DERAILED: The History of Black Railway Porters in Canada
April 22- april 26
(See schedule of Performances below)
Toronto Railway Museum
255 Bremner Blvd
Registration is necessary for this event.
Click here to register.
Developed by Myseum of Toronto, this theatrical experience takes a step back in time to look at the lives of Canada’s Black Railway Porters
From the late 1800s to mid 1900s, Canada’s Black Railway Porters were a group of workers who disrupted the system, becoming instrumental in leading the fight for fair employment practices and anti-discriminatory laws. Step back in time for this theatrical experience which looks at the lives of these pioneers whose tireless work, on and off the track, were instrumental in paving a new path for greater equality in Canada.
Meghan Swaby
Meghan Swaby is an actor and playwright born and raised in Toronto. Her play Venus’ Daughter was produced by Obsidian Theatre in 2016 and was recently included on The SureFire List (Playwrights Guild of Canada) as one of the top 23 recommended plays in Canada. She has participated in various playwrighting programs over the years, such as; Nightwood Theatre’s Write from the Hip, Diaspora Dialogues Playwright Residency and The Stratford Festivals’ Playwrights Retreat. In 2017, Meghan was one of 50 playwrights selected to have their work included in, 50in50: Writing Black Women Into Existence which was curated by Dominique Morisseau at the Billie Holiday Theatre in Brooklyn, New York. She is a past participant of Playwrights Workshop Montreal and The CEAD Writers’ residency in Gros Morne, Newfoundland. There she gazed lovely at mountains and worked away on her new play, Breadfruit.
Cecil Foster
Cecil Foster is a leading author, academic, journalist and public intellectual. His work speaks about the challenges that Black people have encountered historically in Canada in their efforts to achieve respect and recognition for their contribution to what is now a multicultural Canada. He highlights their fight for social justice and human dignity. In particular, Foster addresses the issues of immigration in his critical discussions on who is a Canadian in the ever-evolving social narrative toward a genuine multicultural Canada.
PERFORMANCES:
Wednesday April 22, 2020
7pm Public, Opening Performance (wheelchair accessible)
*Followed by Opening Reception & Talkback with Playwright Meghan Swaby and Author/Historian Cecil Foster, Steam Whistle Pilsner Hall
Thursday April 23, 2020
7pm Performance (limited capacity)
Friday April 24, 2020
7pm Performance (limited capacity)
Saturday April 25, 2020
12pm Performance (limited capacity)
3pm Performance (wheelchair accessible)
Sunday April 26, 2020
12pm Performance (limited capacity)
3pm Performance (wheelchair accessible)
Title: Porter photo (l.-r.:) Shirley Jackson, Pete Stevens, Harry Gairey, Jimmy Downes (Wray Downes’e father) – Shirley Jackson was active in org. BSCP
Source: Library and Archives Canada/Daniel G. Hill fonds/PA-212572
