Queen Latifah Give Me Strength centers around a woman’s struggle with her identity and her expectations of being disregarded and ignored by the medical industry. Queen Latifah Give Me Strength depicts the frustration, isolation and raving madness that comes with being a Black woman who must rely on medical professionals to stay alive. After an anxiety-filled evening watching the classic 90s film, Set It Off, featuring Queen Latifah, the main character is faced with her strange connection to the celebrity. In a search for answers about her health, she turns to the icon she had once forsaken. Previous version partially developed during Emerging Creators Unit 2020 at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre.

Rochelle R (She/They) is a Canadian-Caribbean multidisciplinary theatre artist, writer, producer and advocate for Black, Queer, Mentally Ill/Disabled communities. Rochelle is passionate about promoting and developing opportunities for Black Artists and encouraging difficult conversations about intersectionality. Rochelle holds a BA in English and Theatre Studies from the University of Guelph and continues to pursue additional training within the GTA and Peel regions. Select companies and programs include b current (Playwriting) bcHUB, Buddies in Bad Times (Play Creation) Emerging Creator’s Unit, Nightwood’s Young Innovator’s Program (Arts Administration/Producing), PIECE OF MINE Arts, dance immersion’s Legacy Leaders Program and more.

CONTENT WARNING

Mature Language, Violence, Loud Sound 

Mountain Duets is a ceremony illustrated through dance, music and multimedia. We follow an individual that falls into a chaotic haze, losing sight of balance and stillness. This solo mover is a symbol of both our independent and collective consciousness. They are a representation of all we go through on micro and macro scales; a testament to the cycles of the building, tearing down and rebuilding of humanity. From the dark place, the soloist calls upon the ancestors and wisdom of Turtle Island to journey together through traditional teachings, reminding us of our deeply rooted strength, resilience and reciprocity to each other and to Mother Earth.

Winnipeg-born Sophie Dow is an emerging dance and music artist, inspired by interdisciplinary collaboration and her Métis-Assiniboine and settler roots. An avid adventurer, Sophie has a passion for busking, yoga and traveling on top of holding a specialized honours degree in Dance Performance and Choreography from York University. Currently Sophie is part of the Paprika Festival’s Indigenous Arts Program, preparing for adelheid’s re:research and is an Artistic Associate of Chimera Dance Theatre. She writes music, performs and busks regularly throughout Ontario with her band The Honeycomb Flyers and is a practicing licensed Holistic Practitioner of Traditional Thai Massage.

CONTENT WARNING

Fog/Haze, Loud Sound

Images of the Mountain Duets performance in Re:Building Resilience:

Photos by Henry Chang