A 1s1 Theatre production,
co-presented by Why Not Theatre
Qalb
A Journey of the Ego
collectively written by Salla Fagerström, Dawn Jani Birley, Debbie Z. Rennie, and Deb’e Taylor
Sept 7 – 14, 2024
Tarragon Extraspace
Qalb means heart in Persian, the native language of the beloved 13th century poet, Rumi. Diving into his world of thoughts and poetry, 1s1 Theatre’s latest production Qalb – A Journey of the Ego is about heart and resilience. Inspired by Dawn Jani Birley’s life as a Deaf person facing audism, her struggle for equity is relatable to all dealing with oppression. Birley turns to the philosophy of Rumi to transform her isolation, anger, and frustration into a force of love in the world.
A completely new and original work, Qalb creates a dynamic communication space for everyone, bringing ASL (along with spoken English) to the stage, celebrating the richness of this vivid, visual language. Following its 2023 ground-breaking debut production, Lady M, 1s1 Theatre continues to forge a new Deaf-led theatre movement in Canada. Their latest work offers Deaf audiences access to Rumi’s poetry in their native language and presents both Deaf and hearing audiences new ways of seeing and understanding the world. Together, following the wisdom of Rumi, we work to become reflections of our true selves and create a world in which we all wish to live.
Dawn Jani Birley
Qalb
Mallory Brown
Production Videographer
Anselmo de Sousa
ASL Instructor
Rylyn Delaney
Marketing
André du Toit
Lighting Designer
Raif Gökkuş
Production Image Artwork
Maryam Hafizirad
Set & Props Designer
Sheila Johnston & Kate Lewis
ASL – English Interpreters
Dahlia Katz
Production Photography
Isabel Laínez
Graphic Designer
Daniel Levinson
Wand Choreography
Patrick Lynn
Production Manager
Rachel Penny
Associate Producer
Meredith Potter
Producer
Debbie Z. Rennie
Director
Siavash Sadrmahdavi
Sound Designer
Giedrius Šarkauskas
Costume Designer
Dale Sharp
Head Carpenter
Michelle Soicher
Stage Manager
Deb’e Taylor
Ego
Laura Warren
Projection Designer