User:Markconte

Introduction
The Crosstown Players Theatre, Inc. is an LGBTTQIA theatre troupe whose home is in historic Olde Sandwich Towne, in Windsor, Ontario. The organization’s purpose is to educate, entertain and explore contemporary social justice issues through original theatre drawn from Windsor’s LGBTTQIA community. In addition, the troupe proudly showcases the rich heritage of Windsor and southwestern Ontario. Incorporated under the laws of Ontario as a not-for-profit corporation, the troupe is governed by a board of Directors and Officers. Many of the troupe’s plays are created and performed on behalf of other non-profit organizations so that their messages reach a wider public. Partners include the AIDS Committee of Windsor, the Bulimia & Anorexia Association, Children’s Fest and the Windsor Pride Festival. The Crosstown Players are also members of The Arts Council of Windsor, Theatre Ontario, Western Ontario Drama League and the Southwest Ontario Historical Council Committed to Windsor, Charles and Chance, the troupe’s handsome bear cub mascots, collect non-perishable food items at every show. The West End Crawlers transport the donated food to the neighbourhood food bank. The Crosstown Players thank CAW Local 444, the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario and Green Shield, University Place and Value Village for believing in the organization’s goals.

History
In 2009 the City of Windsor's Cultural Department invited James C. Mays to create a theatre troupe that would reflect Windsor's LGBTTQIA community and give voice to their stories. Along with co-founder Jay Banks, they got started.

The goals chosen were straightforward: The Crosstown Players would bring to the stage stories that dealt with contemporary social justice issues in Windsor, the fourth largest multi-cultural city in Canada. The troupe would also showcase Windsor’s rich heritage and history. It was decided that the plays would be comedies so that messages would be presented in an entertaining, informative but non-threatening way. Through humour, the troupe’s plays have dealt with a wide range of human emotions: death, marriage, divorce, sexual identity, slavery, religion, war, bigotry, mental and physical challenges, HIV-AIDS and eating disorders.

Mascots
Charles the Handsome Bear Cub and his newborn baby brother, Chance are the troupe’s mascots. Charles was a gift to James after he had a stroke. Charles is five years old and is 1.3 metres tall. Charles attends the Scruffy Maple Day Care Centre on Sandwich Street in Windsor. He is bilingual. He is a two-time Snakes & Ladders champion. His favourite food is Smarties and porridge. Chance is Charles’ newborn baby brother. He is so newborn he doesn’t have any teeth. He just drinks chocolate owls’ milk. Chance makes squeaky noises when he’s happy and squawky noises when he’s hungry or afraid. Charles and Chance are Sons of Windsor and Princes of Ontario. In the summer of 2012 their cousin Frankie came to live with them. Though he is the smallest of the three bears, he is four years old. Frankie was knighted, his title is Knight of Knewfoundland and Lord of Labrador. The three bears are in charge of collecting food at performances for the neighbourhood food bank. They don’t want any boys and girls in Windsor to ever go to bed hungry. The cubs are the headline act at Windsor Children’s Fest. They perform in CubCerts for boys and girls, singing kids’ favourite songs in both French and English. Charles, Chance and Frankie promote literacy and reading as spokescubs for the Windsor Essex Authors’ Association. They are little ambassadors for Windsor. They have travelled through Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador. They possess Canadian PawsPorts(Build-a-Bear). They have visited Saint-Pierre & Miquelon in France and many places in the United States. The bears live with Grandpa James on Sparkle Road in Olde Sandwich Towne, a heritage neighbourhood in Windsor. Charles says, “I live in Windsor. Windsor is in O Canada. Windsor is the centre of the known universe and the nicest part of Detroit.” Charles blogs about the bears’ adventures (Adventures of Charles the Bear Cub).

Stage Productions
The troupe has delivered the following original playwrights on social justice issues and Canadian history:

Rainbow Social Justice Series :
 * Speedy Ca$h
 * Closet
 * Bobby Orr Knees;
 * Shaken;
 * Talkin' to Teddy Bears
 * Murder at Channel 5
 * Unzipped

1812 Heritage Series :
 * Sarah Girty's War
 * Fort Frostbite
 * 1812 The Musical
 * Soldiers' Shoulders