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How to reach AfriCan Theatre EnsembleModupe Olaogun, Artistic Director

Milestones

Dec 05 - Feb 06

Launches School Shows School Tour with Market of Tales

June - July 2005

ATE holds a series of workshops to develop stories for its fall production, Market of Tales.

June 3 - 2005 

For the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario, ATE developed and staged stories related to Best Practices in Nursing.

March 30 - Apr. 17 2005

ATE staged renowned Egyptian playwright's farce, Fate of a Cockroach.

Jan. 25 - Feb. 13 2005

ATE in collaboration with Artword Theatre mounted Donald Carr's The Full Nelson.

November 2004

AfriCan Soirée 2004 at Artword Theatre, November 20.

May 2004

Death and the King's Horseman by Wole Soyinka at Artword Theatre, May 14 to May 30.

September 2003

ATE received a Stabilization grant from the Department of Canadian Heritage towards the development of its financial, outreach, marketing, and audience-generating systems.

2002

ATE was one of fifty-two organizations Canada-wide to receive a three-year Capacity Building grant from the Canada Council Diversity Office. The Ensemble is at a point of transition—from single projects to a sustained, ongoing operation and is actively expanding its audience base and revenue base.

August 2002

ATE collaborated with the Lordstreet Theatre Company of Trinidad and Tobago in a Toronto production of Jean & Dinah.

June 2002

ATE was contracted by the Canadian Association of African Studies to coordinate its conference banquet and entertainment.

December 2001

ATE launched the AfriCan Soirée, now an annual gala fundraising event.

October 2001

Under Rhoma Spencer’s direction, ATE staged Zakes Mda’s And the Girls in Their Sunday Dresses, a play from South Africa.

Together with York University, the company hosted Dr Mda's visit to Toronto and his public lecture titled, "South African Theatre in an Era of Reconciliation." This initiative has motivated York to pledge its continued support to host visiting playwrights of ATE's chosen plays.

May 2001

Rhoma Spencer joins ATE as Resident Director/Manager.

2000

2000 ATE staged another Rotimi play, a comedy, Our Husband Has Gone Mad Again, and hosted a visit to Toronto by the playwright, who gave a public lecture at the University of Toronto in addition to a workshop which was held at Artword Theatre.

2000

ATE received its first project grant from the Ontario Arts Council, and the Canada Council for the Arts.

June 1999

ATE performed The Gods Are Not To Blame to audiences at Artword Theatre (downtown Toronto).

March 1999

Directed by Bayo Akinfemi, ATE performed The Gods Are Not To Blame to audiences at Yorkwoods Library Theatre (Toronto’s north-west)

1999

ATE received its first project grant from the Toronto Arts Council.

Dec 1998

ATE launched the auditions for its first performance—the Canadian premiere of Ola Rotimi’s The Gods Are Not To Blame (a Nigerian adaptation of the Oedipus play).

August 1998

The AfriCan Theatre Ensemble (ATE) was founded by Modupe Olaogun and incorporated as a nonprofit organization in Toronto, Ontario.