Voices Black Theatre Ensemble
About Us
Halifax based Voices Black Theatre Ensemble was founded in 1992 by multi-disciplinary artist/performer/writer David Woods with the goal of the creation and professional presentation of theatre and storytelling performance that explore African Nova Scotian and African Canadian experiences. Voices is currently the only theatre company producing African Nova Scotian drama and storytelling on a consistent basis in the province and has presented at least new one production each year since its founding. Noted productions include Nova Scotia Black Reality Song (1990), Woman Songs (1995), Choices In The Skin (1997), The Meeting (2002), Black Journey (2010), Once: Africville Stories (2015-18), The Return (2017). The Ensemble has toured plays and other stage performances across Nova Scotia and Canada including performances at Harbourfront Centre Toronto, Parliament Hill, Ottawa; Museum of History, Gatineau; Chinese Cultural Ctr, Calgary; and Vancouver East Cultural Ctr, Vancouver. In addition to stage performances, Voices has also created drama for CBC Radio and participated in a number of video and documentary projects. Voices is a mainstay of the Halifax Fringe Festival where it has won several major awards at the annual festival. Voices was the launching pad for several noted African Nova Scotian performers including singer, actors Jeremiah Sparks and Jivaro Smith, actor Nathan Siimmons, actress, storyteller Celeste Bernard and the late Wanda Robson, Viola Desmond’s sister (storyteller). Founder and principal playwright David Woods has won several awards for his writings for Voices including The George Elliot Clarke Literary Award (1998,1999) and The Harry Jerome Award (2017).
Mission statement
- To create and maintain a professional theatre arts company dedicated to the presentation of drama and performance on African Nova Scotian (and African Canadian) culture, history and experience.
- To present original stage drama and performance exploring African Nova Scotian contemporary experience.
- To recruit, develop and expose local African Nova Scotian theatre performers
- To pursue performance opportunities that share the ensemble’s work with Canadian audiences.
- To promote professionalism and excellence in ensemble presentations and among ensemble theatre members
- To provide an African Nova Scotian perspective on Canadian experiences through theatre.
2023-2024 Ensemble Members
CELESTE BERNARD
Ensemble Actor, Storyteller
KITCHENER ON
GORDON BLACKMORE
Ensemble Actor, Storyteller
HALIFAX
LOUISE DELISLE
Storyteller
SHELBURNE
MALACHI JEFFREY
Ensemble Actor
HALIFAX
TESIA ROLLE
Storyteller
DARTMOUTH
VETTY THOMAS
Ensemble Actor, Storyteller
EAST PRESTON
DAVID WOOODS
Director, Principle Playwright, Storyteller
DARTMOUTH
Voice Membership Application
Click the link below to apply to become a member of the Voices Black Theatre Ensemble. Application FormGallery
Past Ensemble Members
ASSANTE SPIVEY
DARTMOUTH
Actor, Dancer
2017
Roles in The Return
JACOB SAMPSON
HALIFAX
Ensemble actor
2014-15
Roles in Once: Africville Stories, Black Journey
JAYLA JAMES
DARTMOUTH
Contemporary Dancer
2015-2017
Roles in Once: Africville Stories, Black Journey
JEREMIAH SPARKS
CHERRYBROOK
Ensemble actor, Vocalist, Musical director
1990-2000
Roles in Black Journey, Nova Scotia Black Reality Song, Black History Month Show, Nova Scotia Suite
JIVARO SMITH
NORTH PRESTON
Ensemble actor, Vocalist, Voices Singers
1990-2000
Roles in Black History Month Show, Nova Scotia Black Reality Song, Nova Scotia Suite, The Detention, The Return, Voices Singers
KEN HUDSON
CHERRYBROOK
Ensemble actor
1990-2000
Roles in Black Journey, Nova Scotia Black Reality Song,
Black History Month Show, Great Speeches In Black History
MELANIE SIMMONS
NORTH PRESTON
Contemporary Dancer
1990-1996
Roles in Talk Black History Month Show, Nova Scotia Black Reality Song, Nova Scotia Suite, Coming Up For Air, The Return
NATALIE HODGSON
DARTMOUTH
Lead actress
1990-2000
Roles in The Detention, Black History Month Show
NATHAN COLLEY
EAST PRESTON
Ensemble actor
1994-2000
Roles in The Detention, Choices In The Skin, Voices Dancers
NATHAN SIMMONS
EAST PRESTON
Ensemble actor
1994-2000
Roles in Black Journey, Once: Africville Stories
SHAWN GROSSE
HALIFAX
Stage manger, Tech, Driver
1990-2004
SUZY GANGOO
HALIFAX
Ensemble actor
1990-1995
Roles in Nova Scotia Black Reality Song, Black History Month Show, Nova Scotia Suite
TANDI NYAJEKA
HALIFAX
Ensemble actor
1990-2000
Roles in Black Journey, The Detention, Coming Up For Air, Talk That Talk
TANYA HUDSON
CHERRYBROOK
Ensemble actor, storyteller
1990-2000
Roles in Motion, Black Journey, Nova Scotia Black Reality Song, Black History Month Show, The Detention, Coming Up For Air, Ain’t I A Woman Too, The Return,
Once: Africville Stories, Gospel, Talk That Talk, Great Speeches In Black History
TONY BERNARD
CHERRYBROOK
Stage manger, Tech
1990-1996
VERONICA TYNES
DARTMOUTH
Singer
1990-1994
Roles in Black History Month Show, Talk That Talk, Aint I A Woman Too
WANDA ROBSON
(1927-2022, North Sydney)
Storyteller
2007-2022
Roles in Talk that Talk, Speaking In Tongues,
Past Voices Vocal Ensembles
Voices Gospel Choir 1995
Voices Gospel Choir 1995 Cons ducted by Brainer Taylor, Nathaniel Dett Chorale
Voices Singers 1990-1995
L-R: Jivaro Smith, Terrylyn Glasgow, Rochelle Smith, Flyod Simmonds, Pamela Johnson, Lenora Simmonds
Voices Singers 1995-1997
Front: Trynda Thomas
L-R: Jivaro Smith, Rosella Fraser, Shauntay Grant
Voices Singers 1997
L-R: Jeremiah Sparks (keyboards) Richard Sparks (lead guitar), Jamie Sparks (bass guitar), Rosella Fraser, Viola Fraser (vocals)
Past Voices Dance Ensembles
Voices Dancers 1993-95
L-R: Back Shamyra Provo (hidden) Kadisha Downey
Front: Verna Willis Marika Downey
Voices Dancers 1990-91
L-R: Darren Simmonds, Rico Willis
Performances
Past Performances
BLACK EXPLOSION (2018)
Stories collected by David Woods Directed by David Woods A multi-media presentation (drama, video, music, storytelling) of Black community’s experiences during the 1917 Halifax...
THE RETURN (2017)
Written and directed by David Woods Vicki Flemming, a beautiful, ‘married to wealth’ socialite suddenly returns to her family home in the rural Black community of Coleville, NS...
SPEAKING IN TONGUES (2016)
Stories by Louise DeLisle, Wanda Robson, Vetty Thomas, David Woods Edited and directed by David Woods Four noted storytellers present African Nova Scotia tales taken from history...
ONCE: AFRICVILLE STORIES (2015-2018)
Written and directed by David Woods A more developed version of ‘Once: Africville Stories’ Voices popular play on the expropriation and destruction of the Black community of...
WITNESS (2004)
Written and directed by David Woods The arrest of African Canadian businesswoman and civil rights pioneer Viola Desmond at the Roseland Theatre in New Glasgow on November 6, 1946...
THE RETURN (2003)
Written and directed by David Woods Jimmy ‘Butterboy’ Willis meets the ghost of Rev Richard Preston- (a runaway slave who came to Nova Scotia in search of his mother and later...
CHOICES IN THE SKIN (2002)
Written and directed by David Woods Dwayne Jones- an African Nova Scotian teen and high school basketball star growing up in rural of Guysborough County NS, faces the day-to-day...
Home (1999)
Written and directed by David Woods A CBC radio drama production Clem Downey returns home to the community of North Preston after years of living in Toronto. He is picked up by...
ONCE: AFRICVILLE STORIES (1997)
Written and directed by David Woods Once is a dramatization of the people and events of Africville- an African Nova Scotian community destroyed by the City of Halifax in the...
COMING UP FOR AIR (1996)
Written by Celeste Willis and David Woods, directed by David Woods This play consisting of monologues, acted sequences, contemporary dance pieces, poetry, and original music,...
Productions in Development
40 Places Called Home
Developed by Ensemble A multi-media project collecting stories, community photographs, and artifacts from Nova Scotia Black communities and present these in performance, video and visual arts...
Part of The Deal
Written by David Woods The play is set in 1963, in Africville - a Black village in the Halifax’s northend on the rim of the Bedford Basin. Africville residents are informed by the City of Halifax...
The Monkeyhouse
Written by David Woods Nova Scotia has been transformed into a racist, totalitarian society modeled on apartheid South Africa by a new right-wing government called The Second Clan Under The Second...
Witness: The Stories of Viola Desmond
Developed by Wanda Robson and David Woods The development and performance of stories of Viola Desmond and family in northend Halifax 1890-1960. PRODUCTION SCHEDULE October 2023 Call for...
EXTRAORDINARY ACTS
Written by David Woods A play exploring Halifax’s Black community experiences during the historic 1917 Halifax Explosion (hereafter referred to as HX). The play’s action follows the life...
Contact Us
Mailing Address P.O. Box 23106 Dartmouth, Nova Scotia B3A 4S9 Address 404 Bissett Rd., Cole Harbour NS Email voices@banns.ca Phone (902) 902 430-3560