January 22 – February 21, 2027
“I want (audiences) to realize that they’re listening to a very articulate, thoughtful American Black woman and, perhaps, they should pay attention to what she is saying.”
We close our first season with the Shaw Festival with Adrienne Kennedy’s Ohio State Murders, directed by Philip Akin and starring the exceptional Sophia Walker and Johnathan Sousa.
Kennedy, one of the most important voices in American theatre, writes the story of Suzanne, an acclaimed Black author who returns to Ohio State University to speak about the violent nature of her writing.
As Suzanne revisits her years there in 1949, painful memories surface, forcing her to confront a past shaped by racism and loss.
This is not an easy story. Nor is it one that asks to be made easy. It asks us to listen and bear witness to the ways racism and violence can shape a life — and to the resilience of a woman who carries that history with her.
The 2026 Shaw Festival production of Ohio State Murders was generously sponsored by TD Bank Group.
Approximate run time:
55 minutes
Age recommendation:
13+ (Mature content)
André Morin and Sophia Walker in Ohio State Murders. Photo by Michael Cooper.
Sophia Walker and André Morin in Ohio State Murders. Photo by Michael Cooper.
Directed by Philip Akin
Associate Director Kimberley Rampersad
Set and costumes designed by Melanie McNeill
Lighting designed by Jeff Pybus
Original music and sound designed by Jacob Lin
Movement directed by Alexis Milligan
Ohio State Murders is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc.
Photo courtesy of Shaw Festival
Single Tickets begin at $50. On sale now!
Packages begin at $125 and includes all three Shaw Festival at Harbourfront Centre shows.
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Toronto, ON M5J 2G8
