Cahoots Theatre (formerly Cahoots Theatre Projects), based on Toronto, Ontario, was founded by Beverly Yhap. It was incorporated provincially as a non-profit organization in February 1986 and registered as a charitable organization in 1987. We proudly celebrated our 35th anniversary during our 2021/22 season.

Cahoots has the distinction of being the first professional company in Canada with a mandate to present culturally inclusive work. It was created in response to a lack of representation of non-European works and artists on our stages. Over the last three and half decades, Cahoots has built a reputation for producing theatre of the highest artistic calibre at local, regional and national levels.

Since 1986, Cahoots has programmed work that reflects the diversity of our city and country, and has enriched the artistic field by nurturing the skills and experiences of emerging and established theatre practitioners. Tanisha Taitt became Artistic Director in October 2019, and Lisa Alves was appointed Managing Director in April 2020.


Major Productions:

BETWEEN A WOK AND A HOT POT, BMO Incubator at The Theatre Centre (Jan/Feb 2023); World Premiere by Amanda Lin. Directed by Esther Jun. Cahoots introduces Asian-Canadian dinner theatre!

our place, Theatre Passe Muraille Mainspace (co-production with TPM, December 2022); World Premiere by Kanika Ambrose. Directed by Sabryn Rock. Included on several year-end Best Of lists, recipient of NNNNN from NOW Magazine.

THREE ORDINARY MEN, The Incubator at The Theatre Centre (June 2022); World Premiere by Steven Elliott Jackson. Directed by Tanisha Taitt. Nominated for five 2022 Dora Awards in the Independent Theatre Division, including Outstanding New Play, Outstanding Ensemble, Outstanding Costume Design, Outstanding Direction and Outstanding Production.

HILOT MEANS HEALER, The Incubator at The Theatre Centre (October 2019); World Premiere by Filipino playwright Jo SiMalaya Alcampo. Music by MaryCarl Guiao. Directed by Jasmine Chen. (Chen subsequently won the Gina Wilkinson Prize for Emerging Directors in 2020.)

I CALL MYSELF PRINCESS, Aki Studio, Toronto (October 2018); World Premiere by Métis playwright Jani Lauzon. Directed by Marjorie Chan. A play with opera, featuring original compositions by Chickasaw composer Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate. Included a Relaxed and audio-described performance. (Outstanding New Musical Nomination, 2018 MyEntWorld Critics’ Pick Awards)

食盡天下 (A TASTE OF EMPIRE), Factory Theatre Studio, Toronto (May 2018); Presentation of a rice & beans production (Vancouver), written/directed by Jovanni Sy, translated/performed by Derek Chan; the first time Cahoots presented a production entirely in Cantonese with open captions in English and Simplified Chinese. Dora Nomination (Outstanding Touring Production)

JOHN & WALEED, Theatre Passe Muraille, Toronto (Feb 2017); Written & Performed by John Millard & Waleed Abdulhamid. Included a Relaxed and integrated an audio-described performance. Nominated for a Dora (Outstanding New Musical).

ULTRASOUND, Theatre Passe Muraille, Toronto (April 28 – May 15, 2016); World Premiere by Deaf writer Adam Pottle. Performed by a Deaf cast in English and ASL, with dynamic surtitling, and included Deaf Interpreted and Relaxed Performances.

THE WANDERERS, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, Toronto (Mar 1 – 23, 2014); World Premiere by Afghan-Canadian playwright/performer Kawa Ada, the first professional Afghan-Canadian play produced in Canada, Dora Award (Set Design)

SISTER MARY'S A DYKE?!, Aki Studio, Toronto (May – Jun, 2013); World Premiere of up-and-coming Filipino playwright and performer, Flerida Peña, Dora Award (Lighting Design)

paper SERIES, Tank House Theatre at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts (in association with the Young Centre for the Performing Arts); March-April, 2011. World Premiere by David Yee. Directed by Nina Lee Aquino; Performed by Byron Abalos, Kawa Ada, Rebecca Applebaum, Marjorie Chan, Nicco Lorenzo Garcia, Rosa Laborde; Magnetic North Theatre Festival, Calgary (Jun, 2012); Dora Awards (Outstanding Direction, Outstanding Sound Design), Dora Nominations (Outstanding Production , Outstanding Performance in an Ensemble, Outstanding Set Design, Outstanding Costume Design, Outstanding Lighting Design)

SIA by Matthew Mackenzie; Directed by Nina Lee Aquino; Performed by Thomas Olajide, Jajube Mandiela, Brendan McMurtry-Howlett; March 24 - April 15, 2012.

ALI & ALI: The Deportation Hearings by Camyar Chair, Guillermo Verdecchia, Marcus Youssef; Directed by Guillermo Verdecchia and Soheil Parsa; Performed by Guillermo Verdecchia, Marcus Youssef, Anita Majumdar, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee; September 28 - October 17, 2010.

A TASTE OF EMPIRE, The Market Kitchen, St. Lawrence Market, Toronto (Jun – Jul, 2010); Dora nominations (Outstanding Production, Outstanding New Play)

THE MADNESS OF THE SQUARE, Factory Theatre, Toronto, May 2009 | Staged reading Nathan Philips Square June 2009

FEAR OF FLIGHT, produced by Artistic Fraud in association with Die in Debt and Cahoots Theatre, Factory Theatre, Toronto (May, 2009); Magnetic North Theatre Festival, LSPU Hall, St. John’s (Apr – May, 2008)

A NANKING WINTER, by Marjorie Chan; Directed by Ruth Madoc-Jones; Performed by Leon Aureus, Ella Chan, Brooke Johnson, Grace Lynn Kung, Stephen Russell; February 24 - March 16, 2008.

BOMBAY BLACK, in association with Nightswimming; Living Arts Centre (Feb, 2008); Vancouver Arts Club (Feb – Mar 2008), Theatre Centre, Toronto (Jan, 2006); Dora Awards (Outstanding New Play, Outstanding Set Design, Outstanding Costume Design, Outstanding Sound Design/Composition)

THE SHEEP AND THE WHALE, Cahoots Theatre and Modern Times Stage Company in association with Theatre Passe Muraille, Toronto (Feb – Mar, 2007); Dora Award (Outstanding Set Design), Dora Nominations (Outstanding Lighting Design)

THE FIVE VENGEANCES by Jovanni Sy; Directed by Guillermo Verdecchia & Jovanni Sy; Performed by Performed by Tiffany Martin, Taryn McDonnell, Ted Neal, Julia Sweetland, Marc Senior, Samantha Hayes, Osvaldo Sepulveda, Michael Orlando, Jaclyn Tanner, Roselie Williamson, Omar Joseph Hady, Tashieka McTaggart, Sigrid Velis, Lauren Lafayette Brooks; November 24 - December 2, 2006.

THE ADVENTURES OF ALI, ALI AND THE AXES OF EVIL, co-production with Neworld Theatre; UBC, Vancouver (Oct 2004), Montréal Arts Interculturel, Montréal (Mar, 2004), Theatre Passe Muraille, Toronto (Feb – Mar, 2004), Vancouver East Cultural Centre, Vancouver (Feb, 2004)

BHOPAL by Rahul Varma; Directed by Guillermo Verdeccia; Performed by Tom Butler, Brooke Johnson, Michael Miranda, Imali Perera, Yashoda Ranganathan, Errol Sitahal, Sugith Varughese; October 18 - November 9, 2003.

TWO WORDS by Denise Blinn & Gabrielle Kemeny; Directed by Denise Blinn; Performed by Simon Casanova, Xuan Fraser, Gabrielle Kemeny, Sunday Muse, Beatriz Pizano, Michelle Polak, Sanjay Talwar and Vladimir Torres; October 23 - November 10, 2002.

BLONDE & BLUE by M.J. Kang; Directed by Guillermo Verdecchia; Performed by Denis Akiyama, Paul Braunstein, Brenda Kamino, M.J. Kang, Paul Lee; January 24 - February 10, 2002.

MOTHER TONGUE by Betty Quan; Directed by Jim Warren; Performed by Sean Baek, Marjorie Chan, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, Jane Luk; May 5 - June 3, 2001.The Vic by Leanna Brodie; Directed by David Oiye; Performed by Marjorie Chan, Barbara Gordon, Ann Holloway, Moynan King, Marie-Josée Lefebvre, Sharon Mareeka Lewis, Anna Pappas, Waneta Storms; November 14 - December 10, 2000.

NORAN BANG: THE YELLOW ROOM by M.J. Kang; Directed by David Oiye; Performed by Denis Akiyama, Marjorie Chan, Shelly Hong, Jean Yoon; January 28 - February 15, 1998 at Factory Theatre.

ONCE UPON A TIME in the Park by Terek Ghaleb; Directed by Marion de Vries; Performed by Leanna Brodie, David Collins, Nick Johne, Sharon M. Lewis, Jane Luk, Sam Moses; April 23 - May 18, 1997.

COUPS AND CALYPSOS, Factory Theatre Studio, Toronto (Feb, 1999); Dora Nominations (Outstanding Direction, Outstanding New Play, Outstanding Performance by a Female, Outstanding Performance by a Male)

MOM, DAD, I'M LIVING WITH A WHITE GIRL by Marty Chan; Directed by Sally Han; Performed by Arthur Eng, Brenda Kamino, Linda Prystawska, Paul Lee; March 14 - April 9, 1995.

CANADIAN MONSOON by Sheila James; Directed by Lynda Hill; Performed by Columpa Bobb, Sonia Dhillon, Sharon Lewis, Malika Mendez, Sanjay Talwar, Patricia Yeatman; November 17 - December 5, 1993.

THE MOON AND DEAD INDIANS by Daniel David Moses; Directed by Colin Taylor; November 17 - December 5, 1993.

BIG BUCK CITY by Daniel David Moses; Directed by Colin Taylor; Performed by Garrison Chrisjohn, Von Flores, Kyra Harper, Kait Matthews, Pamela Matthews, Marion DeVries; part of 1991-1992 Season.

PHOENIX CABARET by Xie Min; Translated and adapted by Jia Lin Peng & Henry Beissel; Directed by Peter Hinton; Performed by Jane Luk & Dawn Obokata; May 10-22, 1988.

SKULL RIDERS by Jesse Glenn Bodyan; Directed by Darrell Wasyk; Performed by Peter Colvey, Dan Lett, Hardee T. Lineham, Jefferson Mappin, Roger McKeen; June 8 - July 6, 1986.


CAHOOTS LEADERSHIP
(in reverse chronological order)

ARTISTIC LEADERS
Tanisha Taitt
Marjorie Chan
Nina Lee Aquino
Jovanni Sy
Guillermo Verdecchia
David Oiye
Marion de Vries
Dilara Ally
Lynda Hill & Jean Yoon
Beverly Yhap - Founding Artistic Director

ADMINISTRATIVE LEADERS
Lisa Alves
Kat Horzempa
Kate Ann Vandermeer
Liza Lattimore
Sandra LeFrancois
Kendra Fry
Carlo Guillermo Proto
Jennifer Ross
Hamal Docter
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