What The Festival: What have you done for me lately?

OMG, have we been busy! 

Like busy beyond what we ever dreamed might happen with WTF. And while that’s amazing, it’s been quite the ride from SPRING THING 2.0 to this point. So, what have you done for me lately? 

In our last post, we talked a little about partnerships, and how we value them amongst some of the most important things we do. That remains true, but we kinda went overboard since then.

First off, we partnered with the Toronto Fringe, and sponsored the very first Strange Maker Award for the best Drag, Clown or Puppetry show at that festival. We saw 17 shows with our amazing jury, featuring past WTF alumni Adam Francis Proulx (The Family Crow - WTF ‘Test Fest’), Srutika Sabu (WTF 25 - Santosh Santosh) and Alexandra Simpson (WTF 24 - Up And Comer Cabaret) 

[Note: Alex (along with Morgan Brie Johnson) are premiering Dora Award Winning Animacy Theatre Collective’s newest show JUICE BREAK with us this year. They kick off the festival’s fun on Thu, Sep 25th at 7:30pm - don’t miss it!]

The winner of the Strange Maker Award was a delightful playful and precocious red-nose clown show called MILK MILK LEMONADE, and they were given a $500 cash prize, as well as a spot at WTF 25 (They’re on Sat, Sep 27th at 7:30pm, so get your tickets before they sell out!) We are so happy with how this rollout went, and are excited to offer it again next year with the Toronto Fringe.

Next we found out we didn’t get one of the grants we rely on to keep WTF alive…so after we moped and cried a little, then put on our big girl/boy pants and ran a crowd funding campaign!  

Our FILL THE GAP fundraiser was an opportunity to speak our truth - that it’s a very hard time for arts organizations, and with rising costs, competing interests and a world seemingly growing angrier by the day. We also talked about how committed we remain to making sure there are bright spots of joy, delight and strangeness for people to gather, celebrate and play!

And it seemed to resonate, because we raised over 7k through the kindness of 55+ donors! 

After this, Byron left the province (no correlation, lol) to travel to Edmonton for their International Fringe Festival where the staff and team there, led by Murray Utas and Megan Dart, welcomed him with open arms and an onion cake - if you know,  you know…

This continued a partnership that began last year, where we encountered THE SHINIEST PIECE OF TRAILER TRASH by Meegan Sweet, who will be bringing an updated version of the show to WTF on Fri, Sep 26th at 7:30pm, and since it’s all about a raccoon, we know Torontians will love it! (We sure do.) 

During this time, we were invited to activate the 35th anniversary party for Summerworks at Factory Theatre. True to form, we staffed this event with a who’s who of past strange-makers, including Alexander Mantia (WTF 24 - The Zucchini Club), Andrew Gaboury (Thing One - Spring Thing 2.0), Dank Sinatra (WTF 24 - Don’t Drag Me Down Cabaret) and Snackbaby Thiccums (WTF 24 - Up And Comer Cabaret). 

When Byron finally returned to us, we had the pleasure of running the first ever, 18+, late nite cabaret at Toronto International BuskerFest for Epilepsy. It was an event to remember for sure, full of beer, bears, Beyoncé and a bra full of lasers!! The incredible performers were led by Jesse Buck (WTF 24 - Strange Maker Showoff) and featured Randy Boots (Thing Two - Spring Thing 2.0), Fleur Fantasie (Thing Two - Spring Thing 2.0), as well as newcomer Molly Kewl who we had seen at the fun and frantic CosGay event at Buddies in Bad Times. 

And so here we are! 

We have one more event before WTF 25 - this time with the lovely people at the Queen West Arts Crawl, where we’ll be joined by Hercinia Arts (WTF 24 - Strange Maker Showcase) who will be roving and rambling through the crowd as two of their signature characters: The Mosquito and The Starfish! We’ll be in Trinity Bellwoods Park (just a hop, skip and and a jump from our home at Youngplace - 180 Shaw St. - from 3pm to 6pm on Sat, Sep 20th. 

THEN WE ARE (FINALLY) RUNNING A FESTIVAL!!!

And have we got a line up planned. As we mentioned, we have JUICE BREAK, MILK MILK LEMONADE, THE SHINIEST PIECE OF TRAILER TRASH, plus Morgan Joy (Thing Two - Spring Thing 2.0) is bringing her puppet whirlwind PEGGY’S PLACE on Thu, Sep 25th @ 9pm. 

WTF 25 also sees the return of our STRANGE MAKER SHOWCASE (Fri, Sep 26th @ 9pm) hosted by the nation's premiere tragicomedienne Pearle Harbour (WTF ‘Test Fest’ and WTF 24 - Post Drag Race Drag Panel), plus the brand new, totally oddball [IM]POSSIBLE CABARET(Sat, Sep 27th @ 9pm) hosted by one of CosGay’s own hosts Anne Alien!

We’ve also got a wild and wonderful workshop - GET BENT (Sat, Sep 27th from 3pm-5pm) with Sheelagh Traché aka. The Balloon Girl. This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity costs only $65 -materials included - and focuses on how you can transform balloons into hats, wigs, dresses and more! Perfect for audiences and artists alike, learn how to transform helium holders into haute couture! 

As for our panel, this year the topic is CLOWN & BOUFFON: DESPAIR & HOPE and it is stacked with some of Canada’s most recognized artists who will dig deep into the contemporary state of these art forms, how they deal with despair and hope in their work and the stories they tell, and how they understand their place amidst it all. This event is FREE (Sat, Sep 27th from 5pm-6pm), is hosted by Justin Miller with panelists Karen Hines (Pochsy, Mump and Smoot), John Beale (Ecole Philippe Gaulier, Randolph Academy) and Heather Marie Annis (Morro and Jasp, Therapeutic Clown). 

Then there’s another amazing energy exchange, with WTF hosting an ARTS MARKET POP-UP (Sat, Sep 27th from 4:30pm to 7:30pm) that will feature some of their best and most bizarre vendors. If you’re looking for that perfect surprise for your crush, a holiday gift for your cool aunt, or even a special something just for you, we’ve got you covered! 

Lastly, but absolutely not least, and in the spirit of partnerships, we are welcoming THREE new team members to our WTF family. Claire Whitaker joins us as Marketing and Outreach Manager, Sabrina Gomes as Patron Services Coordinator, and Jenny Serwylo as Associate Producer. [Ok, so Jenny actually stepped in and helped us at WTF 24 when someone couldn’t make it because of a fall and…she’s official now!] We also have PEGGY’S PLACE’s Morgan Joy rounding out the crew as the Workshop Organizer for Pedro Fabião’s ‘Effortless Clown’ workshop that will take place immediately after the festival. 

So, what have we done lately? A lot! And for who? Well, hopefully for all those who love and enjoy strange-making work, and believe that the world is a better place because of it. 

For more info about WTF 25, and to book your tickets, check out www.wtfestival.ca/now and join us for smiles, strangeness and of course, popcorn! 

What The Festival: A Different Kind of Party

What The Festival, co-founded by Byron Laviolette and Alicia DiStefano, is a four-day event dedicated to the promotion, presentation and popularization of Clown, Puppetry and Drag performance. The festival is the flagship operation of the Strange Maker Collective, which also hosts the annual SPRING THING variety cabaret series.

What follows is the second post in a quarterly series of thoughts, reflections, and observations on WTF’s journey throughout 2025.

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Hello again!

At What The Festival our goal is to create as much JOY as possible! For EVERYONE!

Being a theatre festival that provides a home for what we call ‘Strange-Makers’ - Drag, Clown, Puppetry, etc - we are all about celebrating differences and being inclusive of types of performances and people who are often excluded.

We talked last time about how the world is a scary place right now. People are often divided, uncertain and afraid. It feels more and more unsafe for those who look, think, act, or simply are different.

What better time to throw a party where everyone is invited!?

(It’s happening May 3rd. You should come!) 

(Cabaret Cast Photos - SPRING THING 2.0)

As with all our events, we want participants to not only enjoy the entertainment they bought a ticket to see, but to feel included in a fun and exciting environment that extends beyond the walls of the theatre and considers the experience of our guest’s from arrival-to-exit. 

We take our parties seriously. You have to if you want: 

• To create JOY when there is so much sadness and separation. 

• To give people a distraction and escape from their worries and fears even if it's only temporary.

• And to create as much love, light and connection in dark and uncertain times. 

Hospitality goes a long way in creating enjoyable entertainment and providing an atmosphere for sharing, socializing and making new friends. That is why when you come to a WTF event you can expect some of the following…

Lobby Entertainment: We love to enhance our events by including interactive performances before our shows. This is also a great way to include a larger variety of artists in our programming. In the past we’ve offered things like Magic, Tarot card readings and provided twisted balloon hats and flowers to create excitement and play before performance events.

 Atmosphere: We like to get noticed and be colourful. You won’t miss us at one of our events because of our bright pink and white decorations and signage. You can also expect funky music that will boost your energy and many photo opportunities for social media sharing. We want to create the impression that this is THE PLACE to be!

Community: We want to be the place where community happens, strengthens and grows, and where new connections are formed. This is why we offer a welcoming lounge space where audience members and artists feel invited to mix and mingle between shows.

Treats: We want our audience to be greeted with the addicting smell of (FRESH!) popcorn being made and a candy hat being passed around for anyone needing a sweet treat. For an element of surprise, we often include raffles for free swag and tickets to our next event. Everyone deserves a treat every once in a while.

(Lobby Entertainment - WHAT THE FESTIVAL 2024)

So, to make it clear: 

Will you be greeted upon arrival and made to feel welcome?  

Yes.

Will staff and volunteers help you find your seat and the nearest washroom?  

Of course!

Will there be decorations, refreshments and fun and games?

You betcha!

Inside of the theatre, things can definitely get wild - especially with the type of programming we offer which includes an eclectic mix of Drag, Clown and Puppetry plus a healthy dose of Burlesque, Bouffon, Circus and Magic. To consider audience members who are less familiar with this kind of party, we have our cabaret hosts prepare our audience for what’s to come. This includes:

• Encouraging our audience to reward the risks our strange-making artists are taking with high energy and an invitation to play along.

• Preparing audiences to know how to engage with performances if willing or how to subtly signal for a performer to pick someone else by making a “X” gesture with their arms.

• Informing audiences about things like the ABC’s of Drag: Applaud and @ us, Bills/tipping, and Consent! 

These considerations further our ability to ensure everyone to play in a way that feels SAFE and FUN!

We believe that what makes a party great is the people who participate and the shared experience they have. As much as possible, we offer discounted or free community tickets for anyone who wants to attend our events but have limits to what they can afford to increase accessibility and give back to our community. We also include our partners and allies to take part in the festivities. In the past, we’ve included various organizations in terms of fundraising and spreading awareness about upcoming events. This includes:

•  The Toronto Fringe Festival

• The Toronto Burlesque Festival

• Glad Day Bookstore

• CAMH  

All of this isn't always easy. It creates additional costs and coordination on our part, but we feel it's worth it for the JOY and INCLUSION we can create. 

Sounds fun?

It is. And you’re in luck. We’re hosting SPRING THING 2.0 on Saturday Mar 3rd at Youngplace (180 Shaw Street) and everyone's invited!

SPRING THING is WTF’s annual celebration of surviving the winter which includes a one-day, two cabaret series that showcases all things WEIRD, WILD and WONDERFUL. You can learn all about our acts, our wonderful hosts - Morro and Jasp (THING ONE, 2pm) and Kenneth Cheung (THING TWO, 7:30pm) - as well as our ‘OTHER THING’ by visiting www.wtfestival.ca/now

We’re thankful once again to GENERATOR for giving us this space to share our thoughts, ideas and dreams, and we hope to see you at SPRING THING 2.0!

(In fact, we have a special discount code ‘SPRINGTHING5’  you can use for $5.00 off tickets. You’re welcome.) 

Until next time! 

- The WTF Team

#bettertogether