Emerging Playwrights Reading Series
Presented by EPRS Collective: Liza Hersh & Aurora McClennan
The Emerging Playwrights Reading Series provides an opportunity for early career playwrights to develop their artistic voices and connect with professionals in the industry. Selected new works receive a one-week workshop under the guidance of established directors culminating in a public festival of staged readings that showcase burgeoning Canadian talent. All plays were selected through an open call by a jury of theatre professionals.
This year’s Series features plays by Anahita Dehbonehie, Kian Diab and Alten Wilmot.
Add a ticket to all three shows on the same day to your shopping cart to attend all three readings for just $40!
Please join us on Saturday, January 24 from 6:00-7:00pm and Sunday, January 25 from 7:45-9:00pm for some free snacks and a chance to meet the teams.
About the plays
Swallow the Fire by Anahita Dehbonehie
Directed by Philip Riccio
A bomb is about to go off but it’s unclear whether it will change the world or merely feed the algorithm. As the clock ticks toward detonation, the play unspools in real time: a confrontation between generations, between reform and revolution, and between public performance and private conviction. Swallow the Fire asks what happens when activism becomes theatre, when maternal love becomes collateral, and when the end of the world is less terrifying than the end of our illusions.
Cast:
Nour – L.A. Sweeney
Nadine – Lara Arabian
Gale – Aaron Poole
Stage Manager – Iris Asserlind
Girls Trip, Bwitches! by Kian Diab
Directed by Diana Bentley
When a long awaited Muskoka trip finally makes it out of the group chat, best friends Sabrina Deliah, Felicia and Messica (plus one unwanted boyfriend) are ready for an unforgettable weekend getaway until they are shaken by cheating accusations within the group. A confrontational text with an unfortunate typo sends the night spiraling into a full-blown witch hunt, filled with confessions, confrontations, and a brewing cauldron of delusion. Will the girls and their friendships survive the night? Girls Trip, Bwitches! is a wacky, campy comedy about a being brought together through chaos.
Cast:
Felicia – Jaydn Nasato
Sabrina – Trinity Lloyd
Messica – Lucy Hill
Deliah – Izzi Nagel
Dylan – Anthony Goncharov
Stage Manager – Victoria Grey
Facing a Widowed Father by Alten Wilmot
Directed by Andrew Moodie
When Alliston, a high-achieving graduate student, discovers that the $35,000 from his mother’s life insurance – meant to cover his tuition – has gone missing, he spirals into crisis. As he enters desperation, he is forced to confront his estranged father, Daniel, and the unresolved grief that has fractured their relationship.
Set against the backdrop of university life, the play explores the tension between personal ambition and familial obligation within a Caribbean immigrant household. Through humour, heartbreak, and moments of deep vulnerability, Facing a Widowed Father examines how grief shapes the way we love, forgive, and move forward.
Cast:
Alliston – Jawon Mapp
Daniel – Maurice Dean Wint
Laurie – Danté Prince
Jud – Asha James
Jessica – Fae Alexander
Stage Manager – Lauren Allen
Thank you to our Presenting Sponsor:
B Street Collaborative
Thank you to our venue supporters:
The Theatre Centre
TAPA
January 24
to January 25, 2026
Tickets are Single tickets - $17.50 or see all 3 shows for $40
BMO Incubator
Saturday, January 24 – 3:00pm: Facing a Widowed Father
Saturday, January 24 – 5:00pm: Girls Trip, Bwitches!
Saturday, January 24 – 7:30pm: Swallow the Fire
Sunday, January 25 – 1:30pm: Girls Trip, Bwitches!*
Sunday, January 25 – 3:30pm: Swallow the Fire*
Sunday, January 25 – 6:00pm: Facing a Widowed Father*
*This performance will be followed by a talkback.
This performance is
April 16, 2026
“Some of my all-time favourite moments have been when something hilariously awkward happens in public and I catch the eyes of a stranger and for a second we know exactly what each other is thinking. And then we go about our lives. It’s a beautiful intimacy.” For actor, director, and writer Gregory Prest, even a...
April 10, 2026
“And so with this understanding that we are under constant surveillance, whether we do it consciously or unconsciously, we start adapting our behavior to it.” Nehal El-Hadi wants you to know that you’re being watched. With her journalistic and academic background, Nehal’s research has focused on data collection and space-making. Through the Residency program with...
March 23, 2026
“The difference between Versus and my other shows is that this one is a celebration of community while the other ones were me trying to punch people in the face to say, “wake up.” Rather, it’s me saying, “we’re all like this guy, it’s tough, so let’s keep walking forward together.” Residency Artist, Adam Lazarus,...
Facing a Widowed Father by Alten Wilmot
Directed by Andrew Moodie
When Alliston, a high-achieving graduate student, discovers that the $35,000 from his mother’s life insurance – meant to cover his tuition – has gone missing, he spirals into crisis. As he enters desperation, he is forced to confront his estranged father, Daniel, and the unresolved grief that has fractured their relationship.
Set against the backdrop of university life, the play explores the tension between personal ambition and familial obligation within a Caribbean immigrant household. Through humour, heartbreak, and moments of deep vulnerability, Facing a Widowed Father examines how grief shapes the way we love, forgive, and move forward.
Cast:
TBA