Black female friendships take centre-stage in Vancouver performance of audio play by Aziza Barnes

The BLKS podcast is part of Us: A Black Peoples Month Festival

Dominique Wakeland. Photo by David Markwei

BLKS is playing as part of Us: A Black People’s Month Festival until the end of February at Ensemble Theatre Company.

BLKS IS A coming-of-age play by American poet Aziza Barnes all about Black female friendships. A celebration of the unshakeable relationships, the comedy covers everything from queer love to the pressures of adulting.

Directed by Gavan Cheema (associate artistic director of Theatre Conspiracy), this local performance features Shanique Kelly, aka Softieshan, a DJ, event producer, inclusion and equity consultant, and community organizer; performer, dramaturge, director, and drag artist Dominique Wakeland; South African-born multi-disciplinary artist Vuyo; and actor, writer, producer, and indie filmmaker Mariam Barry, the fest’s co-producer.

Us: A Black Peoples Month Festival, presented by Ensemble Theatre Company, is issuing new releases weekly throughout the month of February. Performances are free.

More information is at Ensemble Theatre Company.

Articles

Summer Arts Guide: Spirit bears to the story of Bard on the Beach, new B.C. books arrive in time for vacation

The Road to Bard, Spirit of the Great Bear, plus Haida manga, Doug and the Slugs, and more

Indian Summer Festival unveils first 2026 programming, spanning comedy and music

Vidura Bandara Rajapaksa, Rashmeet Kaur, Julian Brave NoiseCat, and Modern Biology at event that runs July 9 to 19

The Polygon Gallery launches a book that rediscovers Diane Evans's wide-ranging photography, April 30

Event that closes the Capture Photography Festival recognizes not only late artist-curator-teacher’s range of style and content, but the way she chronicled Vancouver’s public places and interior spaces

Wildlife photographer Jack Plant's Spirit of the Great Bear hits bookshelves

Figure 1 Publishing release features 90 photographs of the rare spirit bear and other species living in the vast Great Bear Rainforest

Ibram X. Kendi sheds light on authoritarian ideas in Vancouver Writers Fest talk, April 13

In conversation with UBC poli-sci prof Terri Givens, the historian and antiracist scholar discusses his new book, Chain of Ideas: The Origins of Our Authoritarian Age

Stir Cheat Sheet: John Irving to comic-book heroes, 5 events to catch at the JCC Jewish Book Festival

Talks with cellist Janet Horvath, the Berkowitz Bros., and more unpack themes of identity and resilience

John Irving, Claire Sicherman, and more celebrated authors set to join 41st annual JCC Jewish Book Festival, February 21 to 26

Programming spans the festival’s beloved annual Book Clubs epilogue event and pre-festival events with photographer Dina Goldstein and cookbook author Rachel Simons