The Onion Cellar

by Ahmed Moneka and The Company

adapted from Gunter Grass’ The Tin Drum

The Onion Cellar imagines a tavern in the city of Toronto where no food or alcohol is served but where, through the cutting and peeling onions, guests are prompted to shed tears, share stories and begin a process of healing.

In Moneka’s vision, The Onion Cellar (based loosely on a chapter of German novelist Gunter Grass’ ‘The Tin Drum’) is a vital story, a response to circumstances and technology that have robbed us of our ability to truly commune and share openly with each other across cultures, beliefs and experiences. The Onion Cellar is envisioned as a collectively-created, world-fusion musical celebrating openness, storytelling and community.

Coming up: Ahmed will join playwright Gloria Mok and creators Jeremy Smith and Steven Gallagher for Driftwood’s 1st County Playwrights’ Retreat in May 2022.

This stage of development of The Onion Cellar is made possible thanks to the generous support of Nightswimming Theatre and The Canada Council for the Arts.