What to know
- Dwayne Morgan, Order of Ontario recipient and renowned spoken-word artist, is launching five special shows in Toronto this fall.
- Morgan reflects on his 32-year career, from early performances in Scarborough gyms to sharing stages with President Obama and Alicia Keys.
- The lineup includes three nights of Poems in the Key of Life, an interactive Back Chat Q&A event, and the marquee showcase When Brothers Speak.
- Morgan says each year is worth celebrating, and these shows aim to bring the community together through storytelling, poetry, and conversation.
Order of Ontario recipient Dwayne Morgan is taking the stage this fall in Toronto for five unique shows you do not want to miss.
To say Morgan has come a long way from his early performance days is an understatement.
“I first started putting on talent shows when I was in high school,” he told Now Toronto. “And at the time in Scarborough, there was no real, you know, artsy places for us to get together, and nobody really wanted large amounts of Black kids in their establishments. So, the earliest [performance showcases] I did was like in a gym… It was so interesting, because on the left you would have all these young Black kids dressed up listening to Hip-Hop and singers and a live band, and then to the right there would be people on a treadmill and an elliptical machine, and you’re like, ‘Yo, this is wild, but it’s the only space we can get, so we’re just gonna make it work.’”
Now, over three decades into an illustrious spoken-word career, Morgan’s highlights include performing for President Obama, taking the stage at the Super Bowl and opening for Alicia Keys.
He said he’s most proud of performing in different countries.
“…Because most people don’t hear about poets going on tour and poets going and performing in different places. So, the fact that I’ve, I’ve been able to do that, and I’ve been able to build those bridges, and I’ve been able to do it myself, as opposed to, you know, somebody else doing it for me, I think [those] are things that are real highlights.”
Thirty-two years of performing may not be typical to celebrate, but Morgan believes each year is a blessing and that is a momentous occasion within itself.
“A lot of people are like, you know, 32 is so random. And I’m like, I have no guarantee of 33 so it’s not random… I just try to celebrate every year that I’m still here, [and] I’m still doing this…I’m so humbled and grateful for the support that I’ve received that I always try to find some way to bring community and people together to celebrate and acknowledge the fact that this has happened, because I never imagined that this is what my life would look like,” Morgan said.
Check out the five shows Morgan is performing below!
Poems in the key of life
- Dates: November 14, November 28, December 5
- Time: 8 p.m. – 11 p.m.
- Location: CONTXT By Trane, 254 Lansdowne Ave.
Three of the five shows are installments of Morgan’s Poems in the Key of Life. Each performance will feature a different style of piano and setlist of poems so that audiences can experience a new show each night. “It’s, you know, just a whole different vibe for people to come out in a different way, for people to experience the spoken word.”
Back Chat
- Date: November 21
- Time: 8 p.m. – 11 p.m.
- Location: CONTXT By Trane, 254 Lansdowne Ave.
Back Chat is a spoken word performance with a twist. Each poet will do a Q&A with the audience after they perform. Morgan is bringing a special experience to both artists and audiences by inviting dialogue to a space where the words spoken are often one sided.
“[It’s] a rare experience,” Morgan says, “because for the artists, they don’t always get to speak about why they wrote certain things or why they framed it in certain ways. And for the audience, they don’t always get to directly engage with the artists in that kind of way.”
When Brothers Speak
- Date: November 22
- Time: 8 p.m. – 11 p.m.
- Location: St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, 27 Front St. E.
Morgan’s Marquee event, When Brothers Speak, is the largest and longest-running annual showcase of Black men’s spoken word artists in North America. Since 1999, it’s brought poets to the stage, “just doing their thing. Just letting it all out,” Morgan said.
Tickets and additional information for all shows are available on Morgan’s website.
