A Cloud of Ink in the Shape of Her
by Nathaniel Hanula-James
Dramaturgy by Sadie Berlin
Toronto, 1950. Halloween. Gladys Potter, scientific-luminary-in-the-making, swans into a gay bar for the very first time. She’s dressed as a cuttlefish. No one gets it. Also, she might be the only Black person there.
Toronto, 2023. Dolores, an archivist at a queer museum, stumbles upon the story of Gladys Potter. Raised colourblind by a white father and Black mother, Dolores yearns for a deeper connection to Blackness. When a mysterious being named Idontknowher appears, Dolores follows them down, down, down, into the Underworld, determined to meet Gladys. But all knowledge comes with a price.
Sometimes, that price is the last remaining ticket to a Mariah Carey concert.
Sometimes, it’s a meeting with your ancestors. Every. Single. One.
A Cloud of Ink in the Shape of Her was originally developed in our National Queer & Trans Playwriting Unit.
A New Commission
A Zee Zee Theatre commission of a new work by Sunny Drake. Playwright of our 2021-2022 Season production Men Express Their Feelings.
Sunny is a writer, creator and producer. His inventive and multi-award-winning theatre works have been presented in over 60 cities across the world and translated into 6 languages. His wide range of audiences have spanned international arts festival goers, queers in underground warehouses, and seniors in regional theatres.
Sunny is also a proud trans artist.