Obsidian Artistic Director Philip Akin to Step Down
iPhoto caption: Photo by Cesar Ghisilieri
Philip Akin, one of Obsidian Theatre’s founding members, is stepping down from his post as Artistic Director after 13 years. Obsidian announced Akin’s decision to leave in a press release Thursday, as the company begins to search for its next AD.
Not to worry, though. Akin will finish off directing the company’s 19/20 season before the change becomes official next year.
‘Now we’re doing something totally different…’
While he’s enjoyed working with Obsidian, Akin says his decision to leave is about letting a new generation of Black artists take centre stage.
“I’m not looking for somebody to be a mini-me,” he says. “I’m looking for somebody who will say ‘Thanks Philip, and now we’re doing something totally different.’”
Having been with Obsidian since its inception in 2000, Akin has spent his career uplifting and advocating for unapologetic Black voices in the theatre. In Thursday’s release, he says it’s been his mission to foster spaces where creators are free to work without the need to ‘reach for whiteness.’
“My role I feel is to be that point, that spear, that person who will be unapologetically Black, and will be as honest and straightforward about it, no matter the consequences,” he says.
A career of successes
A prominent actor and director, and newly minted Artist Award laureate for the Premier’s Awards for Excellence in the Arts, Akin is widely celebrated for his many accomplishments in the theatre.
He has won a number of awards, including—but not limited to—, two Doras for best direction (Topdog/Underdog in 2012, and Master Harold… And The Boys in 2017), and the William Kilbourn Award for the Celebration of Toronto’s Cultural Life in 2014.
But, Akin’s most lasting impression has to be in his tireless effort to support emerging artists. Not coincidentally, both Obsidian’s Mentor-Apprentice Program and Playwrights Unit grew massively under his leadership.
‘A hub for Black theatre-makers across the country’
Playwright, director and former Playwright’s Unit participant, Leah-Simone Bowen, says Obsidian’s programming under Akin was an important and empowering resource to her at the start of her career.
“When I applied, I was worried I wouldn’t get in because the play I had written was a comedic fantasy about Black people set far into the future. I thought it didn’t fit into the definition of a Black play,” she says. “But, I got into that program and on the first day Philip said, ‘Any play you write is a Black play because they will be speaking your words, because you wrote it.’ It was the best and most freeing piece of advice I’ve ever received.”
In their statement, Chair of Obsidian’s Board of Directors, Harmony Cohen, says the change in artistic direction is an important moment for the company, and for the broader theatre community, too.
“Under Philip’s leadership since 2006, Obsidian Theatre has grown to become a hub for Black theatre-makers across the country,” Cohen says. “We are now known as a company that creates space for risk-taking; values and pays for the work of artists; and which works for change by creating a culture of radical generosity.”
What happens next?
In the meantime, Obsidian is accepting applications for the opening position. And while he doesn’t have a say in the upcoming hiring process, Akin says he’s hopeful for his successor’s success:
“What I would hope for is when the next artistic director is coming on, for every award I got, they get three.”
But one thing’s for sure, whoever it is has a tough act to follow.
Dylan Coutts
Dylan is a journalism student at the University of King's College, Halifax. His internship at Intermission is the only thing that stands between him and his degree. Dylan has a passion for (and a BA in) theatre history and is an Aquarius, with a Leo moon, and a Scorpio rising.
LEARN MORE
iPhoto caption: A graphic for the National Centre for New Musicals at Theatre Aquarius.
Theatre Aquarius reveals inaugural selections for National Centre for New Musicals
Following a request for submissions that drew over 260 applications, the NCNM curatorial committee has selected five works for support.
iPhoto caption: Photo by Rita Taylor
TO Live brings theatrical premiere of SKéN:NEN to the Bluma Appel Theatre
This May, TO Live will collaborate with Kaha:wi Dance Theatre to present SKéN:NEN, an immersive dance performance with a narrative rooted in cultural knowledge.
iPhoto caption: Tarragon Theatre. Photo by Peter Harte
Tarragon Theatre announces exhilarating 24-25 season
Tarragon Theatre has announced its 53rd season, brimming with local premieres, new plays, and exciting co-productions.
iPhoto caption: Courtesy of Brampton On Stage
Brampton On Stage assembles heavenly cast for one-night-only Pasek and Paul concert
Curated by Darryn de Souza and performed by a dynamic four-piece band, the show features a cast of stellar singers led by Elysia Cruz and Julia Pulo, currently starring in Mirvish’s Six.
Introducing the next act of Intermission Magazine
Today, we’re launching some exciting new features and initiatives at Intermission, starting with a gorgeous new website by Mouth Media.
iPhoto caption: Graphic courtesy of Theatre Calgary.
Theatre Calgary announces star-studded cast and creative team for Beaches the Musical
Theatre Calgary has announced the full cast and creative team for its upcoming international premiere of Beaches the Musical, beginning previews on May 18 in the Arts Commons Max Bell Theatre.
These are the plays to see in Toronto for the week of May 6 - 12 2019.
iPhoto caption: Top Row: Leah Doz, Mac Fyfe, Gregory Prest, Amy Rutherford
Casting Announcement: Soulpepper’s Fool For Love and A Streetcar Named Desire
Soulpepper has announced casting for two of its upcoming shows!
Theatre This Week: April 29 – May 5
These are the plays to see in Toronto for the week of April 29th – May 5 2019.
iPhoto caption: Photo by John Lauener
Season Announcement: Nightwood Theatre
“Our 40th season is an array of work that grapples with our collective history, cautions us on the precarity of our present, and calls us to action for our future,” says Artistic Director Kelly Thornton.
Marjorie Chan is Theatre Passe Muraille’s Next Artistic Director
“I am ecstatic and humbled to be trusted with the artistic leadership of Theatre Passe Muraille, a company which has been at the forefront of collaborative and ground-breaking work for 50 years.”
Theatre This Week: April 22 – 28
These are the plays to see in Toronto for the week of April 22th – 28th, 2019.
Comments