Benjamin Tabah is presenting his master’s thesis – a staged reading of his new play, Escape Room

Escape Room is a dark comedy written by Benj Tabah, who is currently completing an Individualized Master of Arts degree at Bishop’s University. He also works full-time in the Communications department at the university. After earning a BFA in acting from York University, he has worked both on and offstage as an actor and director. He has also written, produced, and directed films. He is currently in post-production on a short film, Reflection(Hers), set for release in January 2025.

The play tells the story of siblings brought together for the medically assisted death of their father Arnie, the patriarch. The secular family stumbles through death rituals and tributes to a father who “never cared about anyone but himself.” When the assisted death goes awry, Arnie has a near-death experience that opens his eyes to the true meaning of life, prompting him to change his mind about his MAiD procedure and make the most of the limited time he has left- much to the disappointment of his children.

Benj began his master’s in 2023 to pursue his love of theatre and explore themes of death and dying. The Individualized Master’s at Bishop’s allows him to take a multi-disciplinary approach, studying theatre (dramaturgy and playwriting), philosophy, psychology, and gaining practical experience as assistant director on the past two mainstage musical theatre productions: Spring Awakening and The Drowsy Chaperone. This public reading is an important step in the evolution of his thesis (the play) as it provides critical insights into the script’s interpretation by professional actors and feedback from the audience on how the material is received. This experience will help Benj enter the next phase of editing before hopefully bringing the play to full production.