As a playwright, Kanika Ambrose is often surprised—sometimes even by herself—by where her work takes her.
She’s thrilled about the premiere of The Christmas Market at Crow’s and Moonlight Schooner at Berkeley Street in November on two of Toronto’s busiest theatre stages.
I appreciate that she could answer my questions via email, considering her schedule is filling up quickly right now.
Besides feeling both honoured and ecstatic, Kanika did let me in on a few more things she’s experiencing at the moment:
“I’m excited, anxious, overwhelmed… and full of anticipation. Hoping I can maintain my energy and health so that I am able to support both works the way I plan to. I’ve found that the most regretful feeling is not being able to be in the room as much as I would like, and that has happened in the unpredictable world of having two very young children.”
Ambrose appreciates how her two plays are very different works. She enjoys moving between both worlds. What she particularly enjoys is being in creative spaces with both groups of artists.
To start, she’s in good company with the producing theatres.
Studio 180, b current, and Crows will produce Market. Necessary Angel, Canadian Stage, and Tarragon will produce Schooner. In the current economy, Kanika sees it as essential for professional companies to collaborate in theatre creation. She has come to understand this more and more. From her experience, each company has its own agreed-upon area of expertise that contributes towards a common goal. By pooling resources, theatre companies can reach wider audiences and pursue some really exciting initiatives around each of the two shows.
The Christmas Market began rehearsals in the first week of October. The story is loosely about migrant workers spending their first Christmas in Canada. Moonlight Schooner is set to begin rehearsals the last week of October. It’s a story regarding the impact of slavery, colonialism and imperialism on Black men and women in the 1950s and how the issues faced then still impact future generations of members of the black community.
While she has visualized each of the two stories many times in her mind, the unique advantage of having multiple minds is that the actors, the directors, and the designers perceive things differently than Kanika does. These creative teams make choices that inspire her and enhance the story in even more compelling ways than she imagined.
“I love it when I think I know a play so well, and these collaborators teach me even more about what it is.”
A graduate from Toronto Metropolitan University with a degree in Acting, Ambrose also says b current youth programs, Paprika Festival, Obsidian’s Playwrights Unit, Toronto Fringe and Cahoot’s Hot House have also served as a crucial part of her actual formative training as an artist.
Kanika warmly mentions several Canadian artists she has collaborated with, deeply respects, and cares for: Lisa Codrington, Philip Akin, Marjorie Chan, and Alan Dilworth. These are artists whom Ambrose considers mentors and major influences. They are artists whose work she observed while developing, and they see mentorship as a vital part of their craft.
Two others who have influenced Kanika, made space for her, and whose work she admires and respects are Weyni Mengesha and Hannah Moscovitch.
Ambrose also says:
“I am honestly influenced by everything I see. I’m never indifferent to art. I always have a strong emotional response, even if it is rage or a deep desire for more, so I’m influenced by everyone creating.”
What’s Ambrose’s professional opinion of the ever-changing performing arts industry in Toronto?
Although she’s not one to make predictions, she admits she doesn’t truly know. She hopes the number of diverse voices on the city’s main stages continues to grow. She wishes for ongoing support for diverse artists at various stages of their careers, especially if their stories need a larger platform. Kanika also hopes these artists continue to lead their own processes and that their calls for support are genuinely heard and recognized.
Regarding ongoing learning in the performing arts industry, Kanika states that for the professional performing artist, there is always more to learn and ways to improve their work. Nothing is ever truly finished. Artists across various forms of artistic expression can inspire themselves and spark a transformation within their own work. Every opportunity to present work is a chance to practice, observe, and identify which tools can be refined and focused.
As we concluded our email conversation, I asked what’s next after The Christmas Market and Moonlight Schooner complete their runs:
“I’ll take a couple of weeks off because the shows will run near the holidays, and I’ll have children home from school and daycare. Then, as I am also Associate AD at Necessary Angel, I’ll have to catch up on the work I do there and reconnect with the artists that we support. I have a few commissions and residencies to continue to move forward, but beyond that, I don’t know. I’ll keep open to questions and continue to see and let myself be affected by things; that’s the best I can do with my work.”
Tickets are now on sale for The Christmas Market and Moonlight Schooner. Market runs November 4 – 30, 2025, in the Studio Theatre at Crow’s. Schooner runs November 21 – December 14, 2025, at the Berkeley Street Theatre.
For The Christmas Market: www.crowstheatre.com.
For Moonlight Schooner: www.canadianstage.com.
