Philip Akin isn’t here to mentor you, he’s here to radicalize you

Philip Akin has been telling stories on Canadian stages for decades, and mentoring some of this country’s best theatre artists for just as long. In 2000, he co-founded the Obsidian Theatre Company, which trains, produces and showcases Black talent across the country. Now, he’s directing a new production of Ohio State Murders at the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Philip joins Tom Power to talk about the play, how he takes theatre to the precipice, and why he thinks Black artists are too polite. Plus, he shares how he’s feeling after being appointed a Member of the Order of Canada earlier this year.