Olive-or-Oliver (pronounced “OliverOliver”) is an award-winning transgendered performance artist, playwright, video artist, musician, and advocate for the singular pronoun, “they”. They’ve entertained audiences across Toronto and internationally with their hoop, drag queen, and clown burlesque, including at the Toronto International Burlesque Festival and Pride Toronto, and recently won “TOP HOMO 2012″ at Portland, Oregon’s Homo’s Got Talent Dance-Off Competition. Olive-or-Oliver made their cinematic debut with their short film, “Morning”, as part of the Queer Video Mentorship Project at the Inside Out Festival.
They are currently laying low, recovering from ill health. Future plans include a musical project, finishing the reworking and expansion of their solo show, “AFFIRMATION” (for which they received a grant from the Ontario Arts Council), and starting a queer land project.
WATCH OUT FOR HURRICANE OLIVER!
Just saw u on Canada’s got talent wish they gave you more of a chance.. And just thought I’d sy hi. Ok if I add you on Facebook ?
I’ve seen you perform multiple times, and I am always in awe of your performances because they show a great deal of technical ability at hooping, dance, clown burlesque, etc. However, beyond the skills, I read your work as ultimately being concept-driven. You use your skills in service of your concept. Each performance I see you bring an idea to life: the subversive, the abject, the unnamable, the in-between, the pure-fun in the face of a productivity-obsessed culture, the oh-my-god-what-is-this-performer-about-to-do, with a huge dose of queer hilarity. Your work is highly entertaining but also challenges audiences to think in new ways.
We may not have met for long, but I’m a fan of your work. Total respect! Very artful and aesthetically brilliant from what little I’ve seen. I would love to see more and even work on an art video project with you someday. Kudos!
I just saw you perform last night at OZ… You’re awesome! Captured all the emotions so well. And it just made me think, you didn’t do a hoola hooping dance show at the Feminist Porn Awards this year… did you? If it wasn’t, whoever it was really looked like you! I really hope you make it to Cali in October! I went in January for the XBIX porn awards and I have wanted to move there ever since!