Film, Television and THEATRE

Currently, Audra has been casted in The Story of Samuel Stout, a story of Port Perry's first known Black resident and the impact of his life in the surrounding community.  Playwright, Uju Umenyi was commissioned to research and bring to life his story for the stage.  It is currently undergoing a series of workshops for development.  The first draft was created as part of Ontario Culture Days Creatives In Residence and continues to receive funding support through Canada Council for the Arts.  Theatre On the Ridge is fundraising to mount the play at a future date.

Samuel Stout arrived in Scugog in the later part of the 19th century and worked as a barber, married a white woman, became an important member of the community, and died a centenarian and the oldest man in Scugog.

Ms. Umenyi’s journey of writing Samuel’s story began in late 2021.

“Upon reading about Samuel Stout’s life and history the pieces came together for me.” says Umenyi. “I love the strength I see in Samuel Stout. I see a resonance with my own family history of migration, resourcefulness and ultimately finding joy in circumstance that can at times, be and seem very hard.”

For Umenyi, the story of Samuel Stout “is about triumph. (He) defies all perceptions of who he should be and his legacy does not stem from a desire to prove to others his worth, but to achieve on his own terms.” Music is also plays a large role in Samuel’s story and Umenyi wants “to convey the importance of music as a means of healing and forging community for the Black community.”

         - Excerpt from the Theatre On The Ridge website