by Donovan Hayden | A special presentation by Theatre Passe Muraille in association with b current performing arts
A ticket purchase to Okay, you can stop now gives you access to watch X and Da Spirit following the show!
Mural by Chris Leal | Photo courtesy of artists
X is an unassuming Black man. That is until he encounters a mural beneath a bridge, where ‘da Spirit of the Struggle’ transmits the knowledge of Black resistance to him in an instant. Now he must find his place in the Struggle, guided by an artist, MC, who challenges X’s understanding of the movement and the personal consequences of activism.
This show is inspired by artist Donovan Hayden’s experiences during the massive Black Lives Matter protests that stretched around the globe since 2020, and his continued involvement in the movement. A Patron’s Pick production at the 2022 Toronto Fringe Festival, X and Da Spirit is a celebration of Toronto Blackness, resistance, and community through rap, dance, graffiti, music and spoken word.
“That invitation resonates beyond the theatre and demands to be heard.”
— Karen Fricker, Toronto Star
“Every element of this production was simply stunning, an absolute must see.”
— Armon Ghaeinizadeh, Intermission Magazine
Note from the artists:
X and Da Spirit was inspired by the organizers, events and work done at Not Another Black Life. Not Another Black Life is a Black femme led community organization that supports the families victimized by police violence and advocates for Black liberation in Toronto. They are one of many grassroots groups in Toronto doing meaningful activism and organizing.
If you are feeling Da Spirit and want to support the struggle, here is a tangible way you can take action: Donate to Not Another Black Life. You can send an etransfer to notanotherblacklife@gmail.com or donate to their paypal @notanotherblacklife.
Show Runs
February 4 to 11, 2023
Runtime: approximately 110 minutes (includes Okay, you can stop now, a 15 minute intermission, and special presentation of X and Da Spirit)
Location
Theatre Passe Muraille (16 Ryerson Avenue) Mainspace Theatre
Tickets
A ticket purchase to Okay, you can stop now gives you access to watch X and da spirit!
Tickets are Pay-what-you-can-afford, starting at $10.
Credits
Playwright, Performer, and Producer
Donovan Hayden
Director
Rais Clarke-Mendes
Producing and Artistic Mentor
Brendan McMurtry-Howlett
Set Designer and Muralist
Chris Leal
Sound Designer
Miquelon Rodriguez
Stage Manager
Scotia Cox
Lighting Designer
Jacob Lin
ASL Team
Deaf Interpreters
Courage Bacchus
Robert Haughton
Deaf Community Consultant
Dr. Jenelle Rouse
ASL Interpreters
Kimberley Johnson
Aneesa Mustafa
Cast
Donovan Hayden | X
Trinity Lloyd | MC
Tickets & Show times
This is a special presentation following Okay, you can stop now by Shakeil Rollock at Theatre Passe Muraille Mainspace Theatre! For any inquiries, please leave a message for our Box Office staff at 416.504.7529 or by email at info@passemuraille.on.ca
Okay, you can stop now is a physical theatre experience that explores how we deal with, manipulate, and come to terms with information. Four performers are invited into a landscape full of newspapers: a tangible form of history. Over time, knowing that history is continual, the weight of the news gets the better of each individual.
Through personal accounts and collective experience, each performer navigates their relationship to privilege and power: how do we move forward once history has indelibly been changed.
Tickets at Theatre Passe Muraille have pay-what-you-can-afford price points! Those purchasing at the $60 price point will do so with the understanding that their ticket price is helping to subsidize the $10* ticket price, and in doing so, making theatre more accessible for others.
Click here to see all show times
*If these price points create a barrier for you, please contact our box office. We want you to come see our shows!
X and Da Spirit is a special presentation show following Okay, you can stop now. Tickets are not sold separately. Both shows are approximately 45 minutes long.
Please note, February 9 1:30pm is a school matinee performance and does not include the special presentation of X and Da Spirit.
This production is a relaxed run.
ASL Interpretation is available Friday February 10 evening and Saturday February 11 matinee shows.
Black Out Night for Okay, you can stop followed by X and Da Spirit will take place February 9 at 7:30pm!
Black Out Nights are performances exclusively for Black audiences. The spirit behind this evening is to provide a space for Black theatre-goers to experience a show for them, by them. The Black Out Night event also facilitates a safe environment for a personal and intimate discussion on the work made and performed by Black artists. We are committed to continue offering Black Out Night performances for all Black playwrights and artists in future seasons.
Learn more about the program here.
If you would like information on the topics or themes in our productions, or to determine the suggested age for attending a performance, please reach out to our Box Office staff at 416.504.7529 or by email at info@passemuraille.on.ca.
Donovan Hayden is a Black Canadian theatre creator, activist, and political organizer that tells stories intended to engage, challenge, and activate audiences. He strives to tell stories that center the dynamic lives of Black people and their everyday resistance. Calling both Pittsburgh and Toronto home, he is currently based in Toronto and an organizer at Progress Toronto. His goal is to blend activism and Blackness with theatre to create radical art that leads to liberation for all.
To schedule an interview with the artist, or staff members at Theatre Passe Muraille regarding this production, please email Marketing Manager Emily Jung at emilyj@passemuraille.on.ca. We will try out best to accommodate your media requests, however they are not guaranteed.
Content: Sounds of protests, descriptions of police brutality and violence, themes of anti-Black racism.
Environmental: Gun Shot (sound).
Special thanks to Cherissa Richards, Honor Ford Smith, Jamie Robinson, Joella Crichton, Jonny Whitney, Marcel Stewart, Patricia Trudeau, Rajean Hoilett, Sienna Che, Sarah Miller, and Wilburn Hayden for their contributions to this piece.