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Director Weyni Mengesha also wants theatregoers to feel hope amid the darkness.听鈥淚t’s not the most familiar vehicle for hope,鈥� she admitted, laughing, about the blistering courtroom drama, which began its run at Soulpepper Theatre on Wednesday.

鈥淩age, passion, earnestness, the myriad ways it comes out. But I believe that this play is a prompt for us to have a collective conversation about what has changed and what can be done to reverse the cycles (of women’s lives).鈥澨�

The propulsive script by Tony Award winner Lucy Kirkwood brings together a 鈥渏ury of matrons鈥� from all walks of life to decide whether Sally Poppy, who has been convicted of murder, is pregnant. If she is determined to be with child, her life will be spared, but she will be sent to America.

Set in 1759, in rural England, it also happens to be the year of Halley鈥檚 comet, a chaotic collision of science and superstition.

Mengesha has gathered a powerhouse, all-female cast to hash out 250-year-old issues about women鈥檚 place in society that have intensely current resonance. 鈥淚 spent a great deal of time researching the communities living in rural England at the time, how they got there, what the racial dynamics were,鈥� said Mengesha, who brings energy to the play with thoughtful casting, encompassing different ages and experiences.

Bahia Watson (鈥淭he Handmaid鈥檚 Tale”), who plays Sally, said that the themes are universal, but the subject matter needs leavening.

鈥淲eyni is a vibe connoisseur,” said Watson. “The work gets into some really dark territory and the group of artists balances it out.鈥�

Mayko Nguyen (鈥淗udson & Rex”) plays Lizzy Luke, the midwife who drives much of the action in her lone defence of Sally.听

There is something interesting, Nguyen said,听鈥渁bout the way I feel working in a room full of women, and not predominately white women 鈥� an ease and comfortability. There is innate camaraderie. I feel very lucky to be in the mix.鈥�

“The Welkin” is Mengesha’s final production in her tenure as artistic director of Soulpepper Theatre.听听

Mengesha took over Soulpepper in 2019, when founding artistic director Albert Schultz resigned after allegations of sexual misconduct were raised.

鈥淲e were not without our obstacles with the pandemic and the crisis I entered the company with,” said Mengesha. “But I鈥檓 inspired as an arts community we鈥檝e shown we can persevere through anything.鈥�

At the very beginning, there was a question of whether Soulpepper would continue. 鈥淭hat’s why I moved back from L.A. 鈥� it’s such an important company. When times get tough, you have to get through it.鈥�

Mengesha said that 2025 marks Soulpepper鈥檚 biggest season ever, with 16 shows featuring 350 artists: 鈥淲e have built ourselves right back up.鈥�

“The Welkin” is a collaboration between three theatre companies 鈥� Soulpepper Theatre, Crow鈥檚 Theatre and the Howland Company 鈥� which Mengesha calls the way of the future for Canadian theatre.

鈥淲e need to have healthy, robust programming,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e have a three-year partnership with Crow鈥檚 to program larger productions, and to combine our forces on how we talk to the city about theatre.鈥�

Howland brought “The Welkin” to the table. 鈥淚t’s a small, agile company that is really committed to this play, so we decided to do it all together. Collaboration is the way we get to the next level.鈥�

Mengesha is married to American actor Eion Bailey and they have two children, ages 10 and 12. Born in Vancouver, Mengesha grew up in Scarborough and attended Dr. Norman Bethune Collegiate Institute. The only child of Ethiopian immigrants 鈥� her father a banker and her mother a teacher 鈥� she was interested in social activism and thought she would become a lawyer when she grew up.

After she was introduced to the work of Brazilian director Augusto Boal, who practised “legislative theatre” 鈥� the use of performance to engage audiences in civic and moral issues 鈥� she switched to study theatre at York University.

Mengesha segued into directing in her second year when she realized she was spending all her energy on balancing the stage and the director鈥檚 notes. 鈥淚 had no artists in my family, I had no idea what directing really was until I saw my first professional plays in school.鈥�

Career highlights include directing “Kim鈥檚 Convenience” and ”鈥檇a Kink in My Hair” onstage, both of which were later developed for TV. “Kim鈥檚” was her entree to work behind the camera.

鈥淚 remember my first episode of television, I was still thinking about blocking, about using light and movement to draw the eye. Then the cameraman said, 鈥業 will just zoom in.鈥欌�� She laughed, and realized she had a whole new set of tools to tell stories with.

Some stories are timeless. At the heart of Kirkwood鈥檚 script is a moving section in which the matrons鈥� jury bonds, fractures and spills their guts telling their own experiences of childbirth and parenting. It’s both raw and surprisingly funny.

鈥淵ou need the laughter,鈥� said Mengesha. 鈥淚t’s funny for the audience, it’s funny for the characters. This was a tough time in history for women 鈥� they needed a way to lighten the challenge.鈥�

The 1759 arrival of Halley鈥檚 comet found a world at a crossroads:听鈥淪ome thought it was the coming of Christ, while others thought it was the devil and the end of the world.鈥� What the comet really represents, said Mengesha, is cycles, including why women鈥檚 rights and place in the world keep going around in loopedy-loops.

“The Welkin” is an Old English word meaning the skies, heavens.

鈥淲omen were so busy working (in) households and raising children, they never had time to look up,” said Mengesha. “Being on a jury, tapping their expertise in child-bearing, gave them a day off. It was a time of great miracles and great drudgery.鈥澨�

The play has been compared to the landmark 1955 courtroom drama “12 Angry Men,” but its essence feels more resonant with Sarah Polley’s “Women Talking”: a universality of women sharing their stories, an acknowledgement that there are no easy answers.听听

鈥淭he challenge of the play is to look at how we view people, who in our society is worth care and justice,” said Nguyen. “Some of the characters are easy to dismiss as not deserving. I鈥檓 looking forward to audiences leaving perplexed.鈥�

鈥淓veryone is a whole mess of a person,鈥� said Watson. 鈥淥ne of the most feminist things you can show is women in complex roles. Being able to explore that is feminism in action.鈥�

“The Welkin” runs until Oct. 5 at Baillie Theatre in the Young Centre for the Performing Arts, 50 Tank House Lane. See听听for information.