Our Playwright Around the House, Ahmed Moneka, has been hard at work on his newest project, The Onion Cellar; a collectively-created, world-fusion musical celebrating openness, storytelling, and community. In fact, not even a few weeks ago, he was conducting a second round of interviews with his incredible team of artists! To learn more about Ahmed’s work on The Onion Cellar, check out his Q&A session with our Intern Artistic Director, Caitie Graham.
The Interview
CAITIE: The Onion Cellar is probably the most epic project I’ve ever had the privilege of being a part of. It’s ambitious in so many ways; in its devised development process, in the breadth of stories it seeks to link, its musical nature, and what it aims to offer its audience. The possibility inherent to this concept is almost infinite, which to me is – at this stage in the process – simultaneously the most exciting and most challenging thing about it.
What – in your mind – is the most exciting part of this project (if you can choose)? And what is the most challenging?
AHMED: In my opinion, holding space means creating an environment where people can be honest and true to themselves without feeling the need to conform or deceive others. It’s about sharing your feelings openly with others, as this helps build trust and promotes healing. As the saying goes, ‘We live together, but we die alone.’The challenging part is the story and the style of delivering it. The characters are all very different yet similar. Thinking about the rules of the play, it’s not a musical, it’s a play with music. I want to draw strength from the actors. Some are poets, dancers, actors, musicians, etc. I want to create a world that has all these elements.
CAITIE: In these early stages of this project’s development, your focus has largely been on interviewing and building connectivity among your company of performers – Dillan Meaghan Chiblow, Nehassaiu deGannes, Richard Lam, Alison Porter, Shaina Silver-Baird, Ravyn Ariah Wngz – and restauranteur and business owner Shamez Amlani.
Tell us about how you approached these interviews, and how they served as a useful entry point to beginning this process.
AHMED: Every person on this planet has a unique story and complex life. As a writer, my approach is to start from a real and genuine place, a true story, and then fictionalize it. During the interview process, I learned a lot and connected deeply with each of the artists we interviewed. Now, I feel like I know them personally, and they are like my friends. This compassion towards their story helped me learn how to be a better listener. These artists were invited because of their incredible talent and bravery in sharing who they are – that is the onion cellar. I have now established a foundation for each of these wonderful human beings, which I will use as a motive to build my characters. I won’t copy and paste their lives, but I can use their stories as inspiration. Moreover, I believe in teamwork and collaboration. I involve the artists from the first step and encourage them to raise their character with me. They have a say in whether they are comfortable with the portrayal or not.
CAITIE: Let’s recap your activities thus far. In the Fall of 2022, you conducted one-on-one interviews with each member of the company to source personal stories and perspectives to build into the foundation of The Onion Cellar. Then, at the Playwrights Retreat in May 2023, you sifted through the recorded interviews (12hrs worth!) to make note of recurring themes, common threads, and sites of connection between stories. Then! You determined a series of pairings between company members to further expand on these ideas, and begin introducing the collective to one another…which yielded ANOTHER 6hrs of recordings.
What is your process for combing through all this material, and what do you look for?
AHMED: I have a background in acting and have studied theatre for nine years. Whenever I’m working on a project, I make sure to do thorough research beforehand, especially when it involves multiple stories that aren’t my own. One of my mentors, d’bi.young anitafrika, taught me the importance of constantly checking in with the people I’m writing about and getting to know them as individuals. This means understanding what makes them happy or sad, what excites them, and what bores them. The final step of my process involves bringing everyone together and going on excursions. My concept for this project is that despite differences in gender, race, class, or religion, we all have much in common. By coming together and embracing our similarities, we can create a powerful sense of togetherness and harmony. All we need to do is listen to each other without judgment.
CAITIE: If I could liken this process (or at least, what I’ve observed of it) to a musical instrument, I would say it’s been most like an accordion so far. With each interview series, the accordion expands, filling the instrument with stories and inspiration. Then the accordion is compressed as themes and threads are pulled and processed. This back and forth of sourcing inspiration, and making meaning of it feels like the way an accordion is played.
If you could liken your process with this project so far to a musical instrument, how would you describe it?
AHMED: What a nice instrument the accordion is! I love it. I think that the Scottish bagpipe is an instrument… that filling it with air is like listening to them, playing the notes is like reflecting on it, and being aware of when to keep the bag full of air and when to play. It’s kind of smaller than the accordion.
CAITIE: In March, you’re attending a week-long retreat at The Gillespie House to dedicate some concentrated time to this project. How do you see yourself using this time, and what would you like to walk away with?
AHMED: I want to spend this week designing the appearance of those characters, creating a map, choosing the background, and fictionalizing the characters. That way, when we meet them in the fall, we will have some ideas to present to them.
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Retreats in Full Swing
/in NewsIn March we hosted our first Gillespie House Playwrights Retreat of 2024. It went so well, we’re already planning for the next one!
Last month Driftwood hosted its first playwrights retreat of the season at our partnered Bed & Breakfast, The Gillespie House. We were joined by Ellen Denny (playwright, The Great(er) Maple Syrup Heist), Deivan Steele (playwright, Children of the Black Water), and Ahmed Moneka (playwright, The Onion Cellar). For one peaceful week in the County – away from day to day life – these playwrights got to explore bold new ideas, take leaps and strides in their work, and share in each other’s pursuits.
All week, we were inspired by our guests’ processes. Deivan’s routine of writing with the sunrise, Ellen’s piano playing drifting through the halls, and reading aloud The Onion Cellar chapter (from Günter Grass’ The Tin Drum) with Ahmed. It was such a unique pleasure having these artists in our space, and we are so excited for what comes of their work.
This is River, with her World Theatre Day poster (made with her dad, Jeremy).
“Something magical happens when artists inhabit this house,” says Artistic Director (and Gillespie House co-owner) Jeremy Smith, “there’s a vibrancy and joy that just fills the space. It encourages me to rediscover that creative spirit as well – like the one we all have when we’re kids. And it was particularly special to have the house overflowing with that energy on World Theatre Day (March 27).”
But enough about us! Read on to learn more about the experience from the playwrights themselves.
“Everyday during my residency at Gillespie House, the warm hospitality cultivated a feeling of support and joy. Our days were full of quiet focus and our evenings full of inspiring conversation. Having on-site dramaturgical support deepened my understanding of my project and gave me a lot to digest moving forward. A truly special week in a beautiful setting.”
– Ellen Denny, GHPR March 2024
“The Gillespie House Playwrights Retreat is all about enabling playwrights to do their best work, and the folks at Driftwood are exceptional at supporting the process of every individual. The gifts that GHPR gave me weren’t just time and space to work, but also a lovely introduction to a beautiful corner of Ontario, flexible support for all kinds of projects, and an invitation to really become part of the family for a week. When Driftwood says their vision is about ‘Good people sharing great stories’, nowhere is it better exemplified than this productive, collaborative, and heartwarming experience. I can’t say enough just how much I recommend GHPR to any playwright looking to kickstart their story with a wonderful team.”
– Deivan Steele, GHPR March 2024
For those of you who may have missed it – or who need the extra nudge – our call for submissions to the June Gillespie House Playwrights Retreat (GHPR) is still open! We’re looking for emerging and established playwrights who are developing new works that are epic or mythic in nature (whatever that means to them). From June 3rd – 7th 2024, selected artists will be invited to stay at The Gillespie House where they’ll receive; full accommodation, complimentary breakfasts, a travel stipend within Ontario, access to dramaturgical support, and an honorarium of $500.00. The deadline to submit is Thursday April 18th, 2024 at midnight.
Playwrights Retreat Call for Submissions
/in NewsDriftwood Theatre is now accepting applications for its next iteration of The Gillespie House Playwrights Retreat. This brand-new offering is an entirely self-directed paid opportunity that offers time and space to Ontario theatre makers who are developing new works that are epic and mythic in nature.
The Gillespie House Playwrights Retreat Series is one of the first initiatives born of Driftwood’s new artistic focus. After a thirty-year history of touring classical theatre across Ontario, Driftwood is changing to invest even more deeply in its community by focusing on the development of new theatrical work by Ontario-based artists. With this shift, Driftwood fully embraces the etymology of its company name: providing stability within an ever-evolving environment and building a vital framework which allows ideas to take root and grow.
This iteration of The Gillespie House Retreat will run from June 3rd to 7th, 2024 at our partnered bed-and-breakfast in Prince Edward County; The Gillespie House. We are currently looking to support emerging and/or established Ontario-based playwrights who are exploring bold new ideas for a theatrical work that is epic or mythic in nature (whatever that may mean to the applicant). We are looking for projects that are still in an ideation phase of development that explore uncharted creative territory for the applying artist.
What we’re offering:
**Though lunches and dinners are not covered as part of the retreat, playwrights may opt into a grocery sharing/communal cooking schedule, or dine out in downtown PEC (3-minute walk from the premises).
What we need from you:
Please click here to complete our submission form. On it, you will be asked to provide the following:
***Please include your full name in the title of ALL attached files.
Apply by: April 18, 2024
All applicants will be contacted upon receipt of their submission, and again by the end of April/early May regarding the status of their application.
The Gillespie House Playwrights Retreat welcomes applicants from all backgrounds who reflect the many communities that make up the province of Ontario. In particular, we will prioritize applications from artists who identify as BIPOC and/or 2SLGBTQ+. Driftwood is also committed to providing an accessible and barrier-free environment for its staff and artists. If you have questions or concerns about the accessibility of this application process, or the retreat itself, please feel free to reach out to Caitie at cgraham@driftwoodtheatre.com for accommodations.
Gillespie House Information:
The Gillespie House Bed & Breakfast is a family-run B&B in the heart of Prince Edward County. In addition to 3 private bedrooms on the second floor, there are two large communal working spaces on the main floor that playwrights can share. For photographs and more information regarding the Gillespie House’s Accessibility and Health/Safety protocol, please visit The Gillespie House website here.
Peeling Onions with Ahmed
/in NewsOur Playwright Around the House, Ahmed Moneka, has been hard at work on his newest project, The Onion Cellar; a collectively-created, world-fusion musical celebrating openness, storytelling, and community. In fact, not even a few weeks ago, he was conducting a second round of interviews with his incredible team of artists! To learn more about Ahmed’s work on The Onion Cellar, check out his Q&A session with our Intern Artistic Director, Caitie Graham.
The Interview
CAITIE: The Onion Cellar is probably the most epic project I’ve ever had the privilege of being a part of. It’s ambitious in so many ways; in its devised development process, in the breadth of stories it seeks to link, its musical nature, and what it aims to offer its audience. The possibility inherent to this concept is almost infinite, which to me is – at this stage in the process – simultaneously the most exciting and most challenging thing about it.
What – in your mind – is the most exciting part of this project (if you can choose)? And what is the most challenging?
AHMED: In my opinion, holding space means creating an environment where people can be honest and true to themselves without feeling the need to conform or deceive others. It’s about sharing your feelings openly with others, as this helps build trust and promotes healing. As the saying goes, ‘We live together, but we die alone.’The challenging part is the story and the style of delivering it. The characters are all very different yet similar. Thinking about the rules of the play, it’s not a musical, it’s a play with music. I want to draw strength from the actors. Some are poets, dancers, actors, musicians, etc. I want to create a world that has all these elements.
CAITIE: In these early stages of this project’s development, your focus has largely been on interviewing and building connectivity among your company of performers – Dillan Meaghan Chiblow, Nehassaiu deGannes, Richard Lam, Alison Porter, Shaina Silver-Baird, Ravyn Ariah Wngz – and restauranteur and business owner Shamez Amlani.
Tell us about how you approached these interviews, and how they served as a useful entry point to beginning this process.
AHMED: Every person on this planet has a unique story and complex life. As a writer, my approach is to start from a real and genuine place, a true story, and then fictionalize it. During the interview process, I learned a lot and connected deeply with each of the artists we interviewed. Now, I feel like I know them personally, and they are like my friends. This compassion towards their story helped me learn how to be a better listener. These artists were invited because of their incredible talent and bravery in sharing who they are – that is the onion cellar. I have now established a foundation for each of these wonderful human beings, which I will use as a motive to build my characters. I won’t copy and paste their lives, but I can use their stories as inspiration. Moreover, I believe in teamwork and collaboration. I involve the artists from the first step and encourage them to raise their character with me. They have a say in whether they are comfortable with the portrayal or not.
CAITIE: Let’s recap your activities thus far. In the Fall of 2022, you conducted one-on-one interviews with each member of the company to source personal stories and perspectives to build into the foundation of The Onion Cellar. Then, at the Playwrights Retreat in May 2023, you sifted through the recorded interviews (12hrs worth!) to make note of recurring themes, common threads, and sites of connection between stories. Then! You determined a series of pairings between company members to further expand on these ideas, and begin introducing the collective to one another…which yielded ANOTHER 6hrs of recordings.
What is your process for combing through all this material, and what do you look for?
AHMED: I have a background in acting and have studied theatre for nine years. Whenever I’m working on a project, I make sure to do thorough research beforehand, especially when it involves multiple stories that aren’t my own. One of my mentors, d’bi.young anitafrika, taught me the importance of constantly checking in with the people I’m writing about and getting to know them as individuals. This means understanding what makes them happy or sad, what excites them, and what bores them. The final step of my process involves bringing everyone together and going on excursions. My concept for this project is that despite differences in gender, race, class, or religion, we all have much in common. By coming together and embracing our similarities, we can create a powerful sense of togetherness and harmony. All we need to do is listen to each other without judgment.
CAITIE: If I could liken this process (or at least, what I’ve observed of it) to a musical instrument, I would say it’s been most like an accordion so far. With each interview series, the accordion expands, filling the instrument with stories and inspiration. Then the accordion is compressed as themes and threads are pulled and processed. This back and forth of sourcing inspiration, and making meaning of it feels like the way an accordion is played.
If you could liken your process with this project so far to a musical instrument, how would you describe it?
AHMED: What a nice instrument the accordion is! I love it. I think that the Scottish bagpipe is an instrument… that filling it with air is like listening to them, playing the notes is like reflecting on it, and being aware of when to keep the bag full of air and when to play. It’s kind of smaller than the accordion.
CAITIE: In March, you’re attending a week-long retreat at The Gillespie House to dedicate some concentrated time to this project. How do you see yourself using this time, and what would you like to walk away with?
AHMED: I want to spend this week designing the appearance of those characters, creating a map, choosing the background, and fictionalizing the characters. That way, when we meet them in the fall, we will have some ideas to present to them.
Shakespeare D&D: Recap
/in NewsThe Story So Far…
Shipwrecked on a mysterious island following a violent tempest, our adventurers – the young sorcerer Percy Parsimmon Parsnip, the songful bard Feste, the fun-loving witch Hecate, the jittery rogue Dogberry, the vengeful paladin Joan, and the mysterious warrior Fidele – set out to find the missing master of the diminutive gnome, Dromio of Syracuse.
Guided by a local inhabitant, Caliban, the party make their way into the heart of the densely forested island where they are harassed by troubling visions, meet by the wondrous spirit Ariel, and solve the riddle of a bounteous feast. Conquering their many challenges (and narrowly avoiding death once or twice) they finally arrive at a hillside grotto at the edge of the woods.
Deep within the caverns hidden within the homestead, they find the imprisoned Antipholus and confront the evil hag, Sycorax.
Once a coven-mate of Hecate, Sycorax was banished by her sisters for stealing and consuming the newborn child of the Macbeths in hopes of birthing a powerful progeny. Instead, imprisoned on a far-away island, she had a son, Caliban.
In those darkened caverns, in the fight of their lives, the heroes finally prevail when Joan reveals her true form – an ethereal-winged Aasimar, a being touched by the gods – and smites the hideous hag.
Our story begins weeks after these event when, having escaped the island, our protagonists arrive weeks later at the bustling port city of Ephesus, where new adventures (and new companions) await!
Join us for SHAKESPEARE D&D: 2nd EDITION on Monday, May 15!
(Party image by Jeremy Smith)