While I’m taking a bit of a break after all the recent theatre-going and set work, thought I’d shout out some ongoing and upcoming December fun.

Red Sandcastle Theatre is cooking with music, comedy, drama and holiday fun all month long! Check out their website to see what A.D./actor Rosemary Doyle (who’s appearing in Escape From Happiness till Dec 17) has happening for December.

Alexander Showcase Theatre (formerly the Alexander Players and Singers) remounts their 1940s radio play version of It’s A Wonderful Life for a very short run, from Thursday, December 6 (that’s tonight, folks) to Saturday, December 8 – please note the early curtain time of 7:30 p.m. – at the Papermill Theatre.

The December edition of The Beautiful and the Damned poetry cabaret is coming up next week, at 7 p.m. on Thursday, December 13 upstairs at Glad Day Bookshop. Hosted by Duncan Armstrong, and featuring…

Following yesterday’s matinee performance, about half of the almost-sold-out audience opted to stay for a 25-minute Talkback with director Taryn Jorgenson and the cast of The Drowning Girls.

While the girls got dried off in the dressing room downstairs, Taryn shared the historical facts and fielded questions about the true story of George Joseph Smith and his murdered brides.  See previous posts http://alumnaetheatre.wordpress.com/2012/10/30/the-drowning-girls-a-real-life-edwardian-version-of-csi-part-i/ andhttp://alumnaetheatre.wordpress.com/2012/10/31/oct-3112-the-drowning-girls-a-real-life-edwardian-version-of-csi-part-2/

One thing Taryn mentioned, which I had not previously caught, was that Alice (Jennifer Neales) portrays Scotland Yard Detective Inspector Neil in the play!  Neil investigated the serial killer George Joseph Smith, and eventually arrested him.

A sampling of audience questions:

Q:           Did this story happen in Canada or England?  Why do the brides not have English accents?

A:            It happened in England, but the playwrights (Beth Graham, Daniela Vlaskalic, Charlie Tomlinson) are Canadian, and the script specifies that…

Realizing I’ve been getting behind in the movie viewing again, so I’m happy to say that the schedule has allowed for some excursions into those dark rooms with a bunch of strangers and the aroma of popcorn. Little thing about me: I’m satisfied inhaling that salty, buttery popcorn scent but don’t order it myself, as popcorn = thirsty and thirsty = drink and drink = pee and pee = missing part of the movie. Also, as I’m getting older, I need to watch the salt intake. But it’s all good. And I digress.

Last night, I went with my pal Lizzie Violet to see Tim Burton’s Frankenweenie. This was something I was really looking forward to – not just because I’d be going to see it with a great friend, but because it was amazing that we were able to find a day we could both go. I’m usually…

Last night’s edition of The Beautiful and the Damned was dedicated to the Day of the Dead, with featured dead celeb Frida Kahlo – hosted by the lovely and talented Lizzie Violet, who introduced the evening’s features and open mic artists, as well as exercising our minds with trivia about Kahlo. The Art Gallery of Ontario has an upcoming exhibit of Kahlo and Rivera’s work, opening October 20: http://www.ago.net/frida-diego-passion-politics-and-painting

Philip Cairns: hilarious poems about friends – quirky, loved, neurotic, former fuckbuddy, male, female, depressive, bipolar, a love of ugly Fendi bags and a nod to Gordon Pinsent.

Mark Martyre: usually a musician, read some poetry – internal, reflective, self-deprecating even, bravely breaking out of his comfort zone.

Devin Edwards: existential flow of consciousness poetry, at times erotic, sensuous, everyday intimacy – “the heat of a toilet seat” – and a sonnet of loss, love and pain.

Host Lizzie Violet read…

Hey kids – happy Hump Day! Wanted to shout out some great arts events and music gigs happening in Toronto this week:

Tonight (Wednesday, October 10):Sarah Polley’s documentary Stories We Tellwill be screening in support of the Mount Sinai Hospital Foundation of Toronto, with proceeds going to the Mount Sinai Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. There will be a chat with Sarah afterwards! Check here for details: http://www.mshfoundation.ca/SSLPage.aspx?pid=1804

Also tonight: Craig Stickland and his band play a gig at the Drake Hotel (1150 Queen St. W.); doors at 9 p.m. – $10 cover. You can find Craig here:  http://www.craigstickland.com/

Also tonight: Angela Saini plays at the Great Hall (1087 Queen St. W.) for the Girls Who Believe event; 8 p.m. – advance tickets $15. Check out Angela here: http://www.angelasaini.com/fr_home.cfm

Thursday, October 11: The Beautiful and the Damned, hosted by Lizzie Violet – with features Duncan Armstrong, Monica Kuebler…

From 7 p.m. till sunrise, Toronto celebrated arts, culture and entertainment all night long.

Here are some images and impressions from the evening. Janis and I missed Dr. Draw at the Rivoli, as he was running late and we had friends to meet, but we did see a group of dancers and a pair of musicians out on the front patio stage.

After the Rivoli, we met up with Lizzie and Leah at Shanghai Cowgirl for a late dinner before heading out into the downtown core, where we saw several art installations, including some work at City Hall, Nathan Phillips Square.

We made our way north, through the UofT campus and stopped by the Bata Shoe Museum, where we saw this neat sound wave drawing that wrapped around the entire room.

From there, we took the subway and streetcar up to Artscape Wychwood Barns – Barn #2, where we saw…

Theatre Local: Tell us a bit about your piece:  What can people expect to see?

Lizzie Violet: I will be reading a series of horror themed poems, part of which are from a series of Zombie poems I’ve written over the last 2 years.  Since I will be doing a late night reading, I’m going to go with a mostly undead theme.

TL: What inspired you to create this piece?

LV: I’ve been writing horror poetry and short stories since I was a kid, and been into Zombies since then as well. There is something intriguing about them, that even in their undead state they have a sense of community and determined survival instinct.  The series of Zombie poems is about different aspects of Zombies, such as being chased, becoming one, a child’s perspective, Zombies perspective etc.

TL: What’s up next for you?

LV: I’m currently working on…

The September edition of The Beautiful and The Damned filled the house once again. Great features, great open stagers, DM Moore was a sublime host with great trivia questions, what more could one ask for? I was happy to take up my spot as beverage handler to greet people as they came panting (not pantless) up into the Glad Day third floor space

The first feature was the 2008 Governor General’s Award winner Jacob Sheier. he read from his book, some from his next book & some new pieces. Much of his work has a warm family rambling story telling sensibility, much like Allen Ginsberg. Amusing, tender and insightful. ‘… you just can’t want to die/ you have to live it …’ ‘… the way age comes on like autumn/overnight …’ His occupy wall street pieces were sharp and comic – ‘I took cover under a Starbucks…

I have to say, I’ve really been diggin’ all the poetry/spoken word events I’ve attended over the past year – thanks to my good friend Lizzie Violet. There is so much talent in this city – and you can see and experience so much for little to no $.

Coming up this week: The Beautiful and the Damned music and poetry cabaret at Glad Day Bookshop (598A Yonge St., Toronto) on Thurs, Sept 13 from  7 – 10 p.m., hosted by DM Moore. This month’s hounoured dead celeb is Gore Vidal, and the featured line-up includes David Bateman, Jacob Scheier and Jessica Speziale. There are open mic slots available too – get there early to sign up.

Kirk DeMatas (who read at Smash Words at The Press Club last month) will be launching his collection of poems Conversations with Skeletons at Glad Day on Sat, Sept 15 from 6-8 p.m.