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Bryden MacDonald Joins Buddies’ Artist Residency Program

BMO Financial Group
artist residency program sponsor

Bryden MacDonald Joins Buddies’ Artist Residency Program

Buddies in Bad Times Theatre is thrilled to welcome Nova Scotian playwright Bryden MacDonald as the company’s new Writer in Residence. MacDonald is a playwright, director, dramaturge, and teacher. His published plays include Whale Riding Weather, The Weekend Healer, Divinity Bash/nine lives, and With Bated Breath. He is the creator and director of theatrical interpretations of the words and music of Leonard Cohen (The Light Gets In), Carol Pope (Shaking The Foundations), and Joni Mitchell (When All The Slaves Are Free). Macdonald has worked as the Writer in Residence at The National Theatre School, Playwrights Workshop Montreal, Mulgrave Road Theatre, Neptune Theatre, and The Stratford Festival. His latest play, Odd Ducks, will be published by talonbooks in Spring 2015. MacDonald’s Residency is made possible with the support of The Canada Council for the Arts

NEW ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE

In addition to the its Writer’s Residency, Buddies looks forward to welcoming the following creators for the 2014/15 season: The Red Light District’s The Lulu Plays directed by Ted Witzel, interdisciplinary performance company Eventual AshesOcean Carving Project, Toronto creators Joseph Mercier, Jordan Tannahill, and Brendan Healy’s Versus, and a season-long cabaret series from Ryan G. Hinds (first show on September 28).

These projects join an impressive list of current Artists in Residence which include: Birdtown and Swanville, Tawiah M’carthy, Stephen Jackman-Torkoff, Thomas Olajide, and Jonathan Seinen, Independent Aunties Theatre, lemonTree creations, and Sharron Matthews.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS RESIDENCY PROGRAM

Buddies’ Artist Residency Program is a unique program devoted to the creation of original queer performance works. Resident artists are offered space in the Buddies building, dramaturgical support from the company’s dramaturge, Mel Hague, and the company’s Artistic Director, Brendan Healy. Artists also receive technical support, opportunities to present the work to a general public as it develops, financial support, access to the Buddies’ network of contacts and partners, and any other artistic and administrative support that are appropriate to a piece’s development.

Since its launch in 2010, Buddies Artist Residency Program has yielded the following mainstage productions: Obaaberima by Tawiah M’carthy, A Monstrous Child: a gaga musical by Ecce Homo Theatre, The Gay Heritage Project by Damien Atkins, Paul Dunn, and Andrew Kushnir, and the upcoming Freda and Jem’s Best of the Week by Lois Fine.