A provocative comedy to shake the woke.

A SpeakEasy Theatre Production

Biting satire at its very best, The Shipment is a subversive modern minstrel show about Black identity meant to wake the world to the ridiculous narratives in dominant media. Five Black actors play a roster of characters that reads like a bad b-list of Black iconography: Video Ho, Crackhead John, Bad Cop, Standup Comedian, Drug Dealer Mama, Grandma from Heaven, and Record Company Executive, to name just a few. The brazen mash-up of these stereotypes with clichés, distortions, and brilliant sleights of hand all force us to go beyond the lampoon and shift the lens through which we perceive race in order to confront our own bias.

Vancouver Presents calls it “Bold, honest and hilarious” and Colin Thomas declared it “a surrealist collage.” Originally nominated for five Jessie Awards including Omari Newton’s Best Actor win.

Cast: Andrew Creightney, Chris Francisque, Omari Newton, Adrian Neblett, Kiomi Pyke.

Written by Young Jean Lee

Directed by Kayvon Khoshkam and Omari Newton

Set and Costume Design by Markian Tarasiuk

Lighting Design by Itai Erdal

Produced by Markian Tarasiuk

WARNING: Explicit language and difficult subject matter.

Photo by Ryan McDonald