In October, Soulpepper Theatre Company presents the highly anticipated Canadian Premiere of Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' THE COMEUPPANCE, on stage at Soulpepper’s Michael Young Theatre October 30th to November 23rd.

Directed by longtime Soulpepper company member and the company’s Slaight Family Director of Music, Frank Cox-O’Connell, the production features an electrifying ensemble cast including Ghazal Azarbad (The Welkin/Soulpepper), Mazin Elsadig (Pipeline, The Brother’s Size/Soulpepper), Carlos Gonzalez-Vio (Blood Wedding/Aluna Theatre), Nicole Power (Strays, Kim’s Convenience) and Bahia Watson (The Welkin/Soulpepper, The Handmaid’s Tale).

A hauntingly surreal play from one of the most acclaimed voices in contemporary theatre, in THE COMEUPPANCE a group of old classmates — self-declared the “Multi-Ethnic Reject Group”—reunites to pre-game for their 20th high school reunion but soon find nostalgia quickly turns into something darker. As drinks flow and old wounds resurface, they confront the choices that shaped them, the friendships that endured or crumbled, and the presence of something—or someone—they can’t escape. Sharp, theatrical, and deeply moving, THE COMEUPPANCE is a reckoning for elder millennials –a Big Chill for a generation whose formative years began with the Columbine massacre and 9/11. Caught between who they were, who they’ve become, and the world they never saw coming. When the night ends, will they still recognize themselves?

Known for works that explore identity, history, and family legacies, such as Appropriate and An Octoroon, in just fifteen years Branden Jacobs-Jenkins has become one of the most decorated playwrights of his generation. Nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2016 for Gloria and again in 2018 for Everybody, Jacob-Jenkins received the Pulitzer award this year for his 2024 play Purpose. He subsequently won the Tony for Best Play, becoming the first Black playwright to win a consecutive Tony Award for Best Play and the Pulitzer. He is also a recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship and a Fulbright Award. His impactful work in theatre and television has also involved teaching at major universities and serving as a consulting producer for shows including HBO’s Watchmen.

“I first read The Comeuppance on my 40th birthday, just coming out of the pandemic and feeling a little lost. The play broke me open and lifted me up in ways I didn’t expect” said Director Frank Cox-O'Connell. “What moves me most is how Branden Jacobs-Jenkins captures the complexity of life at this stage—grappling with who we’ve been, who we’ve become, and what community means to us now. He couches these enormous questions of purpose, history, and mortality inside an evening that’s both thrilling and fun. And with this formidable cast of Soulpepper actors—each of them at the top of their game, stepping into these brilliant, complicated roles—I believe it will be a truly special event.”

“The Comeuppance is a once-in-a-generation work — and Branden Jacobs-Jenkins is a once-in-a-generation writer. His voice defines contemporary theatre, speaking with urgency to a generation coming of age in an uncertain world” said Soulpepper Artistic Director Paolo Santalucia. “This is a haunting play — and like any good ghost story, it asks you to reckon with what may be haunting you, too. Its brilliance lies in how it roots those fears in the fragile, vital relationships between friends, as a generation wonders whether the lessons of their past are enough to face the questions of our present. I’m so proud that Soulpepper is bringing this extraordinary work to Canadian audiences for the first time, in the hands of an ensemble that embodies the future of theatre in this country.”

Jacobs-Jenkins’ eighth play, THE COMEUPPANCE premiered off-Broadway in 2023 at The Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre, garnering critical praise and winning the Lucille Lortel Award for Best New Play and an Obie Award for Outstanding Ensemble. It then ran at the Almeida Theatre in London in 2024.

Cox-O’Connell will stage this extraordinary play in collaboration with set designer Shannon Lea Doyle, costume designer Ming Wong, lighting designer Jason Hand, and sound designer Olivia Wheeler.

THE COMEUPPANCE is on stage October 30th to November 23rd with performances Tuesday through Saturday at 8:00pm and Wednesday, Saturday and Sundays at 2:00pm at Soulpepper’s Michael Young Theatre (50 Tank House Lane). Tickets are on sale now. For more information visit www.soulpepper.ca.

Soulpepper Theatre Company presents

THE COMEUPPANCE

Written by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins

Directed by Frank Cox-O’Connell

Featuring:

Ghazal Azarbad as Ursula

Mazin Elsadig as Emilio

Carlos Gonzalez-Vio as Francisco

Nicole Power as Caitlin

Bahia Watson as Kristina

Araya Mengesha as Simon (voice and likeness only)

Creative team:

Set Design by Shannon Lea Doyle

Costume Design by Ming Wong

Lighting Design by Jason Hand

Sound Design by Olivia Wheeler

Stage Management by Nazerah Carlisle

Assistant Stage Management by Kayla Thomas

WHEN: October 30th – November 23rd at 8:00PM (Tuesday – Saturday). Weekend and Wednesday matinees at 2:00PM. Preview Performances: October 30th to November 5th, 8:00PM Opening Night: November 6th, 8:00PM

Where: Michael Young Theatre at Soulpepper, 50 Tank House Lane

To purchase tickets: www.soulpepper.ca.

Photo: Mazin Elsadig.