On November 19th, the Arts Management students spent their Saturday night at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre watching the first preview of Saga Collectif’s Black Boys, “an intimate look at the intersection of race, gender, and sexuality in three black men’s lives”.
Developed in Buddies Residency Program, Black Boys featured three very impressive performers, Stephen Jackman-Torkoff, Tawiah Ben M’Carthy, and Thomas Olajide, who have been seen on numerous stages across the province. The audience experienced heartbreak, rage, and joy as we were let into the lives of these men who have all come from different backgrounds but still face many of the same struggles.
The Buddies black box stage allowed experimentation with sets, lighting, and video streaming, creating a visually engaging performance that featured movement and music alongside dialogue and monologues. We were privileged to have a discussion with the Buddies in Bad Times Artistic Director Evalyn Parry, who gave us the inside scoop on how Buddies operates and what it takes for a show like Black Boys to reach the point where it can be presented to the public.
All in all we really loved the experience and want to commend Buddies and the Saga Collectif for putting on such a beautiful, important piece of theatre that we would recommend our readers go see!