Land, Place, Home
A new performance created by newcomers to Canada about what it means to exist in this place.
Creators/Performers:
Elie Assaf, Cyprian Ontita, Pravash Pandey, Wend Yasen
Director:
Ahmad Meree
Land, Place, Home is a co-production between Open Heart Arts Theatre, Hamilton Festival Theatre Company, and ABRAR Trauma and Mental Health.
Production History
Land, Place, Home
February 27th and 28th | 7:30pm at HFTco’s Frost Bites
Since Spring 2025, this ensemble of newcomers have been talking, writing, playing, and moving—shaping the stories they want the world to know. The result is a rich collection of voices and experiences about this new circle of friends and how they exist here in this place. No matter where you come from or how you got here, we hope these stories speak to you.
Set & Costume Design:
Jenna Bakri
Sound Design:
Vik Arunmozhi
Spring 2025
Open Heart, HFTco and ABRAR circulate a call for participants and run a five-week workshop series with the focus on ensemble-building and identifying themes for exploration.
Four of the Spring workshop participants, Elie, Wend, Cyprian and Pravash, participate in online writing sessions with playwright and director, Marie Beath Badian
Summer 2025
Fall 2025
Stage Management:
Sofia Smith
Writing Facilitation:
Marie Beath Badian
The ensemble gathers for dramaturgical workshops with director, Ahmad Meree, to flesh out script ideas and explore staging concepts.
Winter 2026
Performers, director, and the full creative team comes together to rehearse and prepare for the premiere of Land, Place, Home at HFTco’s Frost Bites in February.
Land, Place, Home is supported by
Special thank you to Dan Penrose at the Player’s Guild of Hamilton, and Patrick Brennan and Lisa Zielger at McMaster University.