Premiering this April, Buddies and Bad Times Theatre describes their new Don Valley Girls show as “60 minutes of sketches and musical numbers from the perspective of five millennial women of colour just trying to get by in the big smoke.” 

A social commentary on the challenges of living in Toronto right now, audiences will get close-up and behind-the-scenes in the lives of five artists and roommates – the Don Valley Girls – as they go through their everyday struggles and triumphs in Toronto. Beyond lots of laughs, the show hopes to reveal the realities of “diversity” and “inclusion” in this city.

“We came together sharing the perspective that for marginalized artists it can be insidiously difficult to share your voice confidently, or in a way that doesn’t feel like compromising your integrity. We’ve learned it’s important to sometimes question diversity and inclusion efforts within institutions, no matter how lucrative or enticing they seem at first glance. Of course there is the risk of tokenization, but even worse, there is the possibility of stifling or conforming our own creative voice…and for what end?” said Rabiya Mansoor, co-creator of Don Valley Girls. 

Directed by Liza Paul, Don Valley Girls is written and created by five emerging artists: Cihang Ma (Bad Dog Featured Players, Best of Fringe 2019: Carpe Into My DMs), Fateema Miller (The Bob, Useless Superhero Support Group), Rabiya Mansoor (What the Elf?!, Bob Curry Fellowship), Surer Qaly Deria (2018 IHJ Best Newcomer Nominee, Ladyfest), and Tia McGregor (Bob Curry Fellowship, Schitt’s Creek). Their artistic backgrounds are diverse with Second City Conservatory grads, and theatre students, but all are trained by the harshest and most absurd teacher there is…life.

Don Valley Girls is a recipient of The Sketch Comedy Project Fund, in partnership with the Pat and Tony Adams Freedom Fund for the Arts. Wash your hands and check it out.