esu crossing the middle passage by d'bi.young anitafrika (1)
Sun, Feb 22
|Toronto
Gather at the crossroads this Black Futures Month for the first story in the classic Orisha Trilogy, a ritual performance of Esu's crossing.
Time & Location
Feb 22, 2026, 2:00 p.m. – Mar 08, 2026, 4:00 p.m.
Toronto, 32 Lisgar St, Toronto, ON M6J 0C7, Canada
About the event
Watah Theatre Presents
esu crossing the middle passage**10-Year Anniversary ProductionFebruary 17 – March 1, 2026 | Watah Studio Theatre, Tkaronto
Watah Theatre proudly presents esu crossing the middle passage, a landmark work of dub theatre by d’bi.young anitafrika, returning to the stage for its 10-year anniversary at the newly established Watah Studio Theatre. The production launches Watah Theatre’s 2026 season and invites audiences to experience anitafrika’s biomyth monodrama work in an intimate studio setting.
Originally premiering in 2016 at the Storefront Theatre to critical acclaim—including FOUR N’s from NOW Magazine, a Critic’s Pick, and a Dora Award nomination—esu crossing the middle passage has since become a foundational work within anitafrika’s canon and the first chapter of The Orisha Trilogy.
Set aboard a slave ship and embodied by Esu, the Orisha of crossroads and transformation, the piece follows a womxn’s journey into the Transatlantic enslavement system of humxn trafficking, through poetry, ritual movement,…