HELLo
I’m Fatuma, a writer based in Toronto, Canada. A long time ago I dropped out of med school to pursue a BA in Fine Arts, and admittedly from then on the road to stability was quite foggy. Now I’m very grateful to say that I’ve found a career in storytelling that is rewarding and, sometimes if I’m lucky, allows me to order UberEats twice in one day; “I am my ancestors’ wildest dreams.”
If the above bio is more personality than you signed up for, the following is the “official” bio where we pretend it’s not weird I’m talking about myself in the third person:
Fatuma Adar is a Somali-Canadian writer based in Toronto. She was long-listed in CBC's Creative Nonfiction Prize and profiled in Up Close: Young Black Women Making Canada Better. In 2017, she joined the third cohort of The Bars Workshop at the Public Theater in New York City. Her work has been featured in the Toronto Star, The Globe & Mail, Maclean's and an anthology entitled Black Writers Matter published by the University of Regina Press. She is developing a new musical called Dixon Road with support from the OAC, TAC, Obsidian Theatre and The Musical Stage Company. Fatuma is also creating a one-woman musical comedy show where she melodically explores the pressures of being a “model minority.”
“SHE’S NOT SPECIAL” live - COMING TO TARRAGON THEATRE MAY 24-28TH!
She’s Not Special combines musical theatre and comedic storytelling to explore the pressures of Black Excellence. As a Black Muslim Woman (a triple threat!), creator Fatuma Adar is on a mission to free you from the clutches of exceptionalism and teach you how to relish in the joys of mediocrity. Co-directed by Adar (Playback’s Artist to Watch) and Graham Isador (The Beaverton, VICE). Adar’s music has been described by CBC Arts as “...equal parts Bo Burnham stand-up set and Pharrell Williams club jam.”
“Give this multi-talented artist a Netflix special already. And if you disagree, you’re obviously anti-Black.”
A new Canadian musical with book, music and lyrics by Fatuma Adar. DIXON ROAD tells the story of a Somali family who immigrate to Canada in 1991 as the civil war begins to tear their homeland apart. They settle in Dixon Road, in a neighbourhood near Pearson airport that is still the heart of Toronto’s Somali community today.
Combining R&B, contemporary verse and traditional Somali melodies, DIXON ROAD is an exhilarating journey about dreams, displacement, and finding a new sense of home. Join The Musical Stage Company & Obsidian Theatre Company from June 1 – June 19 at the outdoor High Park Amphitheatre for one of this summer’s hottest musical events! Preview tickets to the first 8 shows (June 1 – June 8), are Pay-What-You-Wish starting at $5!
Visit www.dixonroad.com for tickets and complimentary on-site experiences.
I THINK THAT YOU... SHOULD TAKE A NAP.
“Not only is it funny it’s just a really beautiful song. People forget to make their comedy songs actually listenable. Amazing! ” - Bo Burnham
LISTEN NOW!
“What do you do EXACTLY?” - my parents
WRITER
As mentioned above, I write. A lot. I’ve written for theatre in the form of musicals, cabarets, and one-woman shows. I’ve been published in a tangible book and have been featured in publications, including a VICE article where I ate 50 chicken nuggets on a dare; I’m proud of both achievements equally. I’ve written for screen in the form of web series (see virgins!), and, like most writers you’ll see at Starbucks, I’m always working on a screenplay or a spec script that I definitely think you should read because “I promise mine is different.”
…this was written sarcastically, but I’m pretty sure my stuff is - so please invite me into your writers’ rooms, k thanks!
PERSONALITY/PERFORMER
I’ve been described as having “good vibes” and I’d really like to monetize that. I host and MC events that benefit from my sense of humour and “a bit much” energy. Earlier this year, I had the honour of hosting Ahay’s #BlackOutEid. This summer I wrote a show in 72hrs called “The ‘Fatuma Adar is Not Special’ Special” which was performed at Bad Dog Theatre and received such positive feedback that producer Avery Jean and I both turned to each other like “wow, did that actually work?”
I guess you could describe a “personality” as a friend for hire, which sounds like the plot to a RomCom that you’re more than welcome to commission me for.
DIGITAL STORYTELLING
What first began as a desperate attempt to do something, ANYTHING, with an English degree turned into a prosperous venture into Digital Marketing. A mentor once told me that the best kind of marketing is the kind that tells a story. I’ve had the pleasure of working with companies like Penguin Random House Canada, Second Story Press, Theatre Passe Muraille and Cahoots Theatre in creating digital campaigns and managing social media channels with a distinct voice that understands the story the organization wants to tell.
COLLABORATors & FEATURES
(aka RECOGNIZABLE LOGOS that garner me some clout )
PROJECTS
DIXON ROAD: a nEW MUSICAL
Book, music & lyrics BY FATUMA ADAR
Set in Mogadishu, Somalia and Toronto, Canada in the ‘90s, Dixon Road is a story about being displaced from home, from what you know, from who you are; and how family helps you find your way back.
Development history
Obsidian Theatre’s Playwrights Unit 2017-2018
TAC Playwrights Grant 2018
OAC & TAC Workshop Grant 2018
The Lucky One’s Workshop December 2018
Aubrey & Marla Dan fund co-commissioned by The Musical Stage Company and Obsidian Theatre 2018-2019
Tom Hendry Stage West Musical Award Shortlist 2019
Myseum Intersections Festival 2020 (watch here)
Photos by Dahlia Katz
SHE’S NOT SPECIAL
FORMERLY TITLED THE 'FATUMA ADAR IS NOT SPECIAL' SPECIAL
She’s Not Special combines musical theatre, hip-hop, and comedic storytelling to explore the pressures of Black Excellence. As a Black Muslim Woman (a triple threat!), creator Fatuma Adar is on a mission to free you from the clutches of exceptionalism and teach you how to relish in the joys of mediocrity.
RECENT NEWS!
She’s Not Special ~ the live show ~ has been selected to present at TORONTO FRINGE NEXT STAGE THEATRE FESTIVAL. You can find me and my silly songs at the Ada Slaight Hall Jan 19th - 30th for six nights! Ticket details and specific show dates to come soon. Read full press release here.
IN DEVELOPMENT
CANADA’S PUBLIC BROADCASTER ANNOUNCES RECIPIENTS OF THE CBC CREATIVE RELIEF FUND, AWARDING $2.2 MILLION IN FUNDING. Out of 9000 applicants, a musical dramedy screen adaption of She’s Not Special has been selected through the playwrights stream and is in development with CBC Comedy. Read release here.
BLACK WRITERS MATTER
cONTRIBUTING AUTHOR “HEAVY SCARVES”
An anthology of African-Canadian writing, Black Writers Matter offers a cross-section of established writers and newcomers to the literary world who tackle contemporary and pressing issues with beautiful, sometimes raw, prose. As editor Whitney French says in her introduction, “Black Writers Matter injects new meaning into the word diversity [and] harbours a sacredness and an everydayness that offers Black people dignity.” An “invitation to read, share, and tell stories of Black narratives that are close to the bone,” this collection feels particular to the Black Canadian experience.
“Heavy Scarves” is a story about a bathroom stall, a school dance, hijab and hair.
virgins!
Contributing writer , created by aden abebe
virgins! is a dramatic comedy that follows four 20-something-year-old women as they awkwardly navigate adulthood as millennials, and love and relationships as virgins. Set in the multicultural hub of Toronto, Canada, their experiences are nuanced and contextualized through their cultural duality as East Africans - Eritrean, Ethiopian, Somali, Sudanese - and Canadians.
“I love my job” moments
The #BARS Workshop
Cohort 3 performing at The Public Theater…sometimes I do have to remind myself that this wasn’t a dream.
She Said/She Said
You never forget the first time you see folks perform your work… it is a moooooood.
FIRST BOOK CANADA
Some of my earliest digital storytelling opportunities came when I created content for First Book Canada’s charity event Pongapalooza. These videos, although now somewhat dated, still make me smile.
fairies at the TD Toronto Jazz Fest
The amazing Clear Mortifee gave me the chance of a lifetime to direct their 75min TD Toronto Jazz Fest set. With incredible guest performers and an incredible audience the evening was filled with so much MAGIC.
say hI!
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