WELCOME It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to Agokwe’s homecoming. It has been quite a year for this show – so far, it has toured to Vancouver and the National Arts Centre in Ottawa where it played to sold-out houses and critical acclaim. We, at Buddies, are particularly proud of Agokwe’s journey. Its 2008 premiere marked the first time that one of our mainstage presentations had been developed entirely through all the stages of our Queer Youth Arts Program. Now in its eleventh year, our youth program provides a unique, artistic meeting space for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered youth to build connections with established LGBT artists, like-minded peers, and the broader LGBT and arts communities. Agokwe’s creator, Waawaate Fobister, came to us in 2006 via this program. We first met him at our monthly youth open-mic night, QueerCab, where he ranted a true story from his years growing up on a reserve in Northern Ontario. With the encouragement of one of our Youth Program Directors, Evalyn Parry, he transformed this story into a monologue for PrideCab, a youth-driven cabaret performed every year at Pride. This monologue was further developed as part of the Young Creators Unit where he was paired with director Ed Roy. Based on the success of this process, Agokwe was invited to open the 2008 mainstage season and the show became a hit. It was nominated for eight Dora awards and took home six of them. And the rest, as they say, is history. The Buddies in Bad Times Theatre Youth Program Mission Statement is to “to help the next generation of queer artists find their artistic voices and provide them with opportunities to share them.” Agokwe is but one example of this incredible initiative. I invite you to come to this year’s PrideCab on Wednesday, June 22nd to see the next generation of young queers fearlessly take the stage. I can guarantee that it will be an inspiring glimpse into the future. Enjoy the show!
Brendan Healy, Artistic Director
Buddies in Bad Times Theatre AGOKWE 5