), Empire of the Son by Tetsuro Shigematsu (which has played in 18 cities to over 20,000 people), 1 Hour Photo by Tetsuro Shigematsu (nominated for a GG playwriting award) and the musical-chamber piece The Meal by Rick Maddocks – among many others. Richard is grateful to Timea Wharton-Suri and dance Immersion for bringing this beautifully human story by Shayna Jones to Toronto audiences. 

On Opening Night, A Welcome Acknowledgement Ceremony will be Performed by Kim Wheatley:

Anishinaabe Traditional Grandmother Kim Wheatley is Ojibway, Potawatomi and Caribbean in ancestry. She is a band member of Shawanaga First Nation located on the shores of Georgian Bay on Robinson Huron Treaty Territories and is Turtle Clan. She carries the Spirit name “Head or Leader of the Fireflower” and has worked for 3 decades with Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities across Canada. 

As a multi award winning speaker for over 3 decades Kim has appeared locally, nationally and internationally in books, magazines, television, radio and numerous news articles and podcasts. Her work is viewed as dynamic, motivational and powerful while always inclusive. She is a published author, hand drummer, singer, water walker, artist, columnist, ceremonial practitioner and ancestral knowledge keeper. Kim is committed to forging good relationships aligned with reconciliation that honour the past, connect the present and contribute to the future.