Buddies 2013-14 Annual Report

Buddie s in bad

times t h

eatre

ANNUAL REPORT 2013-14

WEL COM Dear Friend, Welcome to the Buddies 2013/14 Annual Report. In the following pages, you will get an overview of the activities for the year and meet some of the people behind the company. And what a year it was!

Our primary artistic objective for the 2013/14 Season was to further our reputation as Toronto’s leading destination for cuttingedge theatre. We presented the world premiere of Tim Luscombe’s PIG ­— a play so controversial that Tim could not get it produced in his native England. It was a risk that paid off: audiences flocked to the show and the production went on to be nominated for 5 Dora Awards, including Outstanding Production. We invited one of the world’s most cherished experimental theatre makers, Marie Brassard, to perform her haunting piece Me Talking to Myself in the Future. We also premiered The Gay Heritage Project to great acclaim.

Developed as part of our Artist Residency Program, this production was a spectacular example of how we are a world leader in the creation of new queer work.

A second objective for the year was to strengthen our Artist Residency Program.

We allocated more company resources to support the creation of new work and we began to restructure The Rhubarb Festival to better serve our resident artists.

A third objective for the season was to ensure that our programming reflects the plurality of cultural, gender, and sexual perspectives within our community. To this end, we prioritized the development of new queer work by women and underrepresented communities in our residency program. We invited two important community leaders, Gein Wong and Kim Katrin Milan, to curate Strange Sisters with

ME a special focus on artists of colour. We presented the work of Los Angeles-based trans artist Heather Cassils. We staged a reading of Just You. Me and the Silence, a Ugandan play addressing the country’s harsh anti-homosexuality bill, and were thrilled to welcome playwright ADONG Lucy Judith and internationally-celebrated queer author Binyavanga Wainaina to participate in this event. We hosted an evening of political performance entitled For Russia With (Gay) Love that shed light on the realities of LGBT people living in Russia. We welcomed American writer/ activist Sarah Schulman for a presentation of her play The Lady Hamlet.

I thank the Buddies board, management, staff, volunteers, artists, and production personnel for their commitment to making excellent queer theatre. I thank our season pass holders and ticket

buyers who are so devoted to the work that we present. And, finally, I thank our generous donors, corporate sponsors and partners, charitable foundations, all three levels of government, and everyone who participated in the Buddies350 campaign for their support and belief in us. We can all share in the success of this company.

Together, we achieved yet another stellar season at Buddies!

With gratitude,

Brendan Healy, Artistic Director

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N O S E MISSI U L A V & OUR VALUES

OUR ARTISTIC MISSION

Buddies in Bad Times Theatre creates vital Canadian theatre by developing and presenting voices that question sexual and cultural norms. Built on the political and social principles of queer liberation, Buddies supports artists and works that reflect and advance these values. As the world’s longest-running and largest queer theatre, Buddies is uniquely positioned to develop, promote, and preserve stories and perspectives that are challenging and alternative. Buddies achieves artistic excellence through its mainstage season programming, artist-residency program, and youth-based initiatives. Buddies serves a broad segment of the population who share a passion for theatre that celebrates difference.

Buddies in Bad Times Theatre has identified three core values that serve as guiding pillars for all our activities and operations.

DIFFERENCE With our art, we simultaneously celebrate difference and question the mechanisms through which differences are constructed and maintained. With our space, we create an accessible, non-judgmental, and inclusive environment for everyone regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, economic position, race, creed, age, national origin, physical ability, or mental ability. With our daily interactions, we foster respect and dignity among all people.

EXCELLENCE We provide our audiences with unforgettable theatre experiences, and we give our artists and staff the resources they need to achieve the highest standards of excellence.

COMMUNITY We believe that the theatre plays a vital role in the educational, social, and economic health of a community. We strive to be a positive force by encouraging collaboration and constructive dialogue among the various groups and individuals who make up our community.

49,703 people came through our doors

434

people made a donation to Buddies — an increase of 150%

784

young people accessed our Queer Youth Arts Program

254

nights of theatre happened on our stages

603

artists, designers, and technicians were employed at Buddies

162

volunteers helped make our 2013/14 Season possible

2013/14 in NUMBERS 35

new theatre works were performed on our stage

34

community groups accessed our space for performances, meetings, and fundraisers

14

Dora Mavor Moore Award nominations for shows in our 2013/14 Season, including 2 wins

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PIG

Blair Williams, Bruce Dow & Paul Dunn

IN THE PRE ★★★ 1/2 (out of 4) “Celebratory, upbeat, and deeply moving” — Toronto Star ★★★ 1/2 (out of 4) “funny, imaginative, thought-provoking… a wide-ranging and wildly entertaining inquiry into what it means to be gay.”

— Globe & Mail ★★★★ (out of 5) ”under Ashlie Corcoran’s direction, these talented actor/singers inspire, amuse and amaze with the connections they make and make us want to hear more of their tales.”

— Now Magazine

THE GAY HERITAGE PROJECT

Paul Dunn, Andrew Kushnir & Damien Atkins

★ ★ ★ ★ (out of 5) “Under Healy’s firm direction, the various levels of fiction and reality create lots of tension… and Healy gets strong, brave performances from his actors” — Now Magazine

STRANGE SISTERS “A Toronto institution” — Xtra

“hard hitting, grotesque and breathtakingly poetic and elegant all at the same time” — CIUT “a highly literary piece, sumptuously written, dealing with subject matter that could be considered shocking, but is really just ahead of its time” — My Gay Toronto “this is an important ground-breaking work, a milestone in queer theatre, that provokes and challenges like good theatre should provoke” — Positive Lite

ESS

India Davis

“ UNQUESTIO NABLY ONE OF MOST ARTIS TICALLY EXC THE ITING THEATRES IN TOWN” ­— Glo be & Mail

ME TALKING TO MYSELF IN THE FUTURE

★★★ (out of 4) ”Hypnotic… a potent audio-visual cocktail” — Globe & Mail “Marie Brassard’s trippy new play at Buddies is out of this world” — Xtra “An innovative masterpiece” — The Theatre Reader

Marie Brassard

“(Brassard) pulls us into her beguiling narrative by some mysterious mixture of quiet revelation and raw exposure, and holds us there with her expressive hands and honest delivery.”

— Mooney on Theatre

Ryan G Hinds & Alistair Newton

THE RHUBARB FESTIVAL

“Toronto’s go-to event for thought-provoking, political, adventurous entertainment” — Toronto Life

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5 3 R A E

Y

5RS

G N I T N U O C D N A The 2013/14 season marked Buddies’ 35th anniversary. Throughout the year, we honored this impressive milestone by exploring our past, celebrating how far we have come, and imagining possibilities for our future.

In February, our annual Rhubarb Festival (also in its 35th year) recognized this milestone with a series of performances that looked back at the last 35 years of the festival. We also created the Rhubarb Archives, which included an installation in our building during the festival, the publishing of a series of magazines, and an online document of the over 600 new works presented at the festival.

In June, as part of our World Pride celebrations, we hosted 35 Years and Counting — a massive celebration of Buddies history and contributions to the community. The event also served as the launch for a special commemorative booklet, which was distributed in partnership with Xtra.

Our 35th anniversary also served as the launching pad for the Buddies350 fundraising campaign, which saw over 350 people making a donation towards a bright future at Buddies. For more on Buddies350, see page 17.

2014 also marked the 15th anniversary of our Queer Youth Arts Program. This program has been a vital part of Buddies since its inception — connecting over 7,000 young people to Buddies — and we decided to mark this anniversary by offering some new and expanded initiatives for LGBT youth.

• We instituted a new Youth Seat position on our Board of Directors to provide experience and mentorship to aspiring LGBT leaders.

• We established the Buddies Queer

Emerging Artist Award — an annual award and cash prize that recognizes the accomplishments of young, queer artists working in Canada. This year’s award went to theatre artist Jordan Tannahill.

• Our popular QueerCab open mic series was expanded to run all year-round.

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T Y C IS T N R E A SID AM R E R OG R P Residency Program Sponsor

Now in its fifth year, our Artist Residency Program is the most important source for new work at Buddies. Our 2013/14 Season saw a lot of growth as we welcomed five new projects into the program — including our first ever Cabaret Artist in Residence: Sharron Matthews. We also premiered The Gay Heritage Project, which became the third Mainstage Production to grow out of our Residency Program.

Our Artist Residency Program is unlike anything else being offered in Canada.

Not only is it dedicated to developing queer stories and perspectives, but it is also one of the few new work programs

able to support a wide variety of creative processes and methods. The range of artists who are currently in residence is staggering. The adaptability of this program ensures that a rich diversity of voices make it to our stage.

In the following pages, you’ll meet three artists who are creating new work through this program. Their unique creative journeys are a testament to the incredible things that can happen in the Artist Residency Program.

For more info on the program, visit buddiesinbadtimes.com/artist-residency

THE GAY HERITAGE PROJECT COLLECTIVE Paul Dunn, Andrew Kushnir, Damien Atkins

to dedicate the time needed to fully explore their vast subject matter.

“Being artists in residence at Buddies meant that we always knew we had a home. We knew our work would get seen.

Over the years that it took to develop The Gay Heritage Project, this was a tremendously vital source of inspiration and reassurance.”

Damien Atkins, Paul Dunn, and Andrew Kushnir knew that they had found a home for The Gay Heritage Project when Buddies approached them to join the Artist Residency Program. Their unique creative process combined extensive academic research with a performance method called Vocal Masque. This approach required many hours of work in the studio exploring the subject matter and building a script through improvisation. The Artist Residency Program provided them with an opportunity to work closely with scholars and other theatre artists and

After presenting a 20-minute version of the show at the 2012 Rhubarb Festival, the team knew they had something special on their hands and began working towards a full production.

“Working at Buddies as artists in residence makes us feel valued and respected. We were given an opportunity not only tell our own stories, but to tell them how we wanted to tell them. We were given the room to take risks, and learn from them.”

After years of work, The Gay Heritage Project opened in November 2013 to rave reviews and sold-out shows. And this was just the beginning! There are plans to bring the show back to our stage and travel it across the country in the years ahead.

“The Gay Heritage Project could only have happened at Buddies. We are beyond grateful.”

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LOIS FINE Freda and Jem’s Best of the Week

“ If I ever imagined this show anywhere, it was on a Buddies stage… I am hugely grateful and will be forever that it is a Buddies show.”

When Lois Fine came to us with her play Freda and Jem’s Best of the Week, we knew that this was a story that had to be told. In some ways, it’s a very traditional story about the break-up of a family. But it tells this story from a perspective unique to queer women. Fine’s script delves into butch culture and its changing role in queer life. It examines not only the effect of divorce on children, but also the lived experiences of children with queer parents. It is a decidedly queer take on a story that is universal.

Over the course of Fine’s two-year residency, the script underwent rewrites, dramaturgical consultations, and multiple workshops. With acclaimed Canadian musician Lorraine Segato performing music for the production, and a creative team that included director Judith Thompson and Buddies mainstays Diane Flacks and Kathryn Haggis, the show began to take shape.

“ We were so fortunate to be supported by Buddies in doing a number of workshops over the two-year process. These workshops were incredible for me as a writer - to be able to hear the words I had written transformed by talented actors.”

Freda and Jem’s Best of the Week opened our 2014/15 season — a dream come true for Fine and a testament to the Artist Residency Program’s ability to foster the development of new scripts and playwrights. “ The fact that I could share my work with the actors, with Judith, and with Brendan, meant that I was inspired by these outside ears and eyes to step up and write as well and as hard and as deep as I could.

This experience brought me closer to understanding my own creative process which is so valuable and will continue to serve my writing as far as I can see into the future.”

ART IST Res idency “ Being the first Cabaret Artist in Residence in Canada, I felt this sudden weight to make it clear, to myself and others, what I was trying to do... how this would continue my quest to legitimize cabaret in the eyes of arts funding bodies...how to make my work important...”

A veteran of the cabaret stage, Sharron Matthews joined Buddies as the very first Cabaret Artist in Residence during our 2013/14 Season. This was brand new territory for both Buddies and Matthews and the first few months were spent establishing a framework for the residency.

What has emerged from this process is a lot of firsts for Sharron: her first time working with a director, her first time in a new play development program, and her first time with a full band.

progra m

Sharron will continue to work on her show Full Dark over the coming year. Watch for Sharron, and many of our Residency Program artists, this upcoming February at The 36th Rhubarb Festival. “ I realized that this residency was not a destination to be raced towards but an exploration, to be experienced at my own pace... After 10 years of touring, pushing, promoting, and putting all that I do out into the world to raise money and recognition THAT was a magical revelation.”

SHARRON MATTHEWS Cabaret Artist in Residence

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SUPPORTER PROFILE

BRUCE DOW “ When I was a young, queer, very-queer, artistic kid, I had no idea that a place like Buddies was even possible. Buddies means more to my heart and soul, artist and being, than I can begin to describe.”

Bruce Dow is a veteran of Broadway, Stratford, and stages across the US and Canada. He is most well known for his work as a performer (notably as King Herod in the Broadway production of Jesus Christ Superstar), but is also an accomplished director and composer.

Bruce is among the most successful theatre artists working in Canada today.

Although many know him for his work on our stage, Bruce first experienced Buddies the same way most people do — as an audience member. He recalls first coming to Buddies over 10 years ago for a production of Damien Atkins’ Real Live Girl. “ What truly moved me about the experience was the simple existence of a space where work like that could be explored and appreciated. When I was growing up and coming out, the world was a very different place — I had never experienced a place so accepting, let alone one so interested in a fair representation of our stories.”

Bruce first appeared on our stage many years later as the narrator of a short, experimental musical at The Rhubarb Festival in 2011.

This show (Of a Monstrous Child: a gaga musical) went on to be part of our 2012/13 Mainstage Season. It also earned Bruce the first of two Outstanding Performance Dora Awards he would win with our company — the other being for his performance in PIG the following year. It also marked the beginning of a very special journey. The freedom, experimentation, and queerness of Buddies turned out to be an unexpected source of creative renewal for Bruce.

“ The journey from Of A Monstrous Child through PIG helped me to take myself more seriously as an artist, and as a queer artist — what it showed me most strongly, is that my queerness is integral to my being. Buddies made that possible, and continues to do so.”

Bruce joined our Buddies350 campaign this year — supporting us not only with his talent on our stage, but also with his generosity and enthusiastic endorsement.

And we couldn’t be happier that he counts himself as a member of our community as an artist, an audience member, and a supporter.

“ Yes. Buddies does some of the finest theatre in our city.

Yes. Buddies does more than anyone in the development of new works.

Yes. Buddies has amazing youth programs.

Yes. Buddies is a great place to hang out with friends.

Yes. Buddies is a great place for art and queerness.

But supporting Buddies is like protecting the air I breathe.

I love it — and I need it.”

S L A I C N A FIN Our 2013/14 Season was another financially stable year. Thanks to a record-breaking year for our signature fundraising event ARTATTACK!, the success of our Buddies350 campaign, and higher-than-expected box office revenues, we ended the year with a significant surplus. This will allow us to invest in much needed capital improvements throughout our building, ensuring the best experience and support for our artists and audiences.

REVENUES $1,697,375 REVENUES $1,697,375

GOVERNMENT GRANTS 27% GOVERNMENT GRANTS 27% TICKET SALES / VENUE RENTAL 27% TICKET SALES / VENUE RENTAL 27% BAR SALES 26% BAR SALES 26% DONATIONS / SPONSORSHIP / EVENTS 20% DONATIONS / SPONSORSHIP / EVENTS 20%

EXPENSES $1,623,368 EXPENSES $1,623,368

ARTISTIC FEES / SALARIES 38% ARTISTIC FEES / SALARIES 38% THEATRE PRODUCTION COSTS 23% THEATRE PRODUCTION COSTS 23% BAR EXPENSES 13% BAR EXPENSES 13% MARKETING / COMMUNICATIONS 13% MARKETING / COMMUNICATIONS 13% ADMINISTRATION / MAINTENANCE 10% ADMINISTRATION / MAINTENANCE 10% DEVELOPMENT 3% DEVELOPMENT 3%

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A GROWING COMMUNITY OF DONORS Paula Grgurich in memory of Angelica Ruby Milo

Mark Aikman

Majdi Bou-Matar

Donna Daichtman

Rik Aikman

Leah-Simone Bowen

Shawn Daudlin

Emilia Alvarez

Steffany Bowen

Maria de Carlos Vazquez

Cole Alvis in honour of René Highway

Paul Bowser

David Demchuk

Ailish Bracken

Joseph Di Fonzo

Pat Bradley & Lascelle Wingate

Jess Dobkin

Elana Haier

Bruce Dow

Justin Haley

Cynthia Amerongen Lisa Amerongen Robert Amerongen Vikki Anderson Judy Androsoff Anonymous Eleanor Antoncic Salvatore Antonio Peter Archer Andrew Arnold Gideon Arthurs Gerry Asselstine The Awaken Studio — Philip Coupal & Anthony Dunn John Austin & Chris Lorway Noah Aychental

Jennifer A. Brewin in memory of Maurice Blais Mark Brodsky

Mel Hague John Hague in honour of Melanie Hague

John Dow

David Hallman

Stephanie Draker

Gerald Hannon Craig Hanson

Diana Brugos

Derek Duke

Nathaniel Bryan

Audrey Dwyer

Gillian Hards

Hamish Buchanan

Mark Ellis

Beverley Harris

Mary Bunch

Steven Endicott

Jenna Harris

Paul Butler

Marian Enriquez

Catherine Hayhoe

Ed Cabell & Roy Forrester

Mike Epps

Mary Catherine Headley

Maria Cal

Monica Esteves

Brendan Healy

Lawrence Campbell

Naomi Estridge

Raymond Helkio

Naomi Campbell

Margaret Evans

Kathryn Heller-McRoberts

Sheila Cavanagh

Barney F. Griggs IV

Elley Ray Hennessy

Robert Chafe

Jane Farrow

Jonathan Heppner

Carly Chamberlain

Charles Fawcett

Marc Hill

Kenny Chan

Dennis Findlay

Shana Hillman

Joseph Babcock

Denis Charette

Katherine Barnes

Lois Fine

William Hodge & Robert Wylie

Anna Chatterton

Maev Beaty

Gordon Floyd

Sophie Holdstock

Andrew Cheng

Shannon Bell

Kirk Fox

Keith Holland

Mary Jane Chevalier

Jennifer Fraser

Claire Hopkinson Andrew Horberry

Justen Bennett

Sheila Chevalier

Guglielmo Bernardi

Sean Frey

Vincent Chevalier

Samantha Bernstein

Derrick Chua

Karen Fuhrmann in honour of Kyung Hee Furhmann

Richard Berthelsen

Heather Clark

Rachel Ganz

Francois Bessay

James Clark

Sarah Garton Stanley

Sarah Bezanson

Robert Coates

Mark German

Nicolas Billon

Ashlie Corcoran

Bruce Gibbons Fell

Derek Billsman

Roxane Corriveau

Mallory Gilbert

Richard Bingham

Aram Coulter

Cathy Gordon

Kymberley Bird

Deborah Cowen

Carmen Grant

Erin Birkenbergs

Benjamin Crotty

George Grant

Daphne Bonar

Gerald Crowell

Sean Guist

Susan Bond

Scott Dagostino

David Grenier

Christine Horne Christopher House Jean-Frédèric Hübsch Brian Hui Scott Hurst Caro Ibrahim Chris Ironside Tammi Jaminson Tim Jones & Taylor Raths John Jordan Martin Julien in memory of Leo Julien

For our 35th anniversary year, we wanted to find a way to honour our history while rallying our supporters around our future. This led us to a fundraising campaign we called Buddies350.

We decided the focus of this campaign wouldn’t be dollars raised — but people.

With 12 weeks to go until the end of our season, we set out to get 350 people to make a donation — of any size — to support the future of Buddies. Every donation, from $5 to $5,000, would be put together and invested in new work creation through our Artist Residency Program and Queer Youth Arts Program.

The response was overwhelming. We exceeded our goal and welcomed into our community of donors people from all walks of life and from across the country. This was the largest increase in donors we have ever seen, and it allowed us to make significant investments in the artists we work with.

So, to our new Buddies350 supporters: welcome! And to all of our donors, stakeholders, and supporters: our community is now stronger than ever. We have never been in better hands.

Bill Kaiser

Jamie MacDonald

Christopher Newton

Benjamin Kasa

Virginia Macdonald

Gloria Nickerson

Margot Keith

Humboldt Magnussen

Mathew Noel Brooks Howard

Greg Kelner

Gilles Marchildon

Yvette Nolan

Noah Kenneally

Stefan Maroni

Nina Okens

Russell Mathew & Scott Ferguson

Chris Oldfield

Sharron Matthews & George Masswohl

Adam Paolozza

Erin Kern Doug Kerr Lee Kim Daniel Kinrys Adam Kirkham Gary & William Klein

Jennifer Maurice Franny McCabe-Bennett

Jason Oord Charles Pavia Wes Pearce Jocelyn Piercy

Michele McCarthy & Paul Rumbolt

Diane Pitblado

Guntar Kravis

Mary McCleese

Brian Quirt

Adam Kuhn

Patricia McDermott

Peter Kuling

Trevor McLain

John R. Farrell & Trevor Scanlan

Victoria Kuper

Richard McLellan

Andrew Kushnir

Bekah McNeil

Kim Koyama

Elliot Smith & Jonathan Steels Chy Spain David Steinberg Darcy Stoop Richard Sutton Louis-Michel Taillefer Michelle Talbert Sheree Tams Jordan Tannahill Gord Tanner Peter Taylor Jim Tennyson Mumbi Tindyebwa Robert Todd

Alex Rafuse

Stephanie Tran

David Ramsden

Michael Trent

Rafael Renderos

Ayse Turak

Andrew Lamb

Mandy McNeil

Harold Lane

Dr. Stephen McQuade & Antonio Gambini

Chris Reynolds

Norbert van De Wiel

Norman Reynolds

Jonathan Van Etten

Bruce McTaggart

Siobhán Rich

Gail Vanstone

Roberto Mendoza

Jim Roberston & Jim Scott

Richard Vaughan

Randy Langlois Douglas Lash Kay Lavery Jim Lawrence Daniel Leblanc Randy Lee Denis Lefebvre Geneviève Lemieux Paul Leonard Mike LeSage Ross Leslie

Marc Michell Michelle Michiels Sebou Mirzayan John Molestress Brandon Moore Lawrence Moore George Morin Aidan Morishita-Miki Doug Morum

Sofree Roots Casey Roswell Judith Rudakoff Pamela Russell John Salib

Reginald Vermue Gaetane Verna Christiane Vie Joshua Wales Lucinda Wallace

Alejandro Santiago

Robert Wallace in memory of Michael Lynch

Jayne Schneider

Andy Wang

Mendl & Pauline Schwartz at Incredible Printing

Deborah Li in honour of Tyson James

Daniel Moses

Adam Seelig

Luke Linseman

Grey Muldoon

Jonathan Seinen

Bob White Joanne Williams Scott Windsor Cathrin Winkelmann

Brian Lloyd

Pearse Murray

Meg Shannon

Michael Lorsch

Natasha Mytnowych

Patti Shedden

Ben Louie

Blake Neill

Pierre Simpson

Don Love

Shannon Nesbitt

Jamie Slater

Robin Woodward & Ange Beever

Jess Lyons

Megan Nesseth

Lynn Slotkin

Jacob Zimmer

Francois Macdonald

Alistair Newton

Katherine Sly

Suzy Zucker

Ted Witzel Jamie Woo

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U O Y K N A TH DONORS LEGACY CIRCLE

Mark German

Michael Golych

The Estate of John Alan Lee

Mark Peacock

Steven Clegg

Ed Cabell & Roy Forrester

Michael Boyuk

Jim Robertson & Jim Scott

NigE Gough Foundation at the Toronto Community Foundation

Russell Matthew & Scott Ferguson

Paul Butler & Chris Black

VISIONARIES

Sarah Hunter

Paul Hains

Scott Windsor

Jim Lawrence & David Salak

Stephen McGregor & Tony De Franco

Russell Mathew & Scott Ferguson

The Awaken Studio: Phillip Coupal & Anthony Dunn

BENEFATORS

William Hoge & Robert Wylie

A.J. Goulding & Jason Huang Ayse Turak Brendan Healy Derek Billsman Ed Cabell & Roy Forrester Gerald Lunz & Rick Mercer James Tennyson Jason Churchill Jim Robertson & Jim Scott

Richard Isaac

CHAMPIONS Anonymous Brenda Gatto Brian Terry Charlie & Lulu Franklin Foundation at The Calgary Foundation Darren Gobert Dean Odorico Elliot Smith & Jonathan Steels

FRIENDS & PARTNERS Abraham Rotstein AIDS Committee of Toronto Alnoor Karmali & Doug Arcand Ann Connors Anonymous Betty Carlyle Beverley Harris Blair Caines Brandon & Nicole Moore Brian McBurney Brian Sambourne Bruce MacTaggart Caroline Azar-Benyes Catherine Hayhoe Cathrin Winkelmann Charles Pavia Chelsea Manders Cliff Dempster Cole Alvis — In Honour of René Highway Daniel David Moses Diana Khong

Jack Wilkie & Rick Kong

Don Clarke

John Austin & Chris Lorway

Gary Klein

Ken Moffatt

Ken Aucoin & Gerald Crowell

Gordon Floyd

Lawrence Bennett

Martha McCain

Joe Siegfried & Brad Dougherty Karim Karsan & John Rider

Eve Goldberg George Grant Harriet & Andrew Lyons

Harry Wiebe

Patty Fleming

Ed Cabell & Roy Forrester

Henry & Marcia Blumberg

Paul Halferty

Ian Provis

Paul Hartwick

Elliot Smith & Jonathan Steels

Irene Howlett

Paul Klein

Jamie MacDonald

Paul Leonard

Jane Wright

Paula Grgurich — In Memory of Angelica Ruby Milo

Janette Hitchins Jerry Doiron John Jordan Jon Kaplan Jonathan Heppner

Pauline Pelletier Pearse Murray Peter Archer Peter Taylor

Gordon Floyd Ian Provis Jamie MacDonald Jim Robertson & Jim Scott John Austin & Chris Lorway Karim Karsan & John Rider

Richard McLellan

Ken Aucoin & Gerald Crowell

Robert Michael Todd

Kim Koyama

Robert Wallace

Lawrence A. Moore

Julia Harrison

Rui Pires

Mary Breen

Kate Bishop & Doug Gerhart

Sarah Garton Stanley

Michel Beauvais

Sondra Petit

Mitsuko Sada

Kelly Clipperton

Steven Lico

Ken Popert

Susan Zucker

Kim Koyama

Tom Keogh & Paul McClure

Joseph Flessa Joseph Mulder Judith Rudakoff & Myles Warren

Kish Iqbal Lawrence Moore Lucinda Wallace

Troy Hourie Warren Sorensen

Paul Halferty Paul Klein Paul Leonard Paula Grgurich — In Memory of Angelica Ruby Milo Peter Taylor

Margrit Rahilly

Wes Pearce

Mark Aikman

MONTHLY DONORS

Rui Pires

Mary Batoff & Vanessa Payne

Ann Connors

The Awaken Studio: Phillip Coupal & Anthony Dunn

Mary Breen Michel Beauvais Mitsuko Sada Pauline Pelletier

Ayse Turak Cathrin Winkelmann Charles Pavia Cole Alvis — In Honour of René Highway Derek Billsman

Richard McLellan

Tom Keogh & Paul McClure Wes Pearce William Hodge & Robert Wylie

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CORPORATE SPONSORS

Lead Corporate Sponsor

Festival Sponsor

Queer Media Partner

Mainstage Media Sponsor

THANK YOU PUBLIC AGENCIES

FOUNDATIONS

Buddies 2014 Young Creators Unit: Rory Jade Grey, Ramon Vitung & Jackie Rowland

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OUR STAFF Artistic Director Brendan Healy

Box Office/FOH Manager Barry Higgins

General Manager Shawn Daudlin

Asst. Box Office/FOH Manager Lindsay Naft

Head of Production Charissa Wilcox Director of Development & Communications Mark Aikman

Chamber Technician Suzie Balogh

Rhubarb Festival Director Mel Hague

Finance Manager Cynthia Murdy

Young Creators Unit Director Evalyn Parry

Bar Manager Patricia Wilson

Youth Program Coordinator Chy Ryan Spain Insatiable Sisters Curators Kim Katrin Milan & Gein Wong Technical Director Adrien Whan Manager of Fundraising Mandy McNeil

Cabaret Technician Jazz Kamal

Asst. Bar Manager Glenn Dwyer Box Office Personnel Thom Bryce-McQuinn, Gabriella Cook, Angie Lopez, Franny McCabeBennett, Jeremy Robillard, John Salib, Darcy Stoop, Curtis te Brink, Joanne Tsung Bar Personnel Charlie Bouys, Michael Mackid, Shane MacKinnon

O C E H T

Public Relations Coordinator Lisa Amerongen

Asst. Rhubarb Festival Director Cole Alvis

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The Alexander Street Theatre Project

Derek Billsman (chair)

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Russell Mathew (treasurer)

Cathy Gordon (chair)

Mary Breen (secretary)

Russell Mathew (treasurer)

Ayse Turak, Cathrin Winkelmann, Ellen Ray Hennessy, Elliot Smith, Gordon Floyd, Karim Karsan, Michael Bodsworth

Mary Breen (secretary)

BUDDIES IN BAD TIMES THEATRE

Y N A P M O Kristyn Wong-Tam

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Contributors Mark Aikman, Damien Atkins, Shawn Daudlin, Bruce Dow, Paul Dunn, Lois Fine, Brendan Healy, Andrew Kushnir, Sharron Matthews, Mandy McNeil

Gein Wong & Kim Katrin Milan, Strange Sisters co-curators

Photography Kyle Burton, Guntar Kravis, n. maxwell lander, Jeremy Mimnagh, Alejandro Santiago, Tanja-Tiziana, Nurith Wanger-Strauss, Kai Wa Yapp Design Derek Aubichon

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ESTABLISH ED 1979