Buddies in Bad Times Thea is si of a and of T T n land (a una unre presen of as TkaronTo (“Where The Trees meeT The WaTer”; “The gaThering plaCe”). Buddies is honoured To Be a home for queer, Trans and 2-spiriT arTisTs on These sToried and saCred lands ThaT have Been sTeWarded By Indigenous peoples for Thousands of years Before The arrival of Colonial seTTlers.
Zaiba Baig // playwright
Tawiah Ben M’Carthy // director
Praneet Akilla, Zaiba Baig, Angel Glady, Xina // performers
Rachel Forbes // set design
Ming Wong // costume design
André du Toit // lighting design
Dasha Plett // sound design
Hasheel + Lady Pista // original music
Mohua + Hasheel // vocals
Hasheel // bansuri
hassaan ashraf // additional instrumental performances + field recordings
Ellora Patnaik // acting + movement coach
nisha ahuja // intimacy director
Julia Dyan // fight director
Victoria Wang // stage manager
Bria McLaughlin // apprentice stage manager
Ronnie Ali // trans mentorship + wellbeing facilitator
kumari giles // community + access coordinator
Erum Khan // producer
Shadi B // assistant producer
Mojo Noble, Amber Pattison // technical directors
El Patey, Darren Shaen, Elaine Wong // head technicians
Antel Kollenberg, Mike Grdosic // carpenters
Meredith Wolting, Matty Armour // scenic painters
Annasofie Jakobsen, Mike Dowdall, Stephanie Taylor, brawk hessel, Mackenzie McCallum-Mallory, Julie M. Li, Lindsay McDonald, steph raposo // production crew
Charissa Wilcox + Rebecca Leonard // flying effect design + build
Lochlan Cox // props
Tarragon Theatre // scenery shop
Sebastian Marziali, Anthony Allan // additional technical support
Shawn, Jaxun, Kate, Emma, Acadia, Alannah, and Andrew at Tarragon Theatre, Brendan Gilhuly at McWood Studios, Maya at Soulpepper, Pip Bradford
Canada’s National Arts Centre Run
Zaiba Baig (she/they] // playwright + performer, Jhooti, Sakeena – Zaiba Baig is a writer, actor, and producer for stage and screen. Baig’s theatrical works include her first play, Acha Bacha, which had its world premiere production in 2018 followed by a 2020 publication and subsequently nominated for the Writer’s Trust Dayne Ogilvie Prize. Other published work include: an anthology of monologues she co-edited for queer/ trans artists titled This Is Beyond (2023), and an interactive choose-yourown-adventure play for pre-teens, Eraser (2025). Baig was the co-creator, co-showrunner, executive producer, and lead actor of the Peabody Awardwinning series Sort Of (2021 – 23) from CBC, Sphere Media, and Max. Baig received a nomination for Outstanding Performance in a New Series at the 2022 Gotham Awards, and won Best Comedy Series, Best Comedy Writing, and Best Lead Performance — Comedy at the 2023 Canadian Screen Awards. Baig is the creative director of House of Beida Inc., her own independent company dedicated to supporting and championing the creative growth of BIPOC trans artists.
Tawiah Ben M’Carthy* // director – Tawiah M’Carthy is a Ghanaian born, Toronto based theatre practitioner, notable as a director, creator, performer, and writer. Director on Here Lies Henry at Factory Theatre, Topdog Underdog at Canadian Stage, Fairview at Canadian Stage with Obsidian Theatre and Death and the King’s Horseman at Stratford Festival. Movement director for Copperbelt at the National Arts Center and Soulpepper Theatre and School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play with Obsidian Theatre. As a Creator and Writer, credits include Maanomaa, My Brother with Blue Bird Theatre Collective, Ara Asaase Ni in 21 Black Futures with Obsidian Theatre and CBC, Black Boys with Saga Collectif and Obaaberima at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre. On-stage performances feature roles such as Sizwe in Sizwe Banzi Is Dead at Soulpepper Theatre, Oyinyechuku in Three Sisters with Obsidian Theatre at Soulpepper Theatre, Larry in Fat Ham at Canadian Stage and Emeka/Archie in Feast at Tarragon Theatre. On screen performances in Law and Order Toronto: Criminal Intent on City TV and The Institute on MGM. Winner of the Pauline McGibbon Award in Directing, and is a multi-Dora-nominated playwright and performer. Tawiah is a Co-Artistic Director at Blue Bird Theatre Collective.
Praneet Akilla* [he/him] // performer, Kainchee Lagaa, Arsalan – Buddies Debut. Praneet Akilla is an award winning Indian-Canadian Actor and Producer best known for his leading roles on The CW’s Nancy Drew, Hulu’s Motherland Fort Salem, and Netflix’s October Faction. He is currently a series lead on the medical drama SkyMed on Paramount
Plus. Selected Theatre Credits include Robin Hood (Canadian Stage); Romeo & Juliet (Canadian Stage), Behind the Moon (Touchstone Theatre), Someone Like You (Arts Club Theatre), Hamlet (Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan), Heist (Vertigo Theatre), Iceland (Theatre Calgary), Coriolanus (Bard on the Beach). Praneet is also a film/tv producer with his production company Akilla Express. He is currently developing a TV adaptation of the celebrated Canadian novel JUNIE.
Angel Glady (she/her) // performer, Kainchee Lagaa, Billo – Angel Glady is a brown trans woman born and raised in Tamil Nadu, India. She is the first trans woman to pursue a Master’s degree in Mass Communication at the University of Madras. Angel is a theatre activist who believes that the arts are a powerful tool for social change and for challenging the limitations of a cisnormative, binary society. She has collaborated internationally with the French theatre organization Clowns Without Borders and the South Korean theatre company TUIDA. Angel has performed in several Tamil films and has also worked as a hospital clown in government hospitals in Chennai, using performance to bring comfort and joy to patients. Angel is the co-founder of Panmai Theatre, a trans-led theatre collective based in Chennai, India. Her original work, Brown Girl Seeking, was presented at the Parkdale Theatre Festival in Toronto, where she shared her personal and political narratives through performance.
Xina [she/they) // performer, Kainchee Lagaa, Customer / Motorboat Mansoor / Airport Security / Rickshaw Driver / Grandma – Xina is a Toronto-based, Tehran-born award-winning actor, playwright, and screenwriter known for bold engagements with classical texts. An alum of the Canadian Film Centre, Buddies in Bad Times’ Young Creators Unit, and the Soulpepper Academy, their works include Wedding at Aulis, How to Store Pomegranates, In Case of Nothing, and a Dora-nominated performance in The Twentieth of November. Xina is developing The Intergalactic Adventures of Princess Octopus, the short film Moi, a new play with Diego Matamoros, and Univers‑al, an adaptation of The Bacchae. They are honored to join the inspiring team behind Zaiba Baig’s Kainchee Lagaa + Jhooti.
Rachel Forbes [she/her) // set design – Rachel is an awardwinning set and costume designer creating for theatre, dance, opera, and film. She is particularly interested in the development of new works, interdisciplinary explorations, and experimental creation methods. Rachel proudly serves on the board of directors of ADC and is an avid mentor, teacher, and supporter of young in craft designers. For Buddies: Speaking of Sneaking, White Girls in Moccasins, School Girls; Or the African Mean Girls Play, Black Boys. Other: Copperbelt, Da Kink in My Hair, A Streetcar Named Desire, The Brothers Size (Soulpepper Theatre); Slave Play, Topdog Underdog, Fairview, Choir Boy (Canadian Stage).
Ming Wong // costume design – Ming is a Toronto based costume designer working in musical theatre, theatre, dance, opera, film, and television for over 15 years. Her work spans from period and contemporary to the unusual and unconventional. She is a graduate of the Ontario College of Art and Design. At Buddies: Shedding a Skin (Nightwood).
André du Toit // lighting design – André du Toit is a lighting designer for live performance based in Toronto, although his designs have been seen across Canada and beyond. He has received five Dora Mavor Moore Awards for Outstanding Lighting Design. Credits Include: You, Always, Fat Ham, Maanomaa, My Brother (Canadian Stage); Public Consumption, HONEY I’M HOME (Lester Trips); Last Landscape, Italian Mime Suicide (Bad New Days); Universal Child Care, Now You See Her, Mouthpiece (Quote Unquote); Here Lies Henry (Factory Theatre); Prince Hamlet, What You Won’t Do For Love, (Why Not Theatre); speaking of sneaking (Buddies); R & J (Stratford Festival).
Dasha Plett (she/her) // sound design – Dasha Plett is a Winnipeg-based sound designer, composer, and trans woman. She has worked with Buddies in Bad Times, Stratford Festival, Mammalian Diving Reflex, Frances Koncan, Waawaate Fobister, and Debbie Patterson. Her work has nominated for the Doras and Siminovitch Protege Prize. Dasha is also one half of We Quit Theatre, a nationally touring performance project with Gislina Patterson. Despite living in Manitoba, she was dubbed one of “10 Toronto theatre artists to watch” by Next Magazine in 2024. She is a proud member of IATSE ADC659, and a professional audio describer. Visit Dasha online at www.princessdasha.com. Past buddies credits include sound design/composer for Roberto Zucco, and a We Quit Theatre anthology presentation of works in 2024.
Hasheel (he/him) // original music + vocals + bansuri –Hasheel is a Dora Award-winning Queer Hindustani Classical Musician, vocalist, and bansuri player. A senior disciple of Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, he has been composing since age thirteen, creating a seductive collision of ancient ragas, electronica, and Bollywood. His prolific performance history includes headlining stages at Pride Toronto and performing with A.R. Rahman, Kailash Kher, Hariharan, and Karsh Kale. Winner of the Dora for Outstanding Sound Design/Composition for his work on Why Not Theatre’s Mahabharata, Hasheel is thrilled to be making his return to Buddies. His collaborations with Lady Pista can be found on all streaming platforms.
Lady Pista // original music – Lady Pista is a Tamil-Canadian music producer and artist known for blending South Asian sounds with global and world music. Raised in Scarborough, she’s built a genre-defying career, working with icons like Teddy Riley, punjabi star Diljit Dosanjh, and TIPS Industries. With 100K+ followers and over 5 million views on her remix reels, her influence continues to grow. Her latest album Sahira showcases her bold, self-produced sound. Lady Pista’s mission is to bridge cultures through music and create space for South Asian voices worldwide.
Mohua Parial (mo-who-aa) (he/him) // vocals – Mohua Parial is a classically trained, award-winning GTA-based vocalist and recording artist with a voice that knows how to turn heads. Sultry, soulful, and effortlessly versatile, she glides between classical elegance and contemporary fire, delivering performances that are equal parts passion, power, and pure vibe. Known for lighting up the stage and leaving audiences wanting more, Mohua doesn’t just sing — she seduces the room with sound. Her performances blend rich musicality with a playful charisma that makes every show feel electric. From prestigious stages across North America to unforgettable performances throughout Europe, Mohua has collaborated with incredible local and international artists, weaving diverse influences into a sound that’s bold, emotive, and unmistakably her own.
hassaan ashraf // additional instrumental performances + field recordings – Currently based in Tiotia:ke, colonially montreal, hassaan has been making sounds for over 25 years. Starting her journey in Lahore as a metal guitar player, over the years she’s blossomed into a multi-instrumentalist producer and composer with her work in improvisational powerhouses like Satan’s Chewtoys (Winnipeg), visual direction with Overload (Lahore) and after many years of wait, she’s launched her cassette label for marginalized musicians in Montreal/ Winnipeg/Lahore
Ellora Patnaik // acting + movement coach – Canadianborn Ellora Patnaik grew up teaching and performing Odissi Classical Dance, a traditional style from the state of Odisha in India. She is a graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, where she was a company member in her third year. Ellora has performed diversely on stage and on screen for both TV and Film. Notable appearances include: Sort Of, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and Kim’s Convenience. Most recently, she starred in the feature film Calorie, which opened in Canadian theatres in November of 2025. Ellora is the friend and ally of all animals, always and everywhere.
nisha ahuja (she/they) // intimacy director – nisha choreographs spicy scenes for film/tv, theatre, and multi-media as a Certified Intimacy Coordinator/Director (Never Have I Ever, Mayans MC, currently Snowfall Spinoff, and many more). nisha brings 20+ years as a former physical theatre creator/actor, published playwright (30 People Watching, Unsettling, excerpts of Cycle of a Sari), voice actor, and, since shifting away from performing, over a decade as an Ayurvedic Somatics and Medicine Practitioner. Formerly an actor with the NAC’s National Acting Company, other collabs/residencies/playwright units/dramatugy/directing/teaching include Canadian Stage, Soulpepper, Factory, Passe Muraille, Tarragon, Cahoots, Native Earth Performing Arts, Nightwood, Theater Direct, Trey Anthony Productions, Pleiades, Aluna, MT Space/ Impact Theater, Nuit Blanche, Summerworks, Stratford Springworks, New Harlem, Hart House, World Pride, Toronto Pride, and more. nisha graduated from York with a specialized honours in Creative Ensemble/Devised Theater. nisha first performed at Buddies in 2006 with their first play World of Bananas at Hysteria Festival, was a playwright in the “Lady’s Creator Unit” creating and touring Yoga Cannibal (It’s so good to be back with you all!) www.fullspectrumintimacycoordinator.com.
Julia Dyan* [she/her] // fight director – Julia Dyan is a Toronto-based actor, fight director, stunt performer, and a stage combat and acting Instructor. She is co-founder of Violence in Motion, a training school for actors (or anyone curious!) to develop their skill in film and stage combat. Julia teaches Acting for Media at Centennial College in the Performing Arts program. She is a proud member of the AACE (Association of Acting Coaches and Educators). Currently, she is stunt performing on the hit TV show Boston Blue. Julia has a toddler who loves to party in the middle of the night.
Victoria Wang* (she/her) // stage manager – Victoria Wang is a Toronto based stage manager and artist who works in theatre, dance, film, and interdisciplinary forms of live performance. Selected credits: Rhubarb! Festival (Buddies in Bad Times), Mahabharata (Why Not), Robin Hood (Canadian Stage), The Wizard of Oz (Canadian Stage), Sizwe Banzi is Dead (Soulpepper), My Sister’s Rage (Tarragon Theatre), Woking Phoenix (Silk Bath Collective), Toronto International Film Festival, Nuit Blanche. Outside of theatre, Victoria is also a certified yoga instructor who has taught community classes at Soulpepper, Toronto Fringe, and with Jumblies Theatre, and SummerWorks. As a secondgeneration Chinese Canadian settler, Victoria is grateful to call Hong Kong and Tkaronto home.
Bria McLaughlin // apprentice stage manager – Hey wassup, you look familiar, I’m sure we’ve met. I’m and actor and writer, and often work in production in cast support, honoured to be working with House of Beida as an ASM. Black, Capricorn, GTA Jamaican. Lakeshore East Go Train. Platforms 11 and 12. Previous Buddies Credits: School Girls; or, The African Mean Girls Play
Ronnie Ali (she/her) // trans mentorship + wellbeing facilitator – Ronnie Ali is a Registered Psychotherapist supporting communities marginalized by various forms of oppression, and a Diversity and Wellbeing Consultant in arts and entertainment production (tv/film, theatre, music, video games, literature, etc). Her role in Kainchee Lagaa + Jhooti is to provide psychosocial support and mentorship for artists and production crew in the exploration, performance, and impact of this seminal work. She identifies as a trans woman of colour, and an immigrant-settler on Turtle Island.
kumari giles [they/them] // community + access coordinator – kumari giles is an artist, facilitator, food maker, cultural strategist, and consultant who embraces creativity and curiosity towards collective healing and liberation. They aspire to shape processes with trust, access, joy, and play. Always tending to a very abundant garden of creative work, they are currently working with DisDance — a national network of disabled dancers and growing residency space on the shores of awokun, mi’kma’ki with the Tidal Change Makers Collective. Having multiple roles/connections to Buddies since 2008, they are excited to be carving more accessible spaces in theatre with this team!
Erum Naz Khan (they/them) // producer – Erum Naz Khan is a performance artist based in Toronto. Committed to collaboration as a core artistic ethos, they seek to honour the varying worlds and pedagogies unearthed by those who are in a room together, forever elevating a collective mess emerging fully from the heart. Erum holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto. Recently they were the Artistic Associate at Buddies In Bad Times Theatre, a literary artist-in-residence at The Atlantic Centre for the Arts, and a selected playwright for the 2025 National Playwrights Retreat at Caravan Theatre.
Shadi Be [she/her] // assistant producer – Shadi Be is a boundary-pushing emerging creative whose practice spans makeup, editorial photography, theatre, styling, creative direction, and production. With a foundation built through a decade of experience, including formal mentorship at Makeup Forever Academy and AMY Project, their work fuses technical precision with a conceptual approach to colour theory and visual codes. Shadi’s work was featured at Summerworks Festival and several print publications including StyleCircle Magazine. Keen on exploiting intersections of identities but also the visuals that define us. Guided by intuition, collaboration, and a sharp eye, Shadi brings an unapologetic sense of presence to every project they touch.
*The participation of these Artists is arranged by permission of Canadian Actors’ Equity Association under the provisions of the Dance Opera Theatre Policy (DOT).
House of Beida was created by Zaiba Baig in 2020 to support trans-led artistic projects and mentorship initiatives for trans creatives. Through House of Beida, Baig works on projects for screen and stage that champion nuance and complexity in trans narratives, as well as advocating to prioritize the needs of trans people of colour in artistic environments.
Majha Malwa Doaba is a family-run Indian wedding and cultural store based in Brampton, Ontario, offering over 8,000 square feet of curated products. Known as one of the largest Indian wedding and cultural
Artistic Director
TED WITZEL
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KRISTINA LEMIEUX
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MASON MCDONALD
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