Cover photo + creative direction by Fran Chudnoff. styling by CC Calica, makeup by Rahnell Branton. Pictured: Andrew Tay.
Buddies in Bad Times Theatre is situated on the lands of the HAUDENOSAUNEE, the Anishinaabe, and the Wendat, and the treaty territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit. We acknowledge them and any other Nations who care for the land (acknowledged and unacknowledged, recorded and unrecorded) as the past, present and future caretakers of this land, referred to 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.
choreographer’s Note We created Make Banana Cry out of a shared need to confront the images and expectations that have been placed on us as East Asian diasporic performers. What continues to feel powerful, as we share the work with communities around the world, is that it doesn’t lecture or offer a tidy narrative. Instead, it opens space for audiences to reflect on their own relationships to ‘Asian-ness’ — whether shaped by personal history, pop culture, or inherited bias. We’re so fortunate to collaborate with performers who bring deep nuance, vulnerability, and humour to our choreographic score. Together, we approach the subject matter in a way that is queer, subversive, tender, and defiantly playful — reflecting the fluid, messy, and shifting realities of our identities today. We’re super excited for Toronto audiences to experience it for the first time! – Andrew Tay + Stephen Thompson
Cast + Crew + Creative Team Andrew Tay + Stephen Thompson // choreographers + co-creators Cynthia Koppe, Francesca Chudnoff, Hanako Hoshimi-Caines, Sehyoung Lee, Winnie Ho, Stephen Thompson // performers Dominique Pétrin // visual installation Romane de Montgrand // production Emerson Kafarowski // technical director Öykü Önder // lighting design + tour technician Van Ward, Darren Shaen, Mojo Noble, Antel Kollenberg // head technicians Mackenzie Mccallum-Mallory // wardrobe technician Zoe Daca, Kit Norman, Mike Dowdall, Nate Gurarie, Mackenzie MccallumMallory // crew Please note: due to unforeseen circumstances, Andrew Tay is unable to perform and will be replaced by Winnie Ho for this production.
C0ntent n0te Within the scenography of the work, we have included the symbol of the swastika. The swastika is an ancient symbol that has been used for thousands of years in various cultures, representing different meanings. In Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, it is a symbol of auspiciousness, harmony, and well-being. It is widely recognized for having been misappropriated by the Nazi Party and by Neo-Nazis. The artists of MBC attempt to reappropriate and celebrate the original spiritual and positive history behind it. Criminologist and attorney Brian Levin is a professor of criminal justice and Director of the non partisan Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino where he specializes in the analysis of hate crime, domestic and international terrorism and related legal issues. Mr. Levin puts it “unfortunately but rightly, the most recent and widespread use (in the western world) of the swastika as a symbol of Nazi hatred and genocide will forever cast an indelible shadow over its lengthy history and alternative meanings. It is important, however, to note that expanding our teaching of history and civics can incorporate not only the origins of symbols, but how they can be co-opted and rebranded to the most evil of ends.
Thank you Toronto Dance Theatre extends its deepest gratitude to the many individuals and organizations whose support made Make Banana Cry possible. We are sincerely thankful to our funders, generous donors, and dedicated volunteers — your belief in bold contemporary creation sustains our work and enables us to bring vital, resonant voices to the mainstage. We also wish to recognize the Make Banana Cry team for bringing this urgent and powerful work to Toronto — an arrival long awaited and one that speaks profoundly to this moment. Finally, our heartfelt thanks to Buddies in Bad Times Theatre for their partnership and generosity in championing adventurous contemporary dance. This collaboration reflects the strength of our artistic community and our shared commitment to courageous, boundary-pushing performance.
ARTIST BIOS Andrew Tay (he/him] // creator – Andrew Tay (TDT Artistic Director) is a hybrid performance curator, choreographer, and DJ. Tay was awarded the Risk and Innovation award from the Summerworks Performance Festival (2016), appointed as the inaugural Artistic Curator of the Centre de Creation O Vertigo (CCOV) Montreal (2017), and was named on the list of “50 under 50 shaping tomorrow” by Concordia University (2022). Tay’s works have been presented at leading international dance and performance festivals, art institutions, and museums including the Festival Trans-Amériques (Montreal), MDT (Sweden), Kampnagel (Germany), Fierce Festival (UK), and the Portland Institute of Contemporary Art (USA). He actively thinks about community, irreverence, and resistance in both his performance and curatorial practices. Stephen Thompson // creator/performer – Stephen Thompson is a queer inter-disciplinary dance artist including performer, choreographer, researcher, dramaturge, consultant, rehearsal director, and pedagogue originally from Calgary, Canada. His introduction to movement and performing was through competitive figure skating. He received a Bachelor of Kinesiology and Dance from the University of Calgary while dancing with Decidedly Jazz Danceworks. Numerous accolades: Golden Blade for outstanding performance at the 1998 Canadian Olympic Trials, Bronze Medalist at the 2015 World “Figure and Fancy” Championships and induction into the Figures Hall of Fame, New York Times’ “Best Male Dancers” (2014), two Dora Awards for whatwearesaying (Public Recordings - Ame Henderson), Victor Martin-Lynch Award from the Canada Council for the Arts (2016), and a New York Dance and Performance “Bessie” Award (2012) for Antigone Sr. (Large)(Trajal Harrell). Collaborations include: Trajal Harrell (2012 – present) projects in the cour d’honour at the Festival Avignon, Schaulspielhaus Zurich, Park Avenue Amoury NYC, Festival D’Autumn Paris, etc., Adam Linder, Thibault Lac, Stina Nyberg, Alina Arshi, Alexandra Bachzetsis, Cullberg (Stockholm), Liz Santoro & Pierre Godard, Marlene Saldana & Jonathan Drillet, Culture Administration & Trembling (2014) (with Antonija Livingstone, Jennifer Lacey, Dominique Pétrin), Benoit Lachambre (2004 – 2011), European tour of Jean Pierre Perrault JOE (2004). Recent projects include Compulsory Figures (2020), co-created with French visual artist Xavier Veilhan. Make Banana Cry (2017), co-authored with Andrew Tay created at the M.A.I Montreal and presented at Fierce Birmingham, NottinghamDance, UQAM gallery Montreal, FTA Montreal, Impulstanz Vienna, MDT Stockholm, Inkonst Malmo, DanceFest Munich, Kampnagel Hamburg, On the Boards Seattle, and PICA Portland.
Cynthia Koppe [she/her] // performer – Born in Singapore, Cynthia Koppe is a New York City based dancer, teacher, and bodyworker. She has worked with Trisha Brown Dance Company, Mimi Garrard, Heidi Howard and Liz Philips, John Jasperse, Nicole Mannarino, Ryan McNamara, Sam Roeck, Le Principe d’Incertitude, Shen Wei Dance Arts, Adam Weinert, and Christopher Williams, amongst others, and was a “reperformer” for Marina Abramovic’s 2010 MoMA Retrospective. Cynthia graduated from Cornell University with a double major in Sociology and Dance. She teaches Yoga and Pilates, practices craniosacral therapy, works in holistic pelvic health, and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy. Fran Chudnoff (they/them) // performer – Fran Chudnoff is a non award winning millennial, with a BFA in performance, and paying rent as a multidisciplinary artist. They are a dance maker, reluctant video artist, photographer, and a true beginner at 3D modelling and digital illustration. Their work is in conversation with post-internet aesthetics, gender deviance, and shaping a “social aura” through aspirational imagery and the mundane. Fran embraces the complexity of millennial tropes by blending sincerity and cringe. Their most urgent project is to share as many meals with their Lola as possible, but you probably know them best from their work on @facerider. Hanako Hoshimi-Caines [she/they) // performer – Hanako Hoshimi-Caines is a multiform dance artist working in the expanded field of choreography, sculpture, and community practice. She works in solo and collaborative formats using performance as a framework to get intimate with the messy stuff of life. She leans into delight, subverted logics, and the spirit of error to experience the quiver of things and as tools toward abstraction seeking opportunities for resistance, newness, and unexpected belonging. Her material and performance practices span theatres, art galleries, and community spaces and have been shown in Canada, US, and Europe. Hanako’s career as a dancer led her to perform with a range of choreographers and companies, such as the Cullberg Ballet in Stockholm. Keen on critical practice and hanging out with great people, she was co-artistic curator with Nate Yaffe at the CCOV from 2020 to 2023. Hanako graduated from the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Danse et de Musique (Lyon, France) and completed a Bachelor of Arts Degree with Honours in Western Philosophy from Concordia University (2020).
Sehyoung Lee (he/him) // performer – Born in 1993 in Seoul, Sehyoung Lee lives and works in Paris. A sculptor, choreographer, and performer, he graduated from the BeauxArts de Paris in 2023. He has appeared in works such as Happening Tempête by Boris Charmatz at the Grand Palais Éphémère (Paris, 2021). In the same year, he took part in the group exhibition “No no fest,” curated by Thomas Conchou at Maison Populaire in Montreuil. His performance Gyemyeon was presented at the Palais des Beaux-Arts (2024) as part of the Félicités exhibition. His pieces Breaths, Callus, and Fail me softly were shown in the group exhibition “Temps Z” at Galerie Mennour in 2024. In 2025, he presented his performance Fantasy (Shadow) at CAPC and at La Villette. Winnie Ho // performer –Winnie Ho is an interdisciplinary dance performance artist and curator who was born in Hong Kong and currently resides in Montréal. Her work embraces multiple disciplines including immersive installations, sculpture, and dance. Weaving various materials onto her body and inventing queer folklore/mythologies have been the fore-front of her dance making practice. Winnie was awarded the Laureate of the Power Prix 2022 scholarship award at La Centrale Galerie Powerhouse in Montréal. She was also the recipient of the 2017 Danceweb Scholarship Program at Impulstanz Festival in Vienna. Dominique Pétrin [she/it] // performer – Dominique Pétrin is a visual artist based between Montréal and the Laurentians. For over twenty years, she has developed a multidisciplinary silkscreen practice, using print both in performance contexts and in immersive installations made of hand-printed, cut, and assembled paper applied directly to walls and floors. A former member of the petro-rock group Les Georges Leningrad, she has collaborated with Sophie Calle, Pil and Galia Kollectiv, Banksy for The Walled Off Hotel, and several choreographers. Her work has been exhibited across Canada, and she is the recipient of the 2023 Moniqueand-Robert-Parizeau Prize and the 2025 CALQ Artist of the Year (Laurentides). Emerson Kafarowski (she/they) // technical director – Emerson Kafarowski is a Lighting Designer and Multidisciplinary Artist based in Tkaronto, Canada. A graduate of the Toronto Metropolitan University Performance Production + Design program, Emerson is dedicated to life-long learning and gravitates towards projects that uplift the unique voices and stories in our communities. In addition to Lighting Design, Emerson also works as a touring Technical Director, and has travelled with productions across Canada, US, and Europe. She has had the pleasure of working with many inspiring artists and companies, including BoucharDanse, Citadel + Compagnie, Dance Arts Institute, Lighthouse Festival Theatre, MOCA Toronto, Soulpepper Theatre
Company, Stratford Festival, and Toronto Dance Theatre. They are thrilled to make their Buddies in Bad Times Theatre debut with Make Banana Cry. Öykü Önder // lighting design + tour technician – Öykü Önder is a transdisciplinary artist, lighting designer, curator currently finishing her MA in Visual Arts and Curatorial Studies in Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti in Milan, Italy.
Romane de Montgrand // production – Romane de Montgrand is a Barcelona-based producer that works as a freelancer for live performances and visual art exhibitions.
Toronto Dance Theatre TDT is an iconic name within the Canadian dance landscape. Founded in 1968, the company was instrumental in ushering in a new era of modern dance to Toronto and national audiences. Today, TDT is one of Canada’s leading innovators in dance while being one of the very few contemporary companies in the country with a full-time ensemble of dancers. Supporting imaginative programming that places creative risk-taking and artistic development at the forefront, TDT creates initiatives that address relevant issues within our field, stage high-caliber stage productions, and instigate thoughtful activations in the community. TDT Staff
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