Waawaate Fobister
Waawaate Fobister is a Canadian playwright and actor, whose debut work Agokwe won six Dora Mavor Moore Awards, including Outstanding New Play, in 2009.[1] The play, which premiered at Toronto's Buddies in Bad Times theatre in 2008, is a gay-themed play which explores the burgeoning attraction between two aboriginal teenagers, one a traditional Ojibwe dancer and the other a hockey player.[2] Fobister played all of characters in the Buddies production, including both teenagers.
An Anishinaabe from the Grassy Narrows First Nation north of Kenora, Ontario,[3] Fobister identifies as gay or two-spirited.[4] The title of his debut play Agokwe (as recorded by John Tanner for ayekwe) traditionally means "genitalless", but in the modern usage to mean "two-spirited" in the Anishinaabe language.[4]
In 2014, Waawaate was presented the Bonham Centre Youth Award from The Mark S. Bonham Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies, University of Toronto, for his contributions to the advancement and education of issues around sexual identification,.[5]
References
- ↑ "Agokwe dominates Doras gala". The Globe and Mail, July 3, 2009.
- ↑ "Fobister’s a phenom". NOW, September 30, 2008.
- ↑ "New wave of aboriginal talent". Metro, July 20, 2009.
- 1 2 "On stage: Agokwe". Xtra!, September 25, 2008.
- ↑ http://pennantmediagroup.com/en/the-2014-bonham-centre-awards-gala-celebrates-power-of-the-word-on-april-24-2014-honouring-authors-and-writers-who-have-contributed-to-the-public-understanding-of-sexual-diversity-in-canada/, 2014-04-13