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.
