Sarah Afful
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| Portrays: | Angry Woman | ||||
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| Nationality: |  CAN
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Sarah Afful is a Canadian actress who portrayed an angry woman in the Caprica episode "Reins of a Waterfall."[production 1]
Personal Life
Afful is a first-generation Canadian of Ghanaian descent who grew up in Vancouver.[commentary 1] In a 2015 interview with CBC News, she discussed the challenges facing Black actresses in Canada, reflecting on Viola Davis's Emmy acceptance speech where Davis emphasized redefining "what it means to be beautiful, to be sexy, to be a leading woman, to be black."[commentary 2]
Growing up, classical theatre was not initially on Afful's radar, saying "It wasn't until I saw a postcard during university of this girl at the Globe [theatre in England] that I thought, 'Oh, black people can do Shakespeare.'"[commentary 3]
Reflecting on her education at the University of British Columbia, Afful noted that the program taught her "learning to allow acting be a part of who I am and not a side thing," and praised her instructors for providing "the care that my teachers took to prepare me for life as an actor."[commentary 4]
Career
Afful earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in acting from the University of British Columbia in 2008.[commentary 4] She received professional training at multiple institutions, including the Lyric School of Acting and the Birmingham Conservatory for Classical Theatre at the Stratford Festival.[commentary 4]
Her early television and film work included roles in The Perfect Score (2004), Smallville, Eureka, American Dreams, and iZombie.[production 1] More recently, she appeared in four episodes of The Moodys as Agape.[production 2]
Theatre Work
Afful has had an extensive theatre career, particularly with the Stratford Festival, where she has performed for at least six seasons since completing the Birmingham Conservatory program.[commentary 5] She has received the Mary Savidge Award and the Artistic Director's Award for her work at Stratford.[commentary 5]
On choosing a speech from The Merchant of Venice for a "My Shakespeare" feature, she described its relevance to modern romance: "I chose this because as a younger woman in a time where love can be... you can become jaded. This is all about giving yourself over to another person and allowing your souls to unite."[commentary 6]
Her notable theatre credits include:
- Hermione Granger in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Ed Mirvish Theatre, Toronto)[external 1]
- Alais in The Lion in Winter (Grand Theatre)[commentary 7]
- Viola in Twelfth Night (2017, Stratford Festival)
- Lady Macduff in Macbeth (2016, Stratford Festival)
- Ann Deever in All My Sons (2016, Stratford Festival)
- Bianca in The Taming of the Shrew (2015, Stratford Festival)
- Rosaline in Love's Labour's Lost (Stratford Festival)
- Player Queen in Hamlet (Stratford Festival)[commentary 4]
- Margaret in Much Ado About Nothing (Bard on the Beach)
- Octavia/Iras in Antony and Cleopatra (Bard on the Beach)[commentary 4]
In 2022, she was nominated for a Dora Mavor Moore Award for "Outstanding Performance in a Featured Role" for her portrayal of Hermione Granger.[external 2]
Voice Work and Audio
Afful has also worked in audio productions, including a recording of Days of Old with Neworld Theatre and CBC.[commentary 5]
References
Production History
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sarah Afful (backup available on Archive.org) (in English). Internet Movie Database. Retrieved on August 9, 2025.
- ↑ Sarah Afful (backup available on Archive.org) (in English). The Movie Database (TMDB). Retrieved on August 9, 2025.
Commentary and Interviews
- ↑ Articles by Sarah Afful (backup available on Archive.org) (in English). Intermission Magazine (February 7, 2018). Retrieved on August 9, 2025.
- ↑ Jackie Sharkey (September 24, 2015). Where are the great roles for Canada's black actors? (backup available on Archive.org) (in English). CBC News. Retrieved on August 9, 2025.
- ↑ These six young stars are part of a 'Youthquake' under way at Stratford Festival (backup available on Archive.org) (in English). The Globe and Mail (May 27, 2016). Retrieved on August 9, 2025.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Sarah Afful Stars as Viola in Twelfth Night at the Stratford Festival (backup available on Archive.org) (in English). UBC Department of Theatre & Film (2017). Retrieved on August 9, 2025.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Tartuffe (backup available on Archive.org) (in English). Stratford Festival. Retrieved on August 9, 2025.
- ↑ My Shakespeare: Actress Sarah Afful (backup available on Archive.org) (in English). YouTube (May 17, 2016). Retrieved on August 9, 2025.
- ↑ The Lion in Winter: Sarah Afful on Alais (backup available on Archive.org) (in English). YouTube (January 17, 2017). Retrieved on August 9, 2025.
External Sources
- ↑ Canadian cast for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child to be headed by (backup available on Archive.org) (in English). The Globe and Mail. Retrieved on August 9, 2025.
- ↑ Toronto; Mirvish shows have received 24 Dora Award nominations (backup available on Archive.org) (in English). Stage Door (August 29, 2022). Retrieved on August 9, 2025.