Anne Made Me Gay Photos now available!

Anne Made Me Gay - When Kindred Spirits Get Naked was the 100th anniversary celebration of Canada's favourite red-headed orphan - Moynan King and Rosemary Rowe curated a stellar evening of song, recitation, literary exploration, tableaux vivants and hot girl-on-girl action which played to a sold out Anne loving crowd on November 29th.

Some of you posed in our photo booth in Anne attire – this is how you can get your hands on those pictures.

For the low res versions of the pics, you can download them from Mondo's gallery (easy):

1. Click on the photo you want in the thumbnail gallery.
2. Right click on it.
3. Choose "save image as" and save it to your computer.

Or download from flickr (easy if you already have a flickr account). You do have to sign up for an account, but it's free. Once you've signed in:

1. Go back to the Anne Made Me Gay group here .
2. Click on the picture you want.
3. Click on "All sizes" in the little header bar right above the picture.
4. Click on "download original size".
5. Save them to your computer.

Download Anne Made Me Gay Poster (PDF: 6MB)

I am a worried artist, a worried queer, and a worried wedge.

September 2008

I've been struggling to find some clever and interesting way of contextualizing the energies buzzing around our theatre. Specifically, I've been searching for a way to connect the amazing young renaissance happening right now at Buddies, to funding developments beyond our walls at 12 Alexander Street. Because those are without doubt the two prevailing thoughts du jour.

If I'm to offer a thought, it would be that there's a frightening disconnect at play.

On one hand I'm confronted with exhilarating potential for the future, personified in the wealth of youth buzzing around Buddies. And on the other hand, I'm also confronted, but by developments that negate that potential.

First, the Beautiful

Five years ago we revamped our youth initiatives - from a summer initiative, to a core component of our year-round operations. Every Wednesday Buddies offers varied opportunities for youth, from casual drop-in activities, to more intensive opportunities such as our Young Creators Unit. And it's all free to participants.

While I know that young queers have an affinity for Buddies, the effects of this restructuring have exceeded our expectations. Our Queer Youth Arts Programme is coming of age: we launch the season on Thurs Sep 25th with Waawaate Fobister's AGOKWE, and we also present a great new find in Mark Shyzer, whose FISHBOWL premieres later in the season. Both pieces were developed entirely through our Queer Youth Arts Programme.

We've also just wrapped up founding Artistic Director Sky Gilbert's SHAKESPEARE PROJECT which saw University of Guelph students buzzing around the building, and on Wed Sep 17th we launch the 2008-09 Queer Youth Arts Programme at QueerCab (our monthly youth open mic), hosted by Chy Ryan Spain.

We're following an honourable path, ripe with potential. It feels vital. It feels right.

And, the Ugly

But my excitement about the work we're undertaking, and my optimism for the future of the bright young artists we're involved with has been dampened and tempered by worry. On a few fronts.

As you may or may not be aware of, the Federal government recently announced major cuts to cultural programs. The cuts were announced in the middle of the summer, during the Olympics.

As I write this, it is cuts to the Department of Canadian Heritage's international programs that have been playing on my mind. You see, we've been drawing links between young Mark Shyzer and Daniel MacIvor; they've a similar intelligence and deft of performance, and I believe that Mark has an incredible future ahead of him - perhaps he might even thrive on an international scale, as MacIvor did.

It's at that this point in my thought process that my worrying goes into overdrive. You see, Heritage's Trade Routes and Promart programmes contributed significantly to the incredible international success enjoyed by MacIvor. And that international success is not to be understated; MacIvor and Producer Sherrie Johnson toured to countries around the world, playing to packed houses, rave critical reviews, racking up numerous prestigious awards along the way. Anyone who has seen MacIvor onstage knows that his work is a sound investment, and a great representation of Canada on the international stage. Well, these two Heritage programs (Promart & Trade Routes) were cut, in the middle of the summer, during the Olympics. So, as I wonder about Mark Shyzer's future, and draw comparisons to MacIvor, I worry.

Another worry is the portrayal of support to art and artists as frivolous spending. At the time of cutting Promart & Trade Routes funding, the government cited examples of projects funded by those programs that "went to groups that would raise the eyebrows of any typical Canadian." (from a government official, speaking on condition of anonymity to David Akin, Canwest News Service, Fri Aug 08).

As a person who has worked all his life in the arts, I worry about this portrayal of artists as radicals looking for handouts. I worry about the arts being put forth as a 'wedge issue'. I am worried because I've seen this tactic employed before, and am frustrated at the possible perpetuation of this outdated rhetoric, despite ample reports and studies citing the economic benefits and fiscal soundness of cultural investment.

And I count myself as a bit of an expert on the 'wedge issue'. You see, I am a wedge on a few fronts. I am also a queer boy, who works for a queer organization. Buddies in Bad Times Theatre has a long, healthy history of being cited as an 'eyebrow-raising' example of the taxpayers dollar. Our very existence has been threatened on many occasions. While I'd like to think that we've moved past those days, still I worry.

So, as this missive reaches you, there's tangible excitement, and tangible worry brewing here at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre. That's the order of the day. And on September 25 we launch our season with young 23 year old Ojibwa artist, Waawaate Fobister's AGOKWE.

I invite you to come check out Waawaate's work. I think you, too, will be excited by his bright future.

Come wonder, and worry, with us.

Sincerely,
Jim LeFrancois
Artistic Producer
Buddies in Bad Times Theatre

Download "I Am A Worried Wedge" as a PDF .