Written by Montréal playwright and actor Jennifer Roberts, THE SOUND OF DOGS is a deeply personal and absurdly witty new work that has been years in the making. Roberts first began developing the piece a decade ago, and was a part of Imago Theatre’s Creators Circle play development program during the 2021–22 season. Now, it's on stage for its highly anticipated world premiere.

The production is co-directed by Micheline Chevrier and Pamela Witcher. Chevrier returns to Imago after serving as the company’s Artistic and Executive Director and co-directing its award-winning 2023 production of Redbone Coonhound.  

“It is very special to have Micheline Chevrier back to co-direct THE SOUND OF DOGS with Pamela Witcher.  Jennifer’s work is a playful journey into the world of a CODA and I hope it brings our audiences closer to understanding and embracing Deaf Culture,” says Krista Jackson, Imago Theatre’s Artistic and Executive Director.

Witcher comes to the production with experiences from the signed music, videography, and visual art fields. Her work and artistry lends the production a unique, out-of-the-box perspective, especially from a community-centred lens.

Projection designer Amelia Scott, Set, Costumes, and Props designer Diana Uribe, and actor Jennifer Manning previously collaborated with Roberts and Chevrier at Imago on Upside Down, a series of narrative and documentary films exploring accessibility, digital theatre, and the creative process. Available to stream for free on Imago Theatre’s website, Upside Down offers audiences an informative companion piece to THE SOUND OF DOGS.

With its distinctive blend of humour, humanity, and visual storytelling, THE SOUND OF DOGS brings together a remarkable group of Deaf and hearing artists from across Canada for a world premiere that promises to be touchingly reflective for audiences.

ABOUT THE PLAY

What’s it like to have Deaf parents? A wry investigation.

CODA is a hearing child of Deaf parents. She has always seen her life as normal despite being told otherwise. Again. And again. And again.

In an attempt to explain her life to curious outsiders, CODA invites us into her world, as she traces the not-so-distant histories that have shaped her family and community. Through Deaf cultural storytelling and humour, she shares personal stories and pushes back against the assumptions made about her parents.

Blending American Sign Language, spoken English, and movement within a vivid digital landscape, THE SOUND OF DOGS builds a layered world of expression and connection. Both intimate and expansive, it celebrates the beauty and complexity of Deaf culture (with a touch of mischief).

In keeping with Imago Theatre’s commitment to accessibility, all performances offer Pay-What-You-Decide tickets, ensuring that financial barriers do not prevent anyone from engaging with the performing arts.

DETAILS

What: THE SOUND OF DOGS by Jennifer Roberts

When: October 1-10, 2026

Where: Centaur Theatre
Runtime: 90 minutes, no intermission

Tickets: Regular $34 | Arts Workers and Seniors $25 | Pay-What-You-Decide options available

This is a bilingual production with all performances presented in a blend of American Sign Language (ASL), spoken English, and English captions. 

Content Warning: Recommended for ages 12+. Occasional strong coarse language. There are mentions of audism, ableism, discrimination, prejudice, and stereotyping in flashbacks and vignettes that illustrate misconceptions about the Deaf community.

CKUT titans Howard Stretch Carr and Pat Dillon Moore have both been powering 30 years of Community outreach through their respective radio shows, West Indian Rhythms and Bhum Bhum Tyme.

Every third Thursday of the month the Radio Moon collective brings you an hour of radio from 2 to 3 pm, created by people living a full life with mental health issues.

Today we are broadcasting LIVE from Forward House. Forward House is a community-based mental health organization located in NDG, and it’s where we create the magic that is Radio Moon.

Today on Radio Moon we will focus on the theme of ACCEPTANCE. We have group discussions, poetry and lots of words of wisdom to share on this theme. We will also take you around Forward House to interview some of the staff and members, so stick around to find out more about this amazing place.

Welcome to Radio Moon, radio that’s good for your mental health.

Hosted by Wizzy Moonchaser, So Kay, Tamara Angeline, RG Music, and Lord Pharaoh.

This special one hour broadcast hosted by CKUT's Prison Radio includes reports both from the Caravan and from those within the walls of these institutions. Social distancing is impossible inside prisons and detention centres and those inside remain at high risk of contracting COVID-19. There are now over 260 confirmed cases of COVID-19 linked to Canadian carceral institutions around the country, where people are held on both criminal and migrant holds.

There have also been cases confirmed in both the Laval and Toronto migrant detention centres. On April 16th, the Correctional Service of Canada confirmed that an inmate at BC’s Mission Institution prison had died due to COVID-19, with over 50 other inmates testing positive for the virus.

From March 24th to April 1st, detainees at the Laval migrant prison held an eight-day hunger strike to demand their immediate liberation and decent, safe housing upon release. While many hunger-strikers have since been released, 11 people remain in detention.

Despite the mounting calls from dozens of organizations for Canada to release migrant detainees and prisoners, the Canadian government still refuses to free all prisoners. The CBSA for its part has been slowly releasing migrant detainees on a case-by-case basis through individual detention review hearings.

Real radical radio and some music by Erica from the Bay Area - and Jess Manniquin-Head of Lonely Boa.

Clips from the very first broadcast and discussions about their shared fascination with RADIO.

She later went on to sue the Canadian government for their support of such experiments and won her case in 2002. This clip reveals Proctor’s views on the case, Correctional Service of Canada, and the stigma female prisoners receive. The interview was conducted by Dee LeCompte, host of the radio show Prison Radio, which began airing on CKUT in 2006 and is still on the air.

Wotton explains the necessity for both sex workers and people with disabilities to unite and fight for each other’s rights. She also elaborates on Touching Base – an organization she co-founded that unites people with disabilities and sex workers through workshops. The interview is conducted by Stephan Bertrand.

Edited by Bella Sidoti

The interview looks into the journalist’s life from childhood, to the day he was charged with the killing of a Philadelphia police officer, to the then current rallies calling for attention to Mumia’s case. They examine what Mumia’s case signifies for other death-sentenced prisoners.