Wifeys for lifey!
Every successful organization needs role models. Here at SExT, we have this superhero duo who work very hard to make our organization a successful one. They shine the brightest in stressful situations and they never ask for breaks or a day off. Their work never gets the full credit it deserves and even though they might be under-appreciated, they still work as hard as they can to bring joy and smiles on other people's faces. I'm talking about Supergirl aka Elena Juatco and Wonder Woman aka Shira Taylor.
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The SExT family with Roxanne Ma from The Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research (CANFAR) on our last performance of our Saskatchewan tour. We did it!
We woke up to a rainy day. The clouds were sharing the same emotions as most of us. We knew it was going to be our last day of our tour, so emotions were through the roof. 
May 30, 2018 - North Battleford & Turtleford, Saskatchewan
On the second to last day of shows during this tour, with cold, gloomy weather came a gloomy mood. Maybe it was my ill-fitting clothing for the tempature of the weather or maybe it was the darkness of the sky. Either way, I was faced with an overcast of moodiness that fluctated greatly as we performed. 
May 29th, 2018 - Île à la Crosse & Beauval
We awoke later than usual, thanks to the school being a whole 5 minutes away. The night before we had fallen asleep to cloudy cotton candy skies with flashes of lightning in the distance. Thuriga spent the night taking videos while a wild dog lay at her feet. We were prepared for our next 2-show day. 
May 28th, 2018 - La Loche & Buffalo Narrows
Today we woke up and left our hotel in Buffalo Narrows at 7:40AM for a two show day. The sky was blue and beautiful. The birds were chirping. The cold breeze would hit us and give us the chills. As the tour bus departed the hotel, we looked back at the lakefront and remembered how peaceful and beautiful it was when we arrived there yesterday: the long walks some of us took in the perfect weather, the bald eagle we saw, the ducks, the beaver, tadpoles, the breath-taking sunset. 
May 26, 2018 - La Ronge, Saskatchewan
Today was our first free day! So of course we decided to sleep in late. Our driver Richard offered to take us on a tour around the town and show us all the beautiful spots nearby. 
May 24, 2018 - Weyakwin, Saskatchewan
Today we woke up and followed SMT (SExT Mean Time) and left half an hour late to perform for Kiskahikan School in a small community called Weyakwin. We took a detour and drove near the most beautiful parts of Canada. It was breath taking. We saw elks on the road. While on the ride to our next destination, we got a phone call from our ex-cast mate Saad from Pakistan. Talked about our shows, and Saskatchewan. He was really into it. 
SExT Cast Member Sara Ahmed holding the 2018 SExT National Tour Guide and her original information ticket she saved from one of the first runs of the show 4 years ago.
You know how on TV, sometimes a character will be in love with a musician or a show, and then by the end of the episode they get to go on tour with them? So unrealistic right? Well, that's what happened to me.
As a cast member of SExT, I am required to know information about STIs, mental health, healthy relationships, etc., but before becoming a peer educator and going national, I think I’m obligated to talk about our roots and where we come from.
 We are thrilled to announce that SExT has received a grant from Ontario Arts Council! The Artists in Communities and Schools Projects Grant will enable us to provide mentorship to our peer educators as we expand our outreach to the community and gear up for some exciting upcoming shows in the GTA. Thank you OAC and stay tuned for more!
 On June 3rd SExT had the pleasure of performing for Jane Street Hub as part of their Community Info Fair, highlighting sexual health as well as health and wellness in the African, Caribbean, Black, and Latino communities. The event included resources, community services, workshops, counsellors, performances (wink-wink), and anonymous testing for STIs. Having a safe space for conversations on these stigmatized topics such as STIs and mental health, and having it be accessible to everyone, is so incredibly important. I would like to thank the organizers for this.
 Back in the rehearsal hall to polish up and it feels amazing! SExT is thrilled to be partnering with Ophea to deliver FREE theatre performances created and performed by youth for youth for GTA secondary schools connecting to H&PE, Drama and Language studies! Performances run May 10 – 26 at the Factory Theatre and a stipend is available to support transportation costs.
Limited spots still available! Sign your school group up now: https://www.ophea.net/node/6846  SExT is proud to be the keynote performance at the 2017 Youth Sexual Health Research Symposium: Fight Forward, Fight Back. The symposium aims to bring together youth and university students to share their research and artistic pieces on youth sexual health.
 The Cast of SExT performs at the Willowdale Winterfest 2016 We know what social media is saying: 2016 was a bad year. We lost music legends and film stars, mourned victims of war, political unrest and hate crimes, and there has been an increase in violence and hate speech. Even The Walking Dead is bringing us down to emotional depths we've never experienced before (DAMN YOU NEGAN).
 Have you missed us? We miss you! We are performing at the World AIDS Day event at the William Doo Auditorium on the U of T campus tonight (Monday, November 28th). Come by and say hi!  Photo by Sonia Cacoilo Nearly three years ago, I walked into one of Toronto’s most diverse and populated high schools with the crazy idea of making sex education more comprehensive, relevant, and impactful, by finding a group of youth willing to sing and dance about it. Last month, I sat next to the Premier of Ontario as we watched a group of the bravest and most dedicated humans I know sing and dance a packed house through everything from periods to chlamydia and homophobia to multiculturalism, eliciting belly laughs and quiet tears.
Premier Kathleen Wynne's emotional response to SExT was captured on camera by our very own cast member, Thuriga Balasubramaniam, who put together a vlog to share that exciting day with you all. Enjoy!
Today we performed at the One More Night Festival and had a very special guest in the audience!  Photo from Kathleen Wynne Twitter (@Kathleen_Wynne)  We CAN stop! (Photo by: Dahlia Katz) We have officially opened at the Summerworks Festival in Toronto and we want to see you there! We only have 3 shows left so don't miss us!
It's always good to be humble. But OMG the papers are telling everyone that we are a must-see at Summerworks and we are glowing with pride!
We made: The Toronto Star's Top 10 Picks for Summerworks ... BOOM! BlogTO's 5 must-see shows to see at Summerworks ... BOOM! NOW Magazine's top highlights of the Toronto Fringe Festival ... BOOM!
We open at Summerworks this Sunday ... 3 more days! See y'all there!
Mary, Shira and Nicole celebrate at the Summerworks Launch Party!
SExT closed at the Toronto Fringe Festival to a sold-out house and a double encore final bow. Now Magazine gave us a -NNNN review and named us one of the best ensembles in this year's Toronto Fringe Festival. Not bad ... NOT BAD AT ALL!
But we are not done yet!
We are back at Summerworks for 4 final shows! Yes, this is the last time you will be able to see this production! We open in two weeks so mark your calendars: SExT at Toronto Summerworks Festival Location: Factory Theatre - Studio Space @ 125 Bathurst Street Sun August 7th @ 12pm Wed August 10th @ 7:45pm Thur August 11th @ 9:15pm Fri August 12th @ 6pm www.summerworks.ca
Before this show debuted at the Toronto Fringe, SExT had a few semi-private shows for the youth at Flemingdon Park. The scene that resonated the most with audiences was one about domestic violence, performed and created by Mary Getachew, Saad Ilyas, and Michelle Nyamekye. After one of these performances, a young audience member approached a teacher about that scene in particular and asked for help. I’d like to think there were more who also did the same.
We are officially open at the Toronto Fringe Festival to a standing ovation and just when we thought the high couldn't get any better, we got 4 'N's from NOW Magazine! It was the first NNNN review from Michelle da Silva for the Fringe Festival and we are THRILLED:
Fearless and fun! ... A sketch about the race to fertilization narrated as The Hunger Games elicited some of the loudest laughs on opening night. - NNNN" - Michelle da Silva, NOW Toronto
Read the review here.
We have 6 shows left at the Fringe Festival - come see us at the Annex Theatre! SExT opens in two more days at the Toronto Fringe Festival! And just to whet your appetite, here's a brand new trailer! If you are curious as to what the "10 steps to putting a condom on" are, come see our show at the Annex Theatre and Beyoncé will give you the low down! Happy Fringe-ing everyone! *Special thanks to Jacqueline Andrade for creating this awesome video! |
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