searching for aimai
A woman is about to give birth but can’t hear the songs of her ancestors. Forced to confront her self doubt, she locks herself in the bathroom in a surreal attempt to reignite the sacred fire. She is pulled toward her great grandmother, and into the tangled, half-erased threads of her mixed-race lineage. Inspired by the gap between what we see and what we know, Searching for Aimai is a poetic solo play that wrestles with the limits of belonging. Through physical theatre and visual storytelling, Coleen Shirin MacPherson’s deeply personal play investigates the complexities of identity and belonging - it is a call for us all to see each other anew.
Playwright & Performer - Coleen MacPherson
Director & Co-Dramaturge - Raha Javanfar
Stage Manager - Alysse Szatkowski
Sound Designer & Composer - Janice Jo Lee
Set & Props Designer - Shannon Lea Doyle
Lighting Designer - Lilian Adom
Projection Designer - Laura Warren
Production Manager - Jadi Darawi
Co-Dramaturge - Tanisha Taitt
Producer - Samantha Vu
Social Media Manager & Associate Producer - Tessa Bourchier
This work was developed with the support of Eva Barrie as Dramaturg and Director for the workshop in 2023. The play was also developed at Woodland Farm Artist Residency on Salt Spring Island. Thank you to the Canada Council for the Arts and Ontario Council for the Arts for the support for Coleen's residencies with Cahoots Theatre.
“does not cross the threshold it evokes; it dwells there, giving shape to longing without pretending to cure it.”
"A dazzling writer, because her writing is so poetic and artful.”
“[Searching for Aimai] feels grounded in a mundane reality while simultaneously conveying an expansive truth that stretches across time and space.”
