Wanton Lee
Play based loosely on the Life of Lee Morgan
Things Falling Apart Theatre announces the Premiere of
WANTON LEE by Tien Providence
Toronto ON: Things Falling Apart Theatre Company Present Wanton Lee written and directed by Tien Providence returns to the stage at Red Sandcastle Theatre from December 2nd to 6th, 2026
The play will be directed by Tien Providence and features Drae Walsh as the title character.
A Trumpeter trapped in a love triangle, with devastating consequences.Set in a jazz club in the early 70’s. Lee a jazz trumpeter who has risen to fame, is caught between the woman he loves and the woman who loves him. His inability in making a decision leads to a confrontation with unexpected consequences.
WANTON LEE is a love note to jazz. The story name drops many of the jazz luminaries of the early years of jazz and also features of those years
WANTON LEE
December 2 to 6 2026 : Red Sandcastle Theatre
922 Queen St E, Toronto ON
Running Time: 70 mins approximately no intermission
Content note: Mature language content.
Age recommendation: 14+.Tickets $25.00
Tien has worked and produced theatre since moving to Ontario Canada in the 90’s
He has worked within the Caribbean community and specifically with The St Vincent Culturagroup; Writing Directing and producing many of their theatrical community projects During the mid-nineties he worked with the Annex Theatre group directing the Play “Weeds” BTom Zeliger for the company at the Annex Theatre. In 1995 his monologue “Blues For My Grandfather” which he directed was a part of th Alumnae Theater’s annual New Idea’s festival. The monologue was published by th playwright’s Union of Canada in their anthology entitled Beyond The Pale in 1996
In 1997 his play “Back Home” first edition was played on the outdoor stage an experiment fo the Fringe Festival at that time. Tien directed himself in that role.
In 1999 he became writer in Resident at the St Chad’s Theatre and his play “Just For A Momen was produced. It was directed by Luther Hansaraj. It ran for two months playing Thursdays to Sunday.
Earlier that year he directed his first short film as The Pickup as part of the ON The Fly Festival. The short was shown at the Bloor Cinema.
In the next decade Tien continued doing work in the field of theatre, trying to get his work on stage. A workshop version of The Session at that time named Roxanne was read at a Caribbean theatre festival.
In the next decade Tien continued doing work in the field of theatre, trying to get his work on stage. A workshop version of The Session at that time named Roxanne was read at a Caribbean theatre festival.
A new version of his play Back Home played in the 2003 Fringe Festival at the ArtworldTheatre, he directed.
In 2013 Tien became the founding Artistic Director and resident playwright for Things FallingApart Theatre Productions.
To Date they have staged 3 productions in Toronto. The Session (2013) at The Red Sandcastle Theatre
Just For A Moment at the Pia Bouman Theatre
2016 and The Session at The RedSandcastle Theatre (2018)
The Session was a part of the 2018 Canadian Fringe theatre circuit Playing July in Windsor.
Winning the award for most outstanding drama and in August Victoria BC.
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Featuring Drae Walsh as Wanton Lee
Drae is a passionate advocate for the community, an artist, actor, director, motivational speaker, entrepreneur, and a dedicated father. He grew up in Regent Park and navigating intersecting oppressions and systemic traps.Despite these obstacles, Drae has founded 4Unity Productions, a not-for-profit audio/video studio, as well as being a major part of Jane & Finch’s Social Justice Theatre Group “Nomanzland”.
He has acted in several main stage plays, showcasing his talent and dedication. He is also one of the creators of the annual Helping Young People Excel (HYPE) event at the Art Gallery of Ontario, which marked a milestone as the government of Ontario officially recognized Hip Hop as an art form.
Drae has been involved in Canada’s first-ever “Hip Hopera” production, “Da Real Deal,” and its sequel “Reality Rules.” at the Young People’s Theatre. He studied Film and African Studies at the University of Toronto, and later pursued Community Arts Practice Degree at York University. At York University, he played a significant role in the development of sensitivity training through “Performed Ethnography.”
Drae performed in Things Falling Apart’s Production of Just for A Moment 2023 at the Aki Studio.
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Producer: Malinda Francis aka Mali Docuvixen
Malinda (Mali Docuvixen) is a Multi-Disciplinary artist, a community documentarian, documentary filmmaker, editor, and radio host, she aim is to collaborate with as many artists, musicians, djs, alternative, educators, community builders that is physically possible, in doing so telling the untold story, as well as producing Images that mobilize.
Malinda tells visual stories that derive form her experience as well tries to communicate and connect with others within her community, and independent filmmaker. As a video aka docuvixen works on her own projects and various community media initiatives, the themes that she explore3s in her work are about urban living as well as migration stories. As a filmmaker, my art is embedded in my community. Media must work towards social justice, build community and create solutions to our problems. She cofounded Things Falling Apart in 2013.
As a filmmaker she is working on a film which is currently still in productions called The Diaspora Travels: Haiti, which investigates the barriers preventing resources from reaching those who most need them and uncovers the role that the Diasporic Haitians play in the “Reconstruction.” She isa a CoxHost of Diasporic Music weekly Radio Show every Sunday 2-4
As an artist she believes in creating space for stories of Black/Caribbean and AfricanDiaspora.
a docuvixen film is a Film Production Company which has a community centred approach to producing films, which collaborates directly from community in all stages of the production. The goal is to support artists and communities to become self-sustaining and autonomous.
Pan.African-Internationalist
African- European- Caribbean
Tkaronto
Media Telling Untold Stories
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Red Sandcastle Theatre iBlack box theatre in Leslieville, Toronto. Where “anything is possible”
