Director and playwright Tawiah Ben M’Carthy is the recipient of the 2024 Pauline McGibbon Award. This award is presented to an Ontario-resident professional artist in the early stages of their career who has contributed to the well-being of Ontario’s theatre community, displays unique talent, and has the potential for excellence.
About Tawiah Ben M’Carthy
- Tawiah Ben M’Carthy was born in Accra, Ghana, where he was introduced to multidisciplinary theatre, and is now a Toronto-based theatre performer, playwright, creator and director.
- As a theatre artist, Tawiah often employs both West African and Western theatre practices, combining the art of storytelling, text, movement and rituals with staging, design and characterization.
- He trained as an actor in the Acting Conservatory Bachelor of Fine Arts program at York University and went on to perform in works like Three Sisters (Soulpepper/Obsidian Theatre), Sizwe Banzi Is Dead (Soulpepper Theatre) and Maanomaa, My Brother (Blue Bird Theatre Collective/Canadian Stage).
- Tawiah’s practice as a director began in 2016. He continued to develop his directing skills through hands-on mentorship and internship experiences at Obsidian Theatre, Shaw Theatre Festival, and Factory Theatre.
- Tawiah was also an artistic director intern at Canadian Stage with the support of the Metcalf Foundation.
- He is the creator, playwright, and performer of the critically acclaimed Dora Mavor Moore Award–winning play Obaaberima, which was developed and produced in residency at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre.
- Selected directing credits include Here Lies Henry (Factory Theatre), Topdog Underdog (Canadian Stage), Fairview (Obsidian Theatre/Canadian Stage), Death and the King’s Horseman (Stratford Festival) and Rihannaboi95 (Young People’s Theatre).
- Tawiah is a founding member of Saga Collectif and co-founder and co-artistic director of Blue Bird Theatre
Collective.