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CRIPtonite
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[Image Description: A digital neon-themed promotional poster for "CRIPtonite," a drag and burlesque variety show presented by The Disability Collective. The graphic is split in half by three white and pink lines. On the left side,"CRIPtonite" is displayed in large, glowing pink and blue text against a dark background, framed by a neon pink and white triangle. The subtitle "A Drag & Burlesque Variety Show" appears in small white capital letters beneath the title. Event details are highlighted in bold text: "Buddies in Bad Times Theatre" in white capital letters on a pink rectangular background, followed by "Wednesday, June 25th @ 8:00 PM" in blue capital letters. The right side reads "The Disability Collective" in white font surrounded by a thin white box, "Pay What You Can Tickets", accessibility icons including masks required, audio description (AD), live streaming, open captioning (OC), and ASL interpretation. At the bottom, the graphic reads "www.thedisabilitycollective.com" in white font with the Toronto Arts Council and TD logos to the right]
Wednesday, June 25
8 PM - 10:30 PM EDT
Buddies in Bad Times Theatre
12 Alexander Street, Toronto
Deaf
Interpretation
Audio
Description
Open
Captions
Tickets are pay what you can.
Patrons purchasing tickets at a higher price point can do so with the understanding that their ticket price is helping to subsidize the lower ticket prices, and in doing so, are making this show more accessible for others.
The Disability Collective is thrilled to present CRIPtonite, a Deaf and disability-led drag and burlesque show! CRIPtonite brings together a variety of talented performers to celebrate the intersectionality of queer and disabled identities! We’re challenging barriers and showcasing the incredible artistry in our community. Expect a night of fierce creativity, radical accessibility, and unapologetic self-expression.
Join us in-person at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre or online via livestream on Wednesday, June 25th at 8 PM for a line up of bold and boundary-pushing acts.
ACCESS GUIDE COMING SOON
VENUE GUIDE COMING SOON
Access Measures:
ASL interpretation will be provided by Phoenix the Fire. Please email ali@thedisabilitycollective.com to reserve a seat near our interpreters.
Audio Description will be available. Please email ali@thedisabilitycollective.com to reserve a device.
Captions will be provided for both the in-person show and the livestream.
This will be a Relaxed Environment. Folks will be welcome to make noise, move around and come and go as they need and we will have fidget toys, ear plugs, and other access tools available at our access table.
COVID-19 Policies:
The safety of our audience, artists, volunteers, and staff is our number one priority.
Masks are required for all audience members but may be removed temporarily for drinking and eating. Exemptions are always made for access or medical reasons.
Free KN95 masks will be available.
Air purifiers will be on in the theatre.
ASL Vlog
Hosted by:
THEODORE WALKER ROBINSON
Theodore Walker Robinson (they/them) is an independent consultant, singer, designer, and scholar. They are an artist in residence at Gladstone House and a Toronto Arts Council Leader's Lab participant. Their creative research investigates pan-African fashion and textile material culture with a disability justice and worldbuilding framework. As a singer, Theodore explores nonbinary experience in vocal practice.
[Image Description: Shot by Gesilayefa Azorbo, this is a photograph of Theodore Walker Robinson standing in a Toronto urban alleyway marked with aging brick and graffiti. They are wearing a deep indigo denim jumpsuit and a black wool top hat. Theodore is resting their arms on their long white cane positioned in front of them. Theodore is a medium brown skinned non-binary Black person with long black dreadlocks with blonde highlights that reach their waist]
Featuring:
ACE MONSTERA
Ace Monstera is Toronto’s gender defying, fierce and flamboyant drag king with a penchant for over-the-top theatricality. He is a disability justice advocate using his platform to amplify queer disabled voices–emphasizing our collective responsibility to mitigate community spread of Covid-19 and other viral diseases. Ace will be tearing it up at Toronto Pride’s Alterna-queer and Drag Ball stages on pride weekend, and hopes to see you there dawning your gay apparel (a well fitted N95). Bringing electricity, intensity, & vulnerability, welcome Ace Monstera!
Photo Credit: @dirt_fingies on Instagram
[Image Description: On a brightly lit stage of red and purple hues stands Ace Monstera in the midst of a performance. He has a wide stance, head tilted slightly back and turned toward his shoulder revealing his face, mouth open, his arm reaching out toward the unseen audience. Behind him is a large art installation by the artist Kizmet in two parts, depicting a giant hand with a robotic wrist and a cyborg/human hybrid face framed in the pattern of a keffiyeh. He wears his long black hair styled in a tall spiky mullet, shaved at the sides, and thick pointed fringe coming down his forehead. Ace's costume includes a black leather jacket, black gloves, a red bandana tied around his neck, a black mesh cropped corset, black pointed boots, and a red jockstrap peeking out from the gap in his black satin chaps with red fringe and appliques down his legs. His face is painted clown white with a black pointy beard and moustache, his eye makeup bares the colours of the Palestinian flag]
[Image Description: A blonde plus sized bombshell in a hot pink racecar driver outfit squats in front of a brunette plus sized bombshell squatting and facing to the left in a bright yellow racecar driver outfit. Both have matching high ponytails, and are making a driving motion with their arms]
BELLE JUMELLES & IVORY
Belle and Ivory are two Toronto powerhouse performers united on a mission of body acceptance and self love. As singers, burlesque dancers and body positive activists they have each performed nationally and internationally, receiving accolades and widespread followings extending around the globe. Their gutsy brand of righteous self love inspires audiences and fellow performers alike, and when you put the two of them onstage together, the result is electric. Both are proud members of The Succulent Six - Canada’s team of curvy super SHEroes (catch their series on cbc.ca/watch) and Les Femmes Fatales - Canada’s burlesque troupe for Women of Colour. Start your engines– this duet is double the trouble, and twice the tassels!
CRAVEN BLOOD
Back again to this wonderful cast, this dark and devilish undead king of the night returns to darken the CRIPtonite stage once more. He is a drag artist, a self-proclaimed rock star, and a king of darkness. Here to show you again that goth and alternative drag must be celebrated, supported, and showcased not just for Halloween but all year round. Remember that for some folx, the spooky season never stops, and you know you all like a little fright in your night! So support your drag kings. Support alternative drag and support people of color starting now for Craven Blood!
[Image Description: Image is of a person of color in dramatic makeup resembling pointed and shaped facial hair in the form of a goatee with exaggerated side burns, red lips, red contact, and fangs over their teeth. With two lip piercings, a labret bar, and a bar just under the nose. Long dreadlocked black hair with silver cuffs here and there, and black ram-inspired curled horns on his head. His attire is just the shoulders and upper chest area with a black suit in a blood spatter pattern, matching patterned tie, and a plain solid black collared button-down shirt]
[Image Description: A photo of Delicia, a white, fat performer with tattoos and a light blonde bob. They are wearing ivory shorts, with a matching bra, and a gold chain harness. They are looking imperiously at the camera, head tilted back]
DELICIA PASTICHE
Delicia Pastiche is a founding member of Nerd Girl Burlesque who mixes her love of pop culture, history, and fantasy with a flair for the dramatic and ecdysiastic. Known for a stare that’s hotter than the fires of hell and a bum straight from heaven, she’s performed across North America from New York to LA.
An avid gamer of the video and tabletop variety, baker of delicious treats, and film fiend, she loves combining burlesque mainstays with geekery.
Selected Credits: The New York Nerdlesque Festival, The Toronto Burlesque Festival, The Michigan Burlesque Festival, Peepshow Menagerie (New York), D20 Burlesque (New York).
EL EXPERIMENTO
A Latinx trans drag king, thing, and everything in between, El Experimento has electrified Canadian and international stages since 2022. A fusion of nostalgic heartthrobs, heartbreakers, and hell-raisers, he brings a Latin flare and hunky charm that transcend time and space. He recently choreographed Oraculum at Buddies in Bad Times featuring CDR Denim + Pythia, and mentors BIPOC youth in Toronto. His work has been featured at Pride TO, the Luminato Festival, and AIDF 2024.
[Image Description: A Latinx drag king facing the camera wearing an all white and bedazzled cowboy suit and hat]
[Image Description: A brown person is dressed as a clown, complete with red nose and blue eye makeup, is standing on a stage, smiling and reaching their arms out to the audience. There is a red velvet curtain behind them. A rainbow cap and a multitude of flowers covers their lavender wavy hair. They are wearing a white neck ruff, a multicoloured ruffled bra, white gloves, and one leg, wearing a tall sparkly shoe, is peeking out from a purple and zebra panel skirt]
IMOGEN QUEST
The Exotic Commodity of Burlesque, Imogen Quest is a genderqueer, mixed-race, Indo-Guyanese artist of many disciplines. They are the driving force behind queer clown collective #ClownsKillEmpires, as well as a member of Les Femmes Fatales Women of Colour Burlesque. Their work has been seen at Toronto Burlesque Festival, Ottawa Burlesque Festival, Edmonton Burlesque Festival, Bagel Burlesque Expo, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Toronto Festival of Clowns, Montreal Clown Festival and other festivals and showcases worldwide. They've been teasing, pleasing, and confusing nightlife audiences for over 15 years to great acclaim and are the CURRENT REIGNING Mx. Gorgeous McSilly Pants (St. John’s Circus Festival).
[Image Description: The image shows Lexxxi sitting on a brightly lit stage emerging out of a suitcase that has been flipped on its side. Lexxxi is wearing a neon pink harlequin-style clown suit that features diamonds in the trans colours of blue white and pink. Their left leg has been placed over and behind their head while their right leg is extended out in front of them. Lexxxi’s face is painted in a black and white mime-style with pink accents. They are seemingly expressing shock with notably wide eyes and an open mouth. Their cane that is covered in a multi-coloured floral pattern is pictured at the bottom of the image in front of Lexxxi]
LEXXXI LIBBI DOE
As the genderless glamour ghoul of “Ottawa” Lexxxi Libbi Doe loves to invoke strong emotions through their lip-sync performances by toeing the line between whimsical fantasies and dark realities. Lexxxi is an experienced multidisciplinary creative with a history of radio, musical theatre, cheerleading, and dance training, who has been captivating audiences with their high-energy lip syncs involving bends, dips, rolls, splits, jumps (and sometimes jumps into the splits off of stages and chairs) in the capital region and beyond since 2019. Being an artist who is openly trans, disabled, chronically ill, neurodivergent, and mentally ill, Lexxxi hopes that by sharing about their lived experiences through performance art they can inspire other intersectionally marginalized 2SLGBTQIA+ artists to also follow their dreams and passions.
MISS DIAMOND
Known as Toronto's “Flawless Gem of Burlesque”, Miss Diamond took the stage for the first time in 2020 and has been cultivating a theatrical persona whose acts focus on the craft of storytelling and the theme of empowerment. She’ll lift you up while she breaks it down under the spotlight. Witness the sparkle she brings to every stage as Burlesque’s beautiful Black Diamond. Miss Diamond is unapologetically flawless.
[Image Description: Miss Diamond with dark long hair in a ponytail laying upside down on her back with her legs raised. She is holding her face with her right hand and her left hand is resting on her stomach. She is wearing a black satin robe and black bodysuit with lace centre surrounded in bisexual colour lighting]
PAUL AMORY
Paul Amory is the soft boi to Polly Armory's hard femme. He is here to remind us that there is more to masculinity than aggression, stoicism and toughness. That in this harsh world we could all stand to try a little tenderness.
[Image Description: Photo of Paul Amory. He is white with chin length pink hair. He is sitting leaning forward with his left elbow on his knee and chin resting on his hand. He is wearing an open white dress shirt. Under the shirt is a leather harness. A slight smile is on his face]
[Image Description: Stefan stares into the camera seductively, painted in his signature drag king contour, blue eyeshadow, and winged eyeliner. He wears a tall, black pompadour wig and denim jacket that he is holding to reveal his right shoulder. He wears a pink and blue, sparkly button-up and black mesh tank top underneath along with rhinestoned white pants, a black belt and a three-ringed fidget necklace]
STEFAN FETAMEAN
Uh oh! Did you forget to take your ADHD meds again? Never fear! Stefan Fetamean is here and he’s ready to hold your attention. As an AuDHD, chronically ill, and disabled artist, Stefan is Toronto’s most hypermobile dancing king, known for turning physical pain into dynamic performance. He fuses drag, theatre, and contemporary dance into genre-bending performances that challenge norms and celebrate neurodivergent expression. With limbs like elastic and a presence that’s impossible to ignore, Stefan’s art is loud, political, and joyfully queer. Whether on stage or off, he’s redefining what it means to move - and be moved - in the world of drag.
THAT DEAF WITCH
Sage Lovell (they/she) is a spellbinding queer Deaf artist, known as That Deaf Witch. They conjure transformation by weaving sign language, media, performance, and accessibility into magic. Their truest power lies in storytelling—a spell-casting art that enchants audiences with the beauty of sign language. With their bewitching aura and tender power, you’ll find yourself blissfully caught in their love spell.
[Image Description: Sage, a white curvy nonbinary person poses playfully in front of a deep purple gradient background, illuminated with soft magenta and violet lighting. They have shoulder-length wavy brown hair and wear bold, fuschia lipstick with smoky royal purple eyeshadow. Their expression is radiant and welcoming, with a wide smile and direct eye contact with the camera. They are dressed in an off-the-shoulder, form-fitting black velvet dress with a sweetheart neckline, accentuating their upper body. On their chest, just below the collarbone, is a visible tattoo that reads “they/them.” They accessorize with a chunky gold necklace featuring a large dark purple gem in the center. Their arms are bent slightly at the elbows, hands resting on their knees, giving a sense of playful confidence. They wear long, shiny lilac gloves that extend past the elbows, adding a dramatic and vintage flair to the outfit. The overall mood of the image is celebratory, empowering, and fashion-forward]
[Image Description: With a red background, an Asian model is posing in her blue and pink robe draped with red/black latex top shown. Model has red lips with curled short hair looking down]
ZELLA BONES
International burlesque performer/composer from Vancouver, BC whose claws have scratched parts of UK’s underground cabaret realm, including London’s very own neurospicy queerlesque Klub Obskura, Don’t Tell the Landlord and Rock N Roll Cabaret. In 2019, their original works include Strange Seductions’ Secrets from the Shadows at the Fox Cabaret. They debuted at the Vancouver Burlesque Co’s student showcase in 2021 and continued with Twisted Tassels, Bonus Stage, Geekenders, and so on. Near completion of a Master’s degree in Music Composition at Goldsmiths University, they are ready to dance-fight into sensual oblivion with their new strings polygamous power!!!
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