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Collage including text and photographs, torn diagonally from the top right. Top left: In hand-written white font, there is violence, there is righteous violence, and there is death or: the born-again crow. The text is placed over a distorted image of a face in blues and blacks. Bottom right: A woman with shoulder-length hair regards us, head tilted slightly, hear face highlighted in shades of blue against a black background.
Detail of collage including text and photographs. In hand-written white font, there is violence, there is righteous violence, and there is death or: the born-again crow. The text is placed over a distorted image of a face in blues and blacks.
Photo: Photography and treatment by Fran Chudnoff.

A viciously funny A viciously funny

stab at post-capitalism ennui & how we gaslight marginalized people.

Photo: Photography and treatment by Fran Chudnoff.

Home Events Performance There Is Violence and There is Righteous Violence and There is Death or, The Born-Again Crow

There Is Violence and There is Righteous Violence and There is Death or, The Born-Again Crow

From Sunday, March 9 to Saturday, March 29, 2025, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre and Native Earth Performing Arts present the Toronto premiere of There Is Violence, a sly chamber piece* created and performed by Caleigh Crow, directed by Jessica Carmichael, that turns post-capitalism ennui on its head with a righteous fury.

Like an unearthed X-Files episode the suits were too afraid to air

Grocery store clerk Beth has had a hell of a week. A hell of a life, actually – full of people squashing her soul. And she wants to burn it all down: the coconut milk section, the lady razor section, the healthy snacks section. The whole damn superstore. After pushing back at life – stabbing a steak to her boss’s desk and lighting a magazine rack on fire, for instance – freshly unemployed Beth regroups at her mom’s suburban home. Just when Beth starts to think she’s to blame for systemic limits, the gift of a bird feeder sparks a relationship with a talking Crow who reconnects her with her true power.

There is Violence unearths the subtle and not so subtle ways we gaslight the marginalized (especially Indigenous women), people living with mental health afflictions, and anyone struggling to make ends meet in low-income service jobs. And it captures the vivacity and humour of one truly remarkable woman not meant for this earth – and brings her to her own glorious transcendence.

* A chamber piece is a performance set in one room/location.

A cul-de-sac gothic tale with a searing punk sensibility… It demands that we acknowledge our fury. Because how else can we feel real?

– Buddies in Bad Times Theatre

About Buddies in Bad Times Theatre

Buddies in Bad Times Theatre is the world’s largest and longest-running queer theatre. For 46 years, Buddies has carved out a sexy, disobedient edge in Toronto’s theatre scene and has been a world leader in amplifying queer voices and developing their stories for the stage. In its year-round theatre season, Buddies is a home for artistic risk—a place where emerging talent hone their radical visions, and where established artists to do the daring works other theatres might shy away from. Since 1979, Buddies has welcomed over one million audience members and premiered over 1,000 new works for the stage.

About Native Earth Performing Arts

Native Earth Performing Arts is Canada’s oldest professional Indigenous performing arts company. Currently, in their 41st year, they are dedicated to developing, producing, and presenting professional artistic expressions of the Indigenous experience in Canada. Through stage productions (theatre, dance, and multi-disciplinary art), new script development, apprenticeships, and internships, Native Earth seeks to fulfill a community of artistic visions. It is a vision that is inclusive and reflective of the artistic directions of members of the Indigenous community who actively participate in the arts.

Collage including text and photographs, torn diagonally from the top right. Top left: In hand-written white font, there is violence, there is righteous violence, and there is death or: the born-again crow. The text is placed over a distorted image of a face in blues and blacks. Bottom right: A woman with shoulder-length hair regards us, head tilted slightly, hear face highlighted in shades of blue against a black background.

(Photo credits: Buddies in Bad Times Theatre & Native Earth Performing Arts. Photography and treatment by Fran Chudnoff.)

 

Event details

Hosted by: Buddies in Bad Times Theatre & Native Earth Performing Arts

Type of event: theatre performance

Created & performed by: Caleigh Crow

Directed by: Jessica Carmichael

Dates: Sunday, March 9 – Saturday, March 29, 2025. Masks will be mandatory for performances on Saturday, March 15 @ 2:00 PM ET & Tuesday, March 25 @ 7:30 PM ET.

Start times:

  • Previews on Sunday, March 9 & Tuesday, March 11 @ 7:30 PM ET
  • Evening performances Tuesday – Saturday @ 7:30 PM ET
  • Matinées on Saturdays @ 2:00 PM ET

Duration: 2 hours (intermission TBA)

Cost: C$13.00 – $78.00 (including $3.00 order fee)

Location: Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, 12 Alexander Street, Toronto, ON, M4Y 1B4

Booking link: Book your tickets here

Contact Details: Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, 12 Alexander Street, Toronto, ON, M4Y 1B4, Canada; 416-975-8555, Buddies box office: tickets@buddiesinbadtimes.com, buddiesinbadtimes.com

 

Accessibility: Info here.

COVID-19 policy: See info here. Masks will be mandatory for performances on Saturday, March 15 @ 2:00 PM ET and Tuesday, March 25 @ 7:30 PM ET.

Refund policy: If you would like to exchange your ticket or be granted a refund, please email tickets@buddiesinbadtimes.com. Requests will be approved at the discretion of Buddies in Bad Times and Tallulah’s Cabaret, as well as any producing partners. No refunds or exchanges will be granted within 48 hours of the event start time. If approved, a full refund of the ticket cost minus any applicable service fees will be credited to your account within 30 days.