Common Boots Theatre

03/18/2026

Meet the brilliant team behind Two Birds One Stone!

Rimah Jabr is a theatre director, playwright, screenwriter, and Ph.D. candidate in Theatre and Performance Studies at York University. She holds a master’s degree in theatre-making from RITCS in Brussels. She has written and directed several plays produced in Belgium, Canada, and Palestine, including This is Not What I Want to Tell You (2022/25), Ghurba (2025), Broken Shapes (2022), Raya (2018), High Heels & Stuffed Zucchini (2015), and Two Ladybugs (2013). For more, visit www.rimahjabr.com

Natasha Greenblatt is theatre maker, activist, educator, and Dora award-winning actor. Her own plays include: The Peace Maker, The Election (co-written with Yolanda Bonnell and the company), Apocalypse Play, or Bundle of Joy (co-written with Kate Lushington) and Two Birds One Stone (co-written with Rimah Jabr). Natasha completed her MFA at the University of Guelph’s Creative Writing Program and is working on a book length work of creative nonfiction called My Brother Is a River.

Guillermo Verdecchia is a writer, director, dramaturge, and translator. A recipient of a Governor-General's Award for Drama and a four-time winner of the Chalmers Canadian Play Award, his work includes the critically acclaimed Feast, Versus and The Art of Building a Bunker (with Adam Lazarus), The Adventures of Ali & Ali (with Marcus Youssef and Camyar Chai), and A Line in the Sand (with Marcus Youssef). His version of The Parliament of the Birds opens at George Brown Theatre School, directed by Soheil Parsa, this month.

Mariam Shakaa is a Palestinian oud player and singer, whose music bridges heritage, emotion, and innovation. A winner of the International Oud Competition, and first-place recipient of Palestine's vocal Competition, Shakaa has established herself as one of the most promising young voices in contemporary Arabic music. Through her soulful oud performances and vocals, Mariam preserves the spirit of Arabic music and the Palestinian culture while reimagining it for global audiences, connecting Tarab, identity, and cultural storytelling.

👂Joy in My Ears is a FREE audio-led theatre festival THIS WEEKEND!! Link to register in bio!

03/17/2026

Meet our wonderful playwrights for Unsightly Creations – Works-in-Progress Sharings!

Dr Jess Watkin (she / they) is a Blind artist-scholar making performance and art decentring vision and using methods of softness to create spaces of multi Disability joy and access. She is a creator, dramaturg, educator, consultant, and facilitator working in Toronto. Her edited anthology Interdependent Magic: Disability Performance in Canada is the first of its kind in this country.

Vivian Chong is a multidisciplinary artist whose work spans theatre, music, visual art, film, and dance. She is a sculptor, painter, singer-songwriter, playwright, theatre creator, actor, dancer, filmmaker, comic book author and teacher. A Dora Theatre Award nominee and a Toronto Book Award finalist, Chong is a leading advocate for accessible art and theatre. She teaches accessible yoga, serves as a youth leader for the blind and partially sighted community, and works as an audio description consultant to expand access to the arts. Her acclaimed solo works include The Sunglasses Monologue, Dancing With The Universe, and Blind Dates, the latter achieving 25 sold-out performances in 2025. Her graphic memoir Dancing After TEN was shortlisted for the Toronto Book Award and released in an accessible edition. Chong’s visual art has been exhibited at the Gardiner Museum and beyond, and her recent credits include a lead role at Prairie Theatre Exchange and the 2025 Louise Garfield Playwright Award from Nightwood Theatre.

Rachel Ganz is a multidisciplinary writer with a passion for disability advocacy and representation. Her obsessions include literary thrillers, comedy, dogs and the Toronto Raptors. She is a graduate of the National Theatre School (2016) and holds a Master of Arts in Creative Nonfiction from King’s University. Her theatre credits include The Queen’s Eulogy (Newborn Theatre, 2017), Plucked (Newborn Theatre, 2016), and Teach Me (Newborn Theatre, 2012).

👂Joy in My Ears is a FREE weekend festival celebrating Blind and low-vision centered audio-led theatre!

Head to our website (link in bio) for a full program and link to register!

03/13/2026

We are thrilled and honoured to have Unsightly Creations – Works-in-Progress Sharings as the second event at Joy in My Ears Festival! Presented in partnership with Unsightly Arts.

Unsightly Creations - Works-in-Progress Sharings | March 22, 2pm | Small World Centre, 180 Shaw St

Dive into the minds of three brilliant blind artists in an exclusive sharing of their newest creations. A sharing of the following works-in-progress by iconic playwrights

Drected by

Wilma and Pitch by Vivian Chong: Everyone is uncomfortable in grief, including Wilma, and her guide dog, Pitch. One day Wilma realizes that she no longer can rely on her guide dog in this world. She must dive deep into herself to find a new beginning, a new attitude, and reconstruct her life.

nobody’s asleep (working title) by Jess Watkin: While traveling together Jake (they/them) and Bree (she/her) navigate their relationship to one another and the world around them as weird instances of disruption and chaos follow them.

Machine: The Musical by Rachel Ganz: Machine: the Musical follows Reba as she navigates the oddities of vision loss and romance. While her husband, Don, has been away on an extended “business trip,” Reba falls in love with Humphrey, a hospital diagnostic machine. Don is now returning to confess his own affair with a radiator in Edmonton named Torey. Through music and comedy, the hospital comes alive to witness Don and Reba negotiate betrayal, autonomy and absurd love before they’re forcibly removed from the building.

👂Joy in My Ears is a FREE weekend festival celebrating Blind and low-vision centered audio-led theatre!

Head to our website (link in bio) for a full program and link to register! This is a hybrid festival so there will be a Zoom option available when you register.

This project is funded, in part, by the Government of Canada.

03/12/2026

We are so excited to have a reading of Two Birds One Stone as our first event at our upcoming festival Joy in My Ears!!

Two Birds One Stone | March 21, 2pm | Small World Centre, 180 Shaw St

When Palestinian theatre maker Rimah Jabr moved to Toronto she became friends with Natasha Greenblatt, a Jewish Canadian playwright. They decided to make a play together... and it’s mostly true. Two Birds One Stone asks complicated questions about identity, privilege, and the search for home.

First created in 2016, Natasha and Rimah are now returning to their autofictional play with the support of director, Guillermo Verdecchia, and Common Boots Theatre. What does it mean to tell these stories, together, in the face of genocide?

For this festival, this reading has received additional Access Dramaturgy support from Alex Bulmer in order to be more accessible to Blind Audiences. It also features the beautiful sounds of the Oud, played live by Maryam Shak'a.

A Two Birds Theatre Creation 🦆🦆
Produced by Common Boots Theatre
Created and Performed by and
Directed and Dramaturged by
Access Dramaturgy by
Oud Instrumentals by
Poster image by Rimah Jabr

[ID] A split image shows closeups of Rimah, who has dark hair pulled back, in a pixelated red background, and Natasha, who has dark hair to her shoulders, in a pixelated green background. Both are looking straight at the camera. Pixelated and choppy images of them appear in the background behind. Bright pink text at the top reads Joy in My Ears with the logos for Common Boots and BALANCE for Blind Artists

Joy in My Ears is a FREE weekend festival celebrating Blind and low-vision centered audio-led theatre! 

Head to our website (link in bio) for a full program and link to register!

This project is funded, in part, by the Government of Canada.

02/12/2026

🥾We are thrilled to announce Morgan Brie Johnson and Alexandra Simpson as the new Artistic Directors of Common Boots Theatre

Under the stewardship of Morgan and Alex, the theatre will continue to create live performance through a boundless sense of play and wonder, with a myriad of inspirations and collaborators, meeting at multiple access points for audiences to enjoy. The company will continue this mission while expanding its commitment to experimental creation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and artist-centered practices.

Morgan and Alex are no strangers to the Common Boots Theatre community: Alex was on the board from 2014 to 2022, and together they have collaborated with several of the company’s leading artists. They are co-founders of Animacy Collective, a performance collective known for its imaginative, genre-defying work and deep investment in process, play, and collaboration. Their approach emphasizes curiosity, care, and ecological embeddedness . These values align closely with the spirit of Common Boots Theatre and as such, they were a natural fit into the roles.

“We are so honoured to be invited to join this community that has meant so much to our development as physical theatre artists. Leading a company that has such a strong reputation of site-specific storytelling, feminist comedy, and collaborative creation is a dream come true for us!” - Morgan Brie Johnson and Alexandra Simpson

Read the full Press Release on our website at www.commonbootstheatre.ca/news/our-new-artistic-directors/

02/10/2026

SAVE THE DATE

Joy in My Ears is an audio-led mini-festival coming to you March 21-22, 2026 at Small World Music.

Jump over to the link in our bio to read more about the events and artists we’re collaborating with!

Stay tuned for registration to open soon

Thank you to the Canada Council for the Arts, Toronto Arts Council, and Ontario Arts council for supporting Common Boots Theatre.

[ID] a set of faded / distorted ears against a white background. Common Boots logo presents pink text Joy in my ears

02/09/2026

Happening this week!

We’re thrilled for this week’s Almost Live episode, featuring an audio-led presentation of the hit comedy Bed and Breakfast by Mark Crawford, presented by Common Boots Theatre.

Join us online on Zoom:
Wednesday, February 11, 2026 at 6:30 pm Pacific Time
Register: https://www.vocaleye.ca/almost-live-zoom-registration/

We’re honoured to welcome Alex Bulmer for a Q&A and deeper insight into this accessible presentation. Alex directed and provided accessible dramaturgy for the show and will join host Amy Amantea to share her perspective.

Named one of the most influential disabled artists by the UK’s Power Magazine, Alex brings over 30 years of experience across theatre, film, radio, and education. She is driven by curiosity, a dedication to collaborative practice, and the insights of her experience as a blind artist.

👉🏾 More info about this event: https://www.vocaleye.ca/events/zoom-206/
🔗 Common Boots Theatre: https://www.commonbootstheatre.ca

Image description: An illustration of a house with rainbow-coloured font that reads” “Bed & Breakfast” Next to a headshot of Alex Bulmer, a person with short sandy coloured hair wearing a red shirt. VocalEye Almost Live Zoom logo, event date (Feb 11) and Episode #206 are placed on the graphic along with two buttons that read: Online Zoom and Free to Attend.

02/03/2026

Did you miss the audio-led version of Bed & Breakfast last summer?! No Stress. Our friends over at .ca are streaming it next week. Details below -

Online Zoom
Wednesday, February 11, 2026 at 6:30 pm Pacific Time
Almost Live episode #206

Common Boots Theatre presents an audio-led presentation of the hit comedy Bed and Breakfast by Mark Crawford.

Bed and Breakfast is a small-town comedy about finding a place to call home. Brett and Drew want to move out of their tiny downtown condo and into a house, but they just lost their seventh bidding war in Toronto. When Brett’s beloved Aunt Maggie dies in a nearby town, the couple decides to make the move and start up a B&B out of her historic home. But when they face friction in their new community, the two discover that the simple life is more complicated than they thought.

With dozens of hilarious characters all portrayed by two actors, Bed and Breakfast is a theatrical tour de force that’s as laugh-out-loud funny as it is deeply poignant.

Host Amy Amantea will be joined by Alex Bulmer, who directed and provided accessible dramaturgy for this presentation. This production is based on the production at the Captiol Theatre directed by Rob Kempson.

Head to vocaleye.ca for tickets or follow the link in our bio.

[ID] Against a black brick wall a florescent sign that says Zoom in blue letters with a matching computer icon underneath and a camera icon inside.

01/22/2026

📢 ANNOUNCEMENT: A CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP
Join us in celebrating the brilliant Derek Kwan as he steps away from Common Boots

To the Common Boots Community,

It is with sadness but huge gratitude that I announce today that I am leaving Common Boots Theatre as the Artistic Director. Four years went by incredibly fast. I am very proud of the range of work we were able to produce, the collaborators we jammed with, and the audiences we reached. Thank you all for your support and encouragement over my time filling these shoes.

I particularly want to thank Ryan Singh, our incomparable Board Chair; Kesta Graham, my invaluable collaborator; Karthy Chin for expertly wrangling this time of transition; as well as Patricia Allison and Suchiththa Wickremesooriya for their unfailing support and hard work.

FOMO is hitting me hard, but Common Boots has always been a collaborative gathering of like minds so I’m sure I won't be far away and I’ll visit often. I am so thrilled for the new leadership, their incredible enthusiasm and ideas for the future of Common Boots, and I am certain you will love it too! Stand by for their announcement coming soon.

See you around, don't be a stranger, hugs and giggles to you all in the meantime.

With utmost gratitude,

Derek Kwan