Akosua Amo-Adem and her kiss from the Theatre Gods
Hi, my name is Akosua Amo-Adem and I am playing ‘Leader’ in part one and ‘Runaway Slave #2’ in part three of Father Comes Home From the Wars (Parts I, II, III). I get asked a lot what’s it like being in the rehearsal room of this show and all I can say is that it is…Amazing! I don’t know how else to describe it I feel like I’ve been kissed by the theatre gods, because I get to wake up every morning and come to this beautiful building and work on such an important piece of theatre with an incredible cast and design team, and a director that I admire and have wanted to work with for a very long time!
Being back at the Young Centre and working with Soulpepper after being gone for three years feels wonderful. The last production I did here was Farther West in 2013; since then I have been a part of other exciting projects such as Better Angels: a parable (by Andrea Scott), Domesticated (directed by Company Theatre’s Philip Riccio) and most recently Venus’ Daughter (by new play write Meghan Swaby and produced by Obsidian Theatre Company). And although I enjoyed being involved in those projects there is something about being in this building that is very comforting.
I spent a year training in the Academy here and that allowed me to get to know the staff and bond with the artists in a very unique way. My time in the Academy gave me the chance to hone my artistry and the time I needed to really carve out for myself the kind of storyteller I want to be. So to be back here for this play in particular and seeing all five generations of the Academy represented in this production is very special.
Father Comes Home from the Wars (Parts I, II, III) is a highly anticipated play because like I said earlier, it is an important piece of theatre. We’ve only been working on it for two weeks now and already the significance of this STORY is palpable (and some of us are not even off book yet)! I think audiences should come and experience the show because this play is offering us an opportunity to begin or continue the conversation about a topic that I think we Canadians find difficult at time to discuss, but is so necessary to have, in order for change to truly happen; and I am honoured to be a part of that.