Bliss House Programme

CANDLES ARE FOR BURNING IN ASSOCIATION WITH BUDDIES IN BAD TIMES THEATRE PRESENTS

“A STYLISTIC, NIGHTMARISH SCRIPT” – Globe & Mail

BLISS `

BY OLIVIER CHOINIERE TRANSLATED BY CARYL CHURCHILL

MARCH 27 – APRIL 8, 2012

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2 BLISS

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BUDDIES IN BAD TIMES THEATRE 3

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BLISS

By Olivier Choiniere Translated by Caryl Churchill Directed by Steven McCarthy Starring Delphine Bienvenu, Jean Robert Bourdage,

Trent Pardy and France Rolland Set & Costume Design by James Lavoie Sound Designer/Composer Diane Labrosse Lighting Design by Andrea Lundy & Sarah Yaffe Stage Manager Sarah-Marie Langlois Technical Director Kaileigh Krysztofiak Production Manager Sarah Yaffe Sound Specialist (Toronto) Duncan Morgan Carpenters Rich Dawson and Jesse Lund Scenic Painters Nadia Lombardo and Jeremy Gordaneer Welding Josiane Saucier Crew (Montreal) Emlyn vanBruinswaardt, Vladimir Alexandru Cara and Sean Poole Design Jonathan Kitchen, jakcreative.com Photography Tanja-Tiziana, double-crossed.ca This production of BLISS was originally created as part of the National Theatre School’s Directing programme. Artistic Director Sherry Bie, Department Heads Chris Abraham and Sarah Stanley, Directing Mentors Brigitte Haentjens and Graham McLaren, Production Manager/Lighting Designer Rachel Dawn Woods, Stage Manager Linsey Callaghan, Technical Director Ian Michael Costello.

This project was then further developed at the SummerWorks Festival thanks, in part, to the financial support of the Cultural and Artistic Leadership Program (CALP) of the National Theatre School of Canada.

BUDDIES IN BAD TIMES THEATRE 5

WELCOME It is often said that we live in the age of celebrity. Celebrity magazines, blogs, reality TV, Facebook fan groups, and celebrity Twitter accounts are all testimony to the vast space celebrities occupy within our imaginations. Tales of the rich and famous are ubiquitous. And yet, publicly admitting that you have a passion for celebrities is like flaunting a dirty secret: we only admit to following the lives of the famous as a kind of ironic and self-consciously frivolous pastime. Our culture on the whole brazenly reveals itself to be profoundly obsessed with celebrity but we rarely individually display this obsession in front of one another.

So, what is the source of this shame? Are we afraid of being perceived as vacuous and superficial? Are we afraid to have others judge our voyeuristic tendencies? Or, is our shame tied to something darker that exists within the very concept of celebrity itself something that we would rather not face?

I can remember the moment when I first saw the photos of Whitney Houston’s nightmarish bathroom a few months ago, before her death. Disgustingly filthy, littered with crack pipes, burnt spoons, pot, beer cans, and cigarette butts – it was the bathroom of someone who was resolutely moving towards self-obliteration. I was deeply fascinated by the images, wondering how someone with so much beauty could get caught up in a world that appeared to be so ugly. I spent time imagining her horrifying and absurd life as she attempted to live up to her promise of her comeback.

I found it strangely satisfying – I can admit it – that she was unable to live up to the standards that were created for her and that she was bottoming out so spectacularly. It was a perversely morbid fascination.

After she died, I felt a little ashamed that her struggle had given me a kind of pleasure.

I wondered what was at the root of that pleasure. Did I secretly want her to be as screwed up as she was? Was I slightly turned on by the depravity of her lifestyle?

Did I resent all her success, money, and fame? Did I feel a sense of retribution in witnessing her inability to handle it all? Perhaps I did. And perhaps this explains my shame for being unable to tear my eyes away from her suffering.

Bliss takes us right into this perverted landscape of celebrity where our private obsessions, depraved fantasies, violent impulses and desperate feelings about fame are given a public voice. Here, we are free to worship our idols. We are free to degrade them. We are free to lose ourselves inside the dreams of our own celebrated triumphs. We are free to rage against the appalling anonymity that haunts us all.

And, somewhere inside this freedom, we are offered the reflection of our true nature: starved, lonely, successful, decadent and blissful.

“I looked in the audience. There were no strangers. Everybody was singing and cheering and hugging. That was a beautiful picture to look at.” -Celine Dion

Brendan Healy, Artistic Director 6 BLISS

PLAYWRIGHT’S NOTES MY DEAR AUDIENCE MEMBER, Tonight, you will not be witness a play about the phenomenon of celebrity. Even less to a play about a particular class of people who, in order to survive their meaningless jobs or their more or less horrible day-to-day lives, escape into the idyllic life of certain stars, to share in their downfalls as well as their ascensions.

This play does not speak about them. (Why must we always speak about them!?) This play speaks, in the end, of you: of your dreams of triumph, of the mediocrity that surrounds you, of the purity of your heart, of your day-to-day humiliations, of your feelings of powerlessness and of crushing anonymity. Of your weakness, in the end of your uselessness, of your ugliness even. You, sitting there in the shadows, this play is custom made for you.

And tonight, you will be revenged.

Olivier Choinière (translated by Steven McCarthy)

DIRECTOR’S NOTES Céline Dion: 1968 Céline Dion is born in Charlemagne, Quebec; the youngest of 14 children.

1981

Céline records her first album, Le Voix du Bon Dieu (The Voice of God), with the help of her manager Rene Angélil.

1994 Céline marries Rene Angélil, at Notre Dame Cathedral in Montreal .

1999 Céline announces she will be taking an extended break from her musical career to attempt to have a child and spend time with her husband as he recovers from skin cancer. Her farewell concert in Montreal on December 31st entitled La derniere de Céline draws a crowd of over 20,000 people and is televised across the province.

2003 Céline Dion’s comeback show, A New Day, debuts at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas.

Isabelle Cote: 1981

Isabelle Cote is born near Sherbrooke, Quebec.

2002 Isabelle Cote dies in hospital at the age of 22 due to complications arising from her battle with cancer.

BUDDIES IN BAD TIMES THEATRE 7

Proud to support Bliss We’re working together with Buddies in Bad Times Theatre to make a difference in our communities.

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8 BLISS

ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES DELPHINE BIENVENU Oracle

Delphine Bienvenu is a 2003 graduate of the Conservatoire d’art dramatique de Montreal. Since that time she has held lead roles in classical theatre, as well as modern plays and collective collaborations (L’éblouissement du chevreuil d’Évelyne de la Chenelière, Théâtre Extrême by Jean-Guy Legault, and Trois at Espace Libre). As an improviser she is a member of several improv leagues, such as la Ligne Nationale d’Improvisation (LNI), la LIM, le Feuilleton, and les Éphémères. On television, she has appeared in Les Bougon, La vie rêvée de Mario Jean, Les États-humains, and Les Invicibles 3, and played the lead role in Anne-Marie Ngo’s feature film À trois, Marie s’en va.

JEAN ROBERT BOURDAGE Manager

Jean Robert Bourdage started his career in English in 2005 (The Tournament, The Foundation, Wargames 2, 40 is the new 20). In French, he was part of more than 20 professional productions and a regular in several TV shows (Bar Ouvert, Le Gentleman) and supporting lead in several movies (Magique!, Vendus, Histoire de Pen). He is renowned for his improvisational skills, his broad range of characters and his voice work. BLISS is his first theatre project in English.

` OLIVIER CHOINIERE Playwright

A graduate of the ecriture dramatique section of the National Theatre School of Canada, Olivier Choinière has been a part of creating more than 30 theatrical productions, principally as a playwright but also as a director and innovator. He first became know for Le bain des raines (1998), a nominee for the Governor General’s award, as well as Autodafe (1999) a historical epic in 5 acts directed by the legendary Andre Brassard. His play Venise-en-Quebec was also nominated for the GG while his 2007 play, Felicite, was translated by Caryl Churchill and presented as BLISS at the Royal Court in London before playing in Scotland and Australia. The play was also presented in Swiss-German and is presently being translated into Spanish. He has made several guided walk audio pieces for one spectator at a time that have been presented all over Quebec and France. He recently directed Chante avec moi, a piece for 50 actors at Espace Libre and the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. His short film Ça va (mine de rien) was presented at dozens of film festivals around the world. He is the founder and co-artistic director of theatre Aux Ecuries and the founder of 231, a writing workshop in Montreal.

BUDDIES IN BAD TIMES THEATRE 9

10 BLISS

CARYL CHURCHILL Playwright

Born in 1938 in London. Lived in Montreal, Canada from 1948-1955. Read English Language and Literature at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford and while there wrote a one-act play DOWNSTAIRS, which was produced by Oriel College in 1958 and went to the Sunday Times/National Union of students Drama Festival. HAVING A WONDERFUL TIME, a full length play in verse was produced by an Oxford Company at the Questor’s Theatre July 1960. EASY DEATH was produced by the Oxford Experimental Theatre Club at the Oxford Playhouse in 1962. Caryl Churchill has won two OBIEs, one for CLOUD NINE in 1982 and the other for TOP GIRLS in 1983. She has also won the Hollywood Dramalogue Critics Award for CLOUD NINE and the Susan Smith Blackburn Award for FEN in 1984 and for SERIOUS MONEY in 1987. SERIOUS MONEY won the Olivier Award for Best Play of 1987, the Evening Standard Award for Best Comedy and the Plays and Players Award.

KAILEIGH KRYSZTOFIAK Technical Director – Montreal

Recent credits include: Lighting Designer for the Plants and Animals – End of Time music video & Pop Montreal, and The Pit and The Pendulum (Second Body Productions). Production Designer for Big Plans (Freestanding Productions). Assistant Lighting Designer for The Little Prince (Geordie Productions), Kid Koala: Space Cadet Headphone Tour (European Tour), and Jesus Christ Superstar (Stratford Shakespeare Festival). Technical Director for Coma Unplugged (Talisman Theatre). This winter Kaileigh will be teaching at NTS and then heading to Stratford to assistant lighting design The Pirates of Penzance and A Word or Two.

DIANE LABROSSE Sound Designer / Composer

Diane Labrosse is a regular face on the creative, improvised, and avant-garde music scenes, both in Canada and abroad. On the dance front, she wrote music for Crystal Pite and Richard Siegal’s Double Story; Marc Boivin’s R.A.F.T. and Impact; Andrew Harwood’s Sens cible and Ubiquiste; Deborah Dunn’s Blackmail and East Coker; and Louise Bédard’s Ce qu’il en reste and Enfin vous Zestes. She worked with stage directors Robert Lepage for La Géométrie des miracles and Zulu Time and Gervais Gaudreault for Je suis d’un would be pays and Nuit d’orage. She created sound installations in unusual places for Tura-ya-moya Company (Denmark), Theater Crytic (Scotland), and Centre de Musique Canadienne (Montreal). She is presently working on a sound installation entitled Sport et Divertissement.

SARAH-MARIE LANGLOIS Stage Manager Sarah-Marie was born in Toronto and has been a Montreal based stage manager for the past six years. Previous Montreal credits include Bliss (Candles Are For Burning at the Wildside Festival), Relative Good, Age of Arousal, In Piazza San Domenico, and Stones In His Pockets (Centaur Theatre), The Season created by BUDDIES IN BAD TIMES THEATRE 11

Josh Dolgin (Pop Montreal). Other credits include The Odd Couple, A View from the Bridge (Segal Centre), Scientific Americans (Segal Centre, SideMart) and Haunted Hillbilly (SideMart 2009). Sarah-Marie was last in Toronto presenting Haunted Hillbilly as a part of the 2010 Summerworks Festival. Next up, Sarah-Marie will have the pleasure of stage managing Haunted Hillbilly for a third time as it closes the Centaur Theatre’s season. She would like to thank her family and friends for their continuous love and support.

JAMES LAVOIE Set & Costume Designer

James Lavoie is a Montreal based designer for live performance. He holds a master’s degree in Scenography from Central Saint Martin’s in the UK. He is a five-time recipient of the Montreal English Critic’s Circle Award for his design work and is also the mentor for the third year scenography students at the National Theatre School of Canada. He is currently production designing a new open air Cirque du Soleil project that will premiere in Quebec City this coming summer. Recent projects include Set and Costume design for John Mighton’s Scientific Americans, directed

by Andrew Shaver (Segal Theatre in association with Sidemart Theatrical Grocery); Michael Mackenzie’s Instructions to Any Future Socialist Government Wishing to Abolish Christmas directed by Chris Abraham (Crows Theatre and Centaur Theatre); A Thousand Paper Cranes directed by Micheline Chevrier (Geordie Productions); Colleen Curran’s True Nature directed by Amanda Kellock (Centaur Theatre); and Costume Design for A View From the Bridge, directed by Diana Leblanc (Segal Theatre). BLISS is James’ first design to appear on a Toronto Stage.

ANDREA LUNDY Lighting Designer

Andrea Lundy has been designing lights for the past 25 years across Canada and internationally. She has worked most extensively with Daniel Brooks and Necessary Angel, including designs for Insomnia, Eco Show, Hamlet, and Andromache. In addition to her work as a lighting designer, Andrea is also a Production Manager and an instructor. She was recently named Director of Production at the National Theatre School. Andrea is the recipient of 9 Dora Mavor Moore Awards and has been nominated 22 times. She is also a member of the Associated Designers of Canada.

STEVEN McCARTHY Director

Steven McCarthy is an actor, musician, and theatre-maker whose work has been seen across Canada and around the world. He is the leader of the 10-piece funk band the ElastoCitizens, and in 2009 he founded Candles are for Burning – a theatre and music production company dedicated to fully exploring the presenttense ritual of live theatrical events. On the strength of his debut production, the site specific Three Plays by Sam Shepard performed in a dilapidated frat house ballroom, he was invited to be the sole student to attend a special one year version of the National Theatre School’s directing section. Recent projects include directing and designing a guerrilla

12 BLISS

LISTEN IN FRENCH. FOLLOW IN ENGLISH.

THÉÂTRE FRANÇAIS DE TORONTO

Créatif :

CoSta leClerC deSigN · illustration : PhiliPPe BÉha / www.i2iart.com

Par l’auteur du Dîner De cons By the Playwright of The Dinner Game

[THE PAIN IN THE ASS] L’EMMERDEUR by FRANCIS VEBER

aPril 18 to May 5, 2012 French performances with English surtitles April 18, 20, 21, 25, 27, & mAy 5 (8 pm) April 28 & mAy 5 (3:30 pm) May 2 at 6 PM: fuNdraiSiNg gala aNd Show

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BUDDIES IN BAD TIMES THEATRE 13

theatre treatment of Sam Shepard’s Fool for Love in a downtown art gallery, directing a trapeze/dance piece called Malaria Lullaby, helming the Toronto premiere of Neil Labute’s Reasons to be Pretty and starring in Necessary Angel’s Andromache, a world premiere at this year’s LuminaTO Festival. Among his numerous film credits, Steven is a series regular in Ken Finkleman’s television series, Good Dog, for HBO Canada and will play one of the lead roles in Picture Day, a feature film which stars The ElastoCitizens currently in post-production for Foundry Films. This winter he presents BLISS at both the Centaur Theatre in Montreal and at Buddies in Bad Times theatre in Toronto. He most recently collaborated with Graham McLaren and Evie Christie, and the graduating students of the National Theatre School to create a new adaptation of Schnitzler’s La Ronde entitled Threesixty.

TRENT PARDY Display Assistant

Trent Pardy recently finished his fourth season at The Stratford Shakespeare Festival, performing last year as Fenton in The Merry Wives of Windsor, Sebastian in Twelfth Night, and Acaste in The Misanthrope. Trent is a graduate of the 2007/2008 Birmingham Conservatory for Classical Theatre, The National Theatre School of Canada (2004) and Mount Royal College (2001), and is a founding member of the critically acclaimed SideMart Theatrical Grocery in Montreal. Trent is super excited to be a new resident of Toronto with his partner Stefanie.

FRANCE ROLLAND Cosmetic Salesperson

France Rolland has been a presence in Montreal theatre for the past decade, appearing in the Just For Laughs Festival presentation of Mom’s The Word, as well as Imago Theatre’s production of Greg Macarthur’s Snowman, directed by Peter Hinton, and The Other Theatre’s Human Collision/Atomic Reaction at the Festival de Théâtre des Amériques. Recent stage credits include Scapegoat Carnivale’s Medea (Centaur Theatre Company’s Brave New Looks); Urban Tales (Théâtre Urbi et Orbi/Centaur Theatre); and Sexy Béton: L’Intégrale (Projet Porte Parole) at the Théâtre DenisePelletier.

SARAH YAFFE Production Manager & Lighting Designer

Sarah Yaffe is a Lighting Designer and Production Manager whose work has been seen across the country. She is also the General Manager of the award winning Montreal theatre company SideMart Theatrical Grocery. In addition to her work with SideMart, Sarah works as a freelance production manager and lighting designer as well as a teacher and coach at the National Theatre School of Canada. She was recently the Production Manager for the 2011 Montreal Just for Laughs Festival and Tour Manager for the National Theatre School’s 50th Anniversary cross-country tour. She is a graduate of McGill University and the National Theatre School’s Production Program.

14 BLISS

Candles are for Burning is an emerging company dedicated to exploring the essential present-tense ritual quality of live performance. It produces both plays and concerts with an eye towards blurring the conventional boundaries between live theatre and live music. It creates theatrical productions in concert halls, galleries, found spaces and traditional theatres. It derives inspiration from new plays, collective creations, and re-interpretations of older plays with the essential goal of creating something that is alive and that exists in the present-tense communion between performer and audience. Since our first production in 2009 of Three early plays by Sam Shepard, which played in a dilapidated frat-house ballroom, Candles are for Burning has been a part of creating The ElastoCitizens – an 11-piece funk-rock extravaganza, Malaria Lullaby – a trapeze dance play featuring the groundbreaking choreography of Monica Dottor, Fool for Love by Sam Shepard, Monster – an improvised dance music experiment, and BLISS – the North American premiere of Caryl Churchill’s translation of Olivier Choinière’s hit play. Thank you for being at our mainstage debut, and thank you to Buddies for giving us the opportunity to burn brightly on a bigger stage. Wish. Believe. Burn. Candles are for Burning.

Candles are for Burning would like to thank our many supporters: The staff of The National theatre school of Canada especially Sherry Bie, Simon Brault, Luc Pelletier and Denis Gagnon; Michael Rubenfeld and The SummerWorks Festival; Chris Abraham and Crow’s Theatre; Brendan Healey and everyone at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre; Roy Surette, Howard Mendelsohn and Dave Surette and The Centaur Theatre; Andrew Shaver and the team at Sidemart Theatrical Grocery; The Freestanding Room; Marc Laliberté at the Segal Centre; Guy Decarteret and Necessary Angel; Brian Chmielewski Chris Abraham; Sarah Stanley; Naomi Campbell; Jodi Essery; Kevin and Tanya McCarthy; Jeff Mann at The Method; The Gary Goddard Agency; Ryan Hollyman; Rob at Red Hot Printing; Simon Brault; Michel Cote; Duncan Morgan; Ian Costello; Harbourfront Centre; Sarah Yaffe; Luc Prairie; Denis Martin; JF Bernard; Rose; Augustine; Frédéric Paquet; Peter Roberts; Jeremy Taylor and Heather MacDougall; Luke Correia-Damude; Kristina McNamee; Sebastian Heins; Stephane Lafleur; Sarah Fortin; Jason Whiting; Amy Lee Lavoie; and Jay Last Barban.

And lastly, thank you to our private donors. You made it all possible: Joe Lauzon, Bill and Tracey Keenan, David and Allison Waldbillig, Kishwar Iqbal, Tara Nicodemo and Steve Cosens, Eric Hapaala and Corinne Wilkerson, Maureen and Marty McCarthy, Shawn Kent, Kevin and Tanya McCarthy, Jennifer and Jeff Barban, Cyrus Faird, Joe Dinicol, Ryan Hollyman and Monica Dottor, Arsinee Khanjian and Atom Egoyan, Gord Rand and Jeannie Calleja, Mackenzie Longpre, Terry Bennett and Justin Lee, Melissa-Jane Shaw, Christine Horne, Duncan Morgan, and Wendy Hamilton.

BUDDIES IN BAD TIMES THEATRE 15

RESIDENCY PROGRAM SPONSOR

BUDDIES IN BAD TIMES THEATRE RESIDENCY PROGRAM Buddies in Bad Times Theatre recognizes that a solid, committed and extensive new work development program is essential to support the creation of new queer work.

Buddies Residency Program was created to support artists and companies who follow creation methods that fall outside the traditional writer-centered process. Through the Buddies in Bad Times Theatre Residency Program, Buddies commissions and develops queer work over a one- to three-year period. Resident artists are offered space and time in the theatre along with dramaturgical, technical, production and administrative support.

Buddies’ Residency Program is: •

Artist-centred - designed to allow for a multitude of dramaturgical approaches (literary, as well as non-traditional) to support new work in development

•

Committed to the development of work “that challenges the boundaries of theatrical and social convention” and that “celebrates difference and questions assumptions” (from Buddies in Bad Times Theatre’s Mission Statement)

•

Committed to artistic standards of rigour, innovation and excellence.

•

Committed to engaging our audience in the work as it develops

•

Committed to creating connections and facilitating collaborations and partnerships for future productions of work in development

Current Artists in residence include: •

Independent Aunties Theatre

•

Ecce Homo

•

The Gay Heritage Project (Damien Atkins, Paul Dunn and Andrew Kushnir)

•

Birdtown and Swanville

16 BLISS

A RTISTI C DIREC TO R MICHAEL TRENT

Confronting our past, with love

ADAPTATION PROJECT Dancemakers Centre for Creation in the Distillery

April 19 – 29, 2012 Preview April 18

dancemakers.org

Photo: David Hou Dancers: Amanda Acorn, Benjamin Kamino and Robert Abubo Design: Jonathan Kitchen, jakcreative.com

A re-imagined performance

by Michael Trent based on Mitchell Rose’s Following Station Identification (1974)

BUDDIES IN BAD TIMES THEATRE 17

BUDDIES IN BAD TIMES 11/12 FOR TICKETS AND PASSES

CALL THE BOX OFFICE AT 416-975-8555 OR CHECK US OUT ONLINE AT BUDDIESINBADTIMES.COM Buddies in Bad Times Theatre presents

THE MAIDS

By Jean Genet Translated by Martin Crimp Directed by Brendan Healy September 17 – October 9, 2011 Buddies in Bad Times Theatre proudly welcomes a Studio 180 Theatre production

THE NORMAL HEART

By Larry Kramer Directed by Joel Greenberg

October 14 – November 6, 2011 Buddies in Bad Times Theatre proudly welcomes a Modern Times Stage Company production

HALLAJ

By Peter Farbridge and Soheil Parsa November 18 – December 4, 2011 18 BLISS

Buddies in Bad Times Theatre proudly welcomes a Nightwood Theatre production

THE PENELOPIAD

By Margaret Atwood Directed by Kelly Thornton January 10 – 29, 2012

Buddies in Bad Times Theatre presents

THE RHUBARB FESTIVAL

Toronto’s 33rd annual convergence of contemporary performance Festival Director Laura Nanni February 8 – 19, 2012 Buddies in Bad Times Theatre proudly welcomes a Native Earth Performing Arts production

FREE AS INJUNS

By Tara Beagan Directed by Ruth Madoc-Jones February 28 – March 18, 2012 Candles are for Burning in association with Buddies in Bad Times Theatre presents

BLISS

By Olivier Choiniere ´ Translated by Caryl Churchill Directed by Steven McCarthy March 27 – April 8, 2012 Buddies in Bad Times Theatre proudly welcomes A Cabaret Company production

DANCING QUEEN

Written and Directed by Sky Gilbert Choreographed by Keith Cole April 18 – 29, 2012 Buddies in Bad Times Theatre presents

LOST LOUNGE

By Split Britches (Peggy Shaw and Lois Weaver, NYC) May 3 – 5, 2012 BUDDIES IN BAD TIMES THEATRE 19

ESTABLISHED 1979.

“THE STRUGGLE... AGAINST POWER IS THE STRUGGLE OF MEMORY AGAINST FORGETTING.”

— Milan Kundera (1929- ), Czech novelist THE COMPANY Artistic Director Brendan Healy General Manager Shawn Daudlin Head of Production Charissa Wilcox Producer Erika Hennebury (on maternity leave) Director of Development lisaj lander Manager of Marketing and Communications Mark Aikman Rhubarb Festival Director Laura Nanni Young Creators’ Unit Director Evalyn Parry Youth Programme Coordinator Chy Ryan Spain Technical Director Adrien Whan Chamber Technician Katherine Smith Cabaret Technician Jazz Kamal Finance Manager Cynthia Murdy Box Office/FOH Manager & Volunteer Coordinator Chrystal Donbrath Asst. Box Office Manager & Volunteer Coordinator Jenna Harris Bar Manager Paul Hill Assistant Bar Manager Patricia Wilson Box Office Personnel Thom Bryce, Evelyn Shaller-Auslander,

Aaron Rothermund, Katherine Belyea Bar Personnel Victoria Gargarella, Michael Mackid, Glenn Dwyer,

Christopher Mitchell Special Event Assistant Morgan Norwich Buddies in Bad Times Theatre is a member of the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres (PACT), the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA), is a participating member of the Creative Trust, and engages under the terms of the Canadian Theatre Agreement (CTA), professional artists who are members of Canadian Actors’ Equity Association (CAEA).

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Derek Billsman (president) Russell Mathew (treasurer) Joe Siegfried (secretary) J. Paul Halferty (past president) Ellen Ray Hennessy, Mary Breen, Tatum Wilson, Diana Khong, David Salak THE ALEXANDER STREET THEATRE PROJECT BOARD OF DIRECTORS Cathy Gordon (president) Russell Mathew (treasurer) J. Paul Halferty, Kristyn Wong-Tam 20 BLISS

MISSION STATEMENT – Buddies in Bad Times Theatre strives to fulfill the role of the leading alternative facility-based theatre in Toronto. We are committed to work that challenges the boundaries of theatrical and social convention. As a company we celebrate difference and question assumptions. Buddies in Bad Times Theatre is committed to theatrical excellence which it strives for through its play development programs, strong volunteer base, youth-mentorship initiatives and ever increasing wealth of Canadian Queer Talent.

MANDATE – Buddies in Bad Times Theatre is a not-for-profit, professional theatre company dedicated to the promotion of Queer Canadian Culture. We are dedicated to producing, developing, and supporting queer theatrical works that speak to one, or both, of the following criteria: 1. QUEER, referring to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered identity, encapsulates the core of our organization. Buddies in Bad Times Theatre is a queer-run organization committed to representing the LGBT community by supporting its artists, and by telling its stories.

2. QUEER, referring to anything different or outside of the norm, represents the nature of artistic work presented at 12 Alexander Street. Buddies in Bad Times Theatre is dedicated to work that is different, outside the mainstream, challenging in both content and form. (This second definition of Queer is not LGBT-specific)

SAVE THE DATE SCOTIABANK PRIDE’S 2ND ANNUAL FUNDRAISER FOR BUDDIES IN BAD TIMES Featuring SHARRON MATHEWS

THURSDAY, JUNE 7 at 8pm in Tallulah’s Cabaret

For tickets call 416-975-8555 BUDDIES IN BAD TIMES THEATRE 21

THANK YOU! THE DIRECTORS CIRCLE VISIONARIES Christine Armstrong & Irfhan Rawji Jim Lawrence & David Salak Paul Hains BENEFACTORS Brendan Healy Dean Odorico Derek Billsman Ed Cabell & Roy Forrester Gavin Crawford Lawrence Bennett Jim Tennyson CHAMPIONS Andrew Johnson Jason Churchill Joe Siegfried Mat & Mitz NigE Gough Shine On Foundation Richard Bingham FRIENDS & PARTNERS Adrien Ishak Alnoor Karmali & Doug Arcand Betty Carlyle Brian McBurney Chris Rowlilnson Daniel D. Moses Darren Gobert Diana Khong Doug Kerr & Michael Went Dr Thomas H Beechy Feaz Rahim Heather Ramsay Ian Waldron & Tim Redmann

Jonas Geisen & Gregory Kim Lionel Tona lisaj lander & Ruthann Tucker Mark A Geman Michael Boyuk Russell Mathew & Scott Ferguson Safe Habour Metropolitan Church Willam Hodge & Robert Wylie LEGACY CIRCLE Ed Cabell & Roy Forrester Russell Mathew & Scott Ferguson

James J Roberston & James Scott Jeff Evans Jerry Doiron John Austin Jon Kaplan Jonathan Heppner Joseph Mulder Karen LeBlanc Katherine Smith Ken Aucoin & Gerald Crowell Mallory Gilbert Marc Michell Mary Breen Michel Beauvais Mitsuko Sada Naomi Campbell Paul Halferty Paul Hartwick Paul Klein Raymond Helkio Richard McLellan Steven Lico Val K Lem Warren Sorensen

William C. Weckesser MONTHLY Brendan Healy Cathy Gordon Chris Rowlilnson David Salak Derek Billsman Diana Khong Ed Cabell & Roy Forrester Jerry Doiron Joe Siegfried Ken Aucoin & Gerald Crowell lisaj lander & Ruthann Tucker Mary Breen Michel Beauvais Mitsuko Sada Paul Halferty Richard Bingham Richard McLellan Sarah Hunter Willam Hodge & Robert Wylie

Thank you to all the SUPPORTERS and VOLUNTEERS who give so generously to Buddies each season. We couldn’t do it without you. To find out about becoming a member of our family of donors, please go to: www.buddiesinbadtimes.com/donate.

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Buddies in Bad Times gratefully acknowledges the following supporters for their commitment to the development of contemporary Canadian queer culture at Buddies LEAD CORPORATE SPONSOR

CORPORATE SPONSORS FESTIVAL SPONSOR QUEER MEDIA PARTNER

MAINSTAGE MEDIA SPONSOR

PUBLIC AGENCIES

FOUNDATIONS

The Lawrence Family Foundation BUDDIES IN BAD TIMES THEATRE 23