Ash Knight, Artistic Executive Director of Pleiades Theatre, today announced that the world premiere of Tyson’s Song will star Kyle Brown (Come From Away, Jesus Christ Superstar) as Tyson, and Jamar Adams-Thompson (Migraaaants, Three Ordinary Men) as Bryan. Tyson’s Song is directed by Ash Knight, with set design by Anahita Dehbonehie, costume design by Des’ree Gray, sound design by Stephon Smith, and fight direction by Siobhan Richardson.

Tyson’s Song runs from April 24 to May 19, 2024 in the Factory Studio Theatre (125 Bathurst St.). Opening night is Friday, April 26 at 8 p.m. Tickets are pay-what-you-choose starting from $5, at PleiadesTheatre.org or FactoryTheatre.com.

A casual hangout gone awry forces a reckoning between two young Black men, in this vital and thought-provoking exploration of friendship, mental health, and identity.

“As a storyteller, it's important to me that I tell the stories that I believe speak to the beauty and complexity of the lives of the Black men and women I've known throughout my life; those I've broken bread with; those I've played basketball with in the park; those I've fought; those I've loved; those I've worshipped or prayed with,” said playwright Peter N. Bailey. "To see our pain, and joy, and the truth of our experience as Black people in Canada reflected unapologetically back to us is, I believe, a part of my purpose as an artist.”

“It’s a privilege to introduce Peter’s writing to the world,” added director Ash Knight. “Already an accomplished actor and voice teacher, Peter has a gift in writing dialogue that is natural, honest, and poignant. His characters are layered, flawed, inspirational and real. Tyson’s Song speaks to the reality of many young men in Toronto and to the specific concerns and obstacles faced by Black, West Indian men. At the same time, Peter's writing is playful, it’s filled with comedy and accurately captures the relationship so many men have with each other. Peter has been kind enough to allow me to go on this journey with him for ten years through workshops and readings. It’s the kind of play that a director dreams of working on, and Pleiades is proud to present this powerful second generation Canadian story.”

The Outreach Partner for Tyson’s Song is b current Performing Arts.

Run time: approximately 70 minutes, no intermission.

Content note: 14+, mature language and content.

About Peter N. Bailey:

Peter graduated from the Humber College Theatre Performance Program in 2003. Peter’s theatre credits include: A World Without Shadows, The Wilberforce Hotel, Jumbo, The Real McCoy (The Blyth Festival); Other Side of the Game (Cahoots Theatre Co. and Obsidian Theatre); To Kill a Mockingbird, An Ideal Husband, Richard III, All’s Well That Ends Well (Stratford Festival); Fences (Grand Theatre); Here Are the Fragments (The Theatre Centre), Romeo and Juliet, Sweat, Fairview (Canadian Stage Company); and A Few Good Men (Drayton Entertainment).

Peter’s voice and dialect coaching credits include: Serving Elizabeth, Much Ado About Nothing, Death of the King’s Horseman, Wedding Band, Get That Hope, (Stratford Festival); The National Theatre School of Canada; Canadian Film Centre; and Sheridan College. Peter is a member of the Patsy Rodenburg Associate Programme and is working toward his PRA certification.

Sharing First and Second Generation Canadian Stories | PleiadesTheatre.org

Pleiades aims to redefine what it means to be Canadian by sharing stories from 1st and 2nd generation Canadians. We encourage 1st and 2nd generation storytellers - particularly artists of colour, but through intersectionality, also Deaf artists, artists with disabilities, artists living with mental illness, New Gen artists, 2SLBTQIAP artists and Indigenous artists - to create:

• INSPIRATIONS: new, relevant plays exploring 1st and/or 2nd generation stories;

• TRANSLATIONS: sharing stories from other languages for all audiences;

• ADAPTATIONS: exploring existing works through a new lens.

Founded in 1997 by John Van Burek, then led by Andrey Tarasiuk from 2017-2023, Pleiades is now under the leadership of Artistic Executive Director Ash Knight.