Urban Planner: August 24, 2009

Urban Planner is Torontoist's guide to what's on in Toronto, published every weekday morning, and in a weekend edition Friday afternoons. If you have an event you'd like considered, email all of its details—as well as images, if you've got any—to events@torontoist.com.

Still from Fierce Light: When Spirit Meets Action.

FILM: From the director of Scared Sacred comes Fierce Light: When Spirit Meets Action, a film about spiritual activism and the people who practise it. The documentary showed at both Hot Docs and the Vancouver International Film Festival, and in celebration of the DVD's release this week there will be a screening at the Royal Theatre, followed by a Q&A with director Velcrow Ripper. The Royal Theatre (608 College Street), 7–10 p.m., $25 (price includes a copy of the DVD).

CABARET: Within any group, no matter how marginalized, there will always be smaller sub-sections of it that may have an even harder time being accepted. It is with this hard truth in mind that A Jay Stewart Project presents Hard & Able, a cabaret of visual art, spoken word, music, theatre, poetry, and video from self-identified queer and disabled artists. The show aims to explore the perspective of disabled people in the queer community and to show that there should be more opportunities for exploring and discussing this unique experience. The cabaret is wheelchair accessible, and ASL interpretation will be provided. Buddies In Bad Times Theatre (12 Alexander Street), 8 p.m., $5.

THEATRE: Vile Passéist Theatre is a brand new theatre company with a focus on modernized versions of Elizabethan and Jacobean works. Today is the preview of The Duchess of Malfi, which will run from August 25–27. Halifax native Dan Bray directs the John Webster tragedy about an aristocrat who wants to marry beneath her and the resulting drama when her brothers discover her plan. Walmer Centre Theatre (188 Lowther Avenue), 7:30 p.m., $8 ($6 for students and seniors).

BICYCLE: Today is the inaugural run of the Bike Train from Toronto to Montreal. (You know, the one we told you about last week.) This train will run twice daily for six days a week until October 8, providing six spots in each luggage compartment for bikes (as opposed to boxing them up). This is just another step toward integrating bike travel into our regular commutes, which is always a good sign. People have to sign up at least three days in advance to get on this special train (apologies if you wanted to immediately jump on a train today to explore Old Montreal with your bicyclette). Union Station, 7:05 a.m. and 5 p.m., $109 each way ($218 return).