Davey Samuel Calderon  (PTC Dramaturg, Public Engagement, and Company Collaboration), co-lyricists Peter Abando and Kimmortal created Deep Fried: A Pinoy Musical! – a story set in the Joyce-Collingwood neighbourhood, that is a two-act musical set in a fried chicken franchise restaurant. The story centres around young, queer Filipinx Antoinette (also named Toni), who works at a Cruxes Chicken run by their older cousin, Kuya Pepe. They work hard with their best friends, Sol and Ben, and they love that their workplace is an unofficial community space for Filipino people. Toni has aspirations to become a music star and unexpectedly, a Filipino-Canadian pop idol, Q visits the chicken shop which causes a chain of events that unintentionally intertwines their lives.

Deep Fried is not just another story of the diaspora. It’s a passionate anthem from the perspectives of racialized folks in the service industry, exploring friendship, dreams and desire, on their terms. Workshops of Deep Fried bring in community partners and connectors in every major stage of the work that embodies community-centred values, to ensure transparency and accountability of the story of the folks represented in the show.