Seeding Work
Seeding Work aims to provide space and resources for artists to experiment with burgeoning ideas and questions in their practice and to open up new pathways in a project’s development. Over the course of an intensive, short-form incubation period, this question-driven program encourages performance creators to bridge the abstract into clear steps forward. The name Seeding Work is a nod to Seed Plays, an artistic development program run by Buddies in the 1980s.
The initiative started in the 2021/2022 season, when Buddies invited three artists to pursue their artistic curiosities. The projects were led respectively by Michael Caldwell, Kitoko, and Julie Phan 潘家雯. Celia Green and Tiffany Thomas brought their work to the program in our 2022-23 season.
We’re thrilled to welcome Bruce Dow to the program this year.
BRUCE DOW
4 x Dora Award nominee / 2 x winner, Bruce (B) Dow is best known for their five featured roles on Broadway; 12 seasons in leading roles at the Stratford Festival; and for lending their voice to popular animated series like Total Drama Island and Thomas & Friends. During the pandemic, Bruce went back to university to obtain a master’s degree in intercultural psychotherapy and multi-faith psychospiritual care. Now a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) in clinical practice, Bruce is passionate about using their research to help artists better engage with their lives and careers. www.brucedow.com @DowBruce
“The ever-inventive Dow has to be a national treasure.” – Toronto Star
“an actor whose spiritual stature grows by cubits.” – Robert Cushman
“Dow proves he can turn a song into an emotion-filled story.” – John Kaplan
A FUNNY PROPOSITION, a vaudeville*
Death. Meaning. Isolation. Freedom.
The actor’s nightmare. Thrust onto the stage. Compelled to perform whatever the next act may be. With trembling hands and a racing heart, standing in our fear, we face what comes. The lights dim. Spotlight. The music starts. Off you go… life’s a very funny proposition after all!
Join 2 x Dora Award winning (for his work with Buddies in Bad Times Theatre), Broadway and Stratford Festival actor & singer turned Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), Bruce Dow, (Non-Binary / Genderqueer / Any & All) for a journey through a part of life that no one wants to talk about – the End.
* vaudeville: ‘a stage play on a trivial theme with interspersed songs’ – Oxford Dictionary
Created by Bruce Dow
Directed + Dramaturged by Rob Kempson
illustration by mitch duncan
graphic design by Awake Studio