Bernice Afriyie | Arts Editor
Featured image: Director, producer and lead actress Amani of She Said He Said. | Photo courtesy of Amani
For playwrights and directors, putting on a play can be a challenge, but if you are the playwright, director, lead actress, lyricist and primary producer, the task seems almost impossible. Anne-Marie, or Amani, Woods, a talented poet, writer, singer and actress, attempts just this with her play She Said He Said.
“It’s about two people, two characters, He and She, living in Toronto,” says Amani.
“They have both been through heartache in the past and they finally meet each other after being single for a while. They both think that they’re ready for a relationship but being in a relationship triggers memories of things that happened to them in the past. The way that the memories are portrayed is through spoken word or song and that’s in a way a metaphor for these stories being too painful to talk about. That’s why these characters express them poetically or through song.”
Amani embodies She, alongside her male counterpart Matthew G Brown, who plays He.
“This is the city that I live in now,” adds Amani about her decision to situate her play in Toronto.
“This is the story that sparked the story line. Earlier this year, my play had a world premiere in Montreal. It was produced by Black Theatre Workshop and directed by artistic director Quincy Armorer. It was wonderful to go and see my work on stage and then I performed in Nova Scotia in June and it was wonderful to be there as well.
“This journey has not been an easy one because I’m doing this play without any funding support. I had one major sponsor, which covered the cost of the theatre and so I really am moving forward on the belief that this story is important.
“If we don’t tell our stories, who’s going to tell them? [The] reality for artists of colour or playwrights of colour is that it’s very difficult to get into a mainstream theatre so this is what we have to do to expose our work.”
Despite the daunting task of finding sponsors and a suitable venue, Amani spares no creativity or energy bringing She Said He Said to life for all Toronto audiences.
“From going to see it in Montreal and being in the audience, I can say that the script is relatable to younger audiences,” continues Amani.
“I’ve learned that the scenes throughout the play are universal and are relatable to different generations.”
She Said He Said looks at love, communication and gender through a critical lens but still promises to make audiences laugh.
The play runs between September 14 and 18 at the Native Earth’s AKI Studio in Toronto. Tickets are $20 for students with a valid ID.
