Development History

Kim’s Convenience began as a few scenes written in fu-Gen theatre company’s playwriting unit in 2006. It grew with the assistance of a grant from the Ontario Arts Council and from the Toronto Arts Council in 2007. It was then showcased under Diaspora Dialogue’s tent as part of the Word on the Street festival and was also a part of fu-Gen’s Megapotluck festival in 2008. In 2009, Grace Toronto church sponsored a week-long development workshop of the play. And in 2010, it won the Toronto Fringe Festival’s best new play contest and will enjoy its first production this July at the 2011 Toronto Fringe Festival.

About the Playwright

This is Ins’ first play but he is no newbie to theatre creation. As part of the soulpepper academy, he was part of the ensemble that took the poetry of e.e. cummings, turned them into songs and theatrically performed them in a production called !re”birth: e.e. cummings in song. That same ensemble created a hilarious, magical show about the people of Toronto from the point of view of a hotdog vendor at Nathan Philips Square called Window on Toronto. Both of which was produced by Soulpepper as part of their 2011 season. He was also part of the team that created a unique show celebrating while deconstructing Christmas called 2000 Candles, which is enjoying it’s 7th year touring to churches and theatres across Canada during each advent season.

Ins is currently working on two plays. The first one is an absurd play about the absurd country of North Korea, called Northern Korea. The second play is a solo show based on Ins’ spoken word poetry that journeys with a homeless man wrestling with the Illuminati, planet X, numbers, angels and death, called Subway Stations of the Cross.