a profoundly affectionate, passionate devotion to someone (-noun): the title says it all, offering a definition for an absent word. The thing is the thing unsaid. For the play’s three couples, language falls short: beautifully, tragically, sublimely.
The symposium’s two packed days felt to me like the collective pursuit of an elusive, shape-shifting prey. But as participants shared experiences, and common-interest groups opened up their internal dialogue to the rest of the symposium, the contours of what we’re all up against started to come into focus for me, and I felt a collective sense of purpose growing.
By Karen Fricker /May 5, 2025
iPhoto caption: Headshot by Dahlia Katz, background courtesy of Soulpepper Theatre
“I started to wonder what it is that I'm interested in saying. How do I see the world? What is my voice for? And the first thing that came to mind was African stories,” says actor Amaka Umeh.
In a blisteringly energetic performance, Amaka Umeh owns the stage as photographer Styles, holding court while speaking directly to the audience and telling us to “enjoy the vibes” on entry.