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Phil says goodbye and Mumbi says hello The Obsidian Theatre, the country's  leading culturally diverse  theatre  company is now going through a major change.   After twenty years, the theatre’s founder and CEO has retired. He has been replaced by a young African Canadian director who will take over the running of the company in August. Philip Akin has been acting and directing for over 40 years. In 2000, he was a founding member of Obsidian Theatre, Canada’s leading black theatre company, and has served as its Artistic Director since 2006. Earlier this week Obsidian announced that   Mumbi Tindyebwa Otu is the new Artistic Director of the Obsidian Theatre.   In a press release issued by Obsidian Ms. Otu “was raised in Kenya and Victoria, BC. She is a critically acclaimed Toronto-based stage director with over a decade of professional experience and is the Founder/Artistic Director of the Dora Nominated experimental theatre company IFT (It’s A Freedom Thi

Pioneer of Black Theatre In Canada To Retire   By Stephen Weir Philip Akin has announced that he will be stepping down after 14 seasons as the Artistic Director of  Obsidian Theatre. I n 2000, Akin, along with 12 other prominent Black artists came together with the vision for an organization by and for Black theatre creators. Obsidian Theatre was formed, after  a black volcanic glass that alluded to creation and breaking new ground. He served on the board of directors, and as the company’s administrative producer before becoming Artistic Director in 2006.  He will remain in his position until 2020; the search for new artistic leadership begins now. As an artistic leader Philip is known for speaking his mind, always in support of Black artists, even if it isn’t the popular opinion. In a release sent to the Caribbean Camera Akin talked about his willingness over the years to kick butt. "It was part of my DNA that walls should come down, and if it took smashing, then sma

British play to get North American premiere early next year     By Stephen Weir In Today's Caribbean Camera newspaper The set has been designed.   The costumes are being decided on this week.   Rehearsals begin right after the holiday break. Toronto’s Obsidian Theatre is in full-speed-ahead mode for the February North American premiere of hang by the accomplished young black British-born Londoner debbie tucker green. (no capital letters please) Philip Akin Her 70-minute play, which has had a successful run in London, is set in the near future.   A victim of a crime has a meeting in a dark tunnel with two “officials” who demand she decide how the criminal who has harmed her family should be executed!   The audience never finds out what the crime was or who the officials really are –the police, government secret operators, or a private security firm? “This is strong material, the playwright confronts it head on.   She is poetic and the script is just so we