Torontoist » “Prostate Cancer Canada”

Twin Showcases at the TIFF Bell Lightbox Herald Student Filmmakers

Kevin Scott — Wed, 22 May 2013 16:30:46 +0000

TIFF presents a night of films by directors who are still in high school or university.

It’s entirely possible that an early work by the next Atom Egoyan or David Cronenberg will screen on Wednesday night at the TIFF Bell Lightbox. With the 2013 Student Film Showcase featuring the best from post-secondary schools around the country and the Jump Cuts Young Filmmakers Showcase kicking off the evening with Toronto-area high-school students’ films, the night will be a coming-out party for a new crop of talent. Judging by the polished creativity of some of the entries, it’s safe to say that young people are more prepared than ever to start telling stories on film from an early age.

CBC Music’s First-Ever Festival Will Be a CanCon Love-In

Chris Dart — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:30:30 +0000

The CBCMusic.ca Festival will feature Sloan, Kathleen Edwards, Of Monsters and Men, and roving appearances by Jian Gomeshi and Matt Galloway.

According to CBC’s Chris Boyce, the goal of this weekend’s CBCMusic.ca Festival is twofold. First and foremost, the CBC wants to celebrate Canadian music. Second, it wants to celebrate CBC Music, the broadcaster’s online music service, which launched a little over a year ago.

The Barber of Seville is Not the Sharpest Shave

Carly Maga — Tue, 21 May 2013 15:30:32 +0000

A reworked version of Beaumarchais' play makes for an uneven production, on now at Soulpepper Theatre.

In 1996, Theatre Columbus premiered playwright Michael O’Brien’s “freely adapted” take on the famous Beaumarchais play The Barber of Seville, which was written in 1775. O’Brien’s version mixed in music from the 1816 opera of the same name by Gioachino Rossini, as well as original tunes by composer John Millard. The adaptation also propelled the story forward a couple centuries, with pop culture references galore. With Theatre Columbus co-founder Leah Cherniak at the helm, the musical ended the season with six Dora Award nominations (it won three) and plenty of critical acclaim.

Seventeen years later, Soulpepper Theatre is remounting this zany reimagination of The Barber of Seville, updated once again by O’Brien, Millard, and Cherniak. But, for some reason—the change in decade, or company, or sense of humour—whatever had made the original so magical, has faded, save for a few key performances.

Urban Planner: January 10, 2012

Laura Hewitt — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 12:00:36 +0000

In today's Urban Planner: a photo exhibit about prostate cancer in Brookfield Place, a talk and screening with Renzo Martens, Craig Stickland is hitting the stage at the Drake, Spare Hearts Improv kicks off 2012 with its first show, and there's still time to check out great shows at the Next Stage Theatre Festival.

A photo of Ron Telpner, CEO of The Brainstorm Group, from the TIEd Together exhibit. Photo by Michele Taras.

ART: Going for a lunchtime stroll downtown? Starting today you can wander through the Allen Lambert Galleria in Brookfield Place to visit Photosensitive’s newest exhibition, TIEd Together. The organization has partnered with Prostate Cancer Canada for a showcase of over 100 black and white photographs and 10 short films that tell the stories of Canadians’ experiences with prostate cancer—a disease experienced by one in six Canadian men. The exhibit runs until January 22. Allen Lambert Galleria (181 Bay Street), all day, FREE.

FILM: Catch a talk and screening of Dutch artist Renzo Martens’ work presented by the Justina M. Barnicke Gallery today. Martens is known for documenting civil unrest and questioning the role of journalists and tonight, you can see Episode 1, where Martens travelled to Chechnya and turned the camera on himself to ask subjects what they thought about his presence. Hart House, East Common Room (7 Hart House Circle), screening at 6 p.m. and artist’s talk at 7 p.m., FREE.

MUSIC: Indie rocker Craig Stickland is playing one final set in Toronto before heading off to record his debut solo full-length album. Formerly a member of We Are The Take, Stickland’s new solo material is inspired, in part, by his bartending job at a Toronto hot spot and the people he saw on a nightly basis. Also onstage at the Drake tonight will be Brent Jackson and Megan Bonnell. Drake Hotel Underground (1150 Queen Street West), 8 p.m., $7.

COMEDY: Ready to laugh your way through 2012? Spare Hearts Improv is hosting its first show of the year and they want you to “shake off the heartbreak of the past, to make room for new heartbreak.” The show is called “This Year It’ll Be Different!” and will be hosted by Sondra Piea and Geoff MacDonald, along with Carolyn Williamson, Tanya Morgan, and William Nishri. Free Times Café (320 College Street), 8:30 p.m., PWYC.

NEXT STAGE: The curated winter edition of the Toronto Fringe Festival (complete with heated beer tent), The Next Stage Theatre Festival features a selection of previously produced hits, and is programmed to be all killer, no filler. Check out our preview here.

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.

Urban Planner: April 13, 2011

Laura Hewitt — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 11:00:00 +0000

Alias Dance Project presents The First LP. (Back row L–R) Sarah Yu, Gita Harris, Lauren Cook, Andrea Spaziani; (front row L–R) Geordan Coupland, Meghan Cafferky. Photo courtesy of E. S. Cheah.

In today’s Urban Planner: a fun-filled night to raise awareness about prostate cancer in black communities, a play about science, two dance shows, and an evening of book readings from great authors, including Giller Prize winner Johanna Skibsrud.

FUNDRAISER: Everyone can agree that prostate cancer is no laughing matter. However, Sway Magazine is putting on a night full of laughter and entertainment called Santé Soirée in support of this great cause. The benefit aims to break down barriers surrounding prostate cancer in black communities by bringing together some of Canada’s hottest performers. Juno Award–winning artist Divine Brown and comedian Trixx will co-host, and the evening will feature performances from a variety of artists. Caribbean-fusion food and complimentary cocktails are sure to keep the crowd happy at the beginning of the night. Ticket prices include a donation to Prostate Cancer Canada and a subscription to Sway Magazine. Embassy Nightclub (117 Peter Street), 7:00 p.m.–12:00 a.m., $20.
SCIENCE: Were you a Bill Nye the Science Guy fan growing up? If so, you may want to visit “Let Newton Be!” a dramatization of the life and times of Sir Isaac Newton presented by the University of Toronto Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology, along with the Department of Physics. Drawing on the writings of Newton and his contemporaries, the play sets the war between science and religion as the background for Newton’s personal struggles. Isabel Bader Theatre (93 Charles Street West), 7:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m., $15–$25.
ARTS: Tonight, Alias Dance Project opens its first full-length presentation with The First LP, a contemporary dance show featuring projects by some of Canada’s best choreographers, including Heidi Strauss, Apolonia Velasquez, Solid State Breakdance, Troy Feldman AKA BBoy Whiplash, Valerie Calam, Meghan Cafferky, and Geordan Coupland. The presentation will feature group pieces as well as solos combining urban hip-hop dance styles—breakdance, popping and house—with contemporary forms. Lower Ossington Theatre (100A Ossington Avenue), 8:00 p.m., $20 (for tickets, call 416-204-1082).
ARTS: Hosted by Harbourfront Centre’s World Stage Series, Canadian contemporary dance artist Louise Lecavalier returns to Toronto with the debut of her new company, Fou Glorieux. Lecavalier brings a program of duets, Children and A Few Minutes of Lock, to the Fleck Dance Theatre, April 13 through April 16, her first performances on a Toronto stage since 1999. Tickets are available online. Fleck Dance Theatre (207 Queens Quay West), 7:30 p.m., April 13–16, $15–$45 (discounts available for students and arts workers).
LITERATURE: The Authors at Harbourfront Centre series consistently features a lineup of award-winning authors and literary stars, and this week is no exception. Giller Prize–winning author Johanna Skibsrud will read from The Sentimentalists, and the evening will also feature Suzanne Desrochers reading from Bride of New France, and Antanas Sileika relating passages from Underground.
Harbourfront Centre (235 Queens Quay West), 7:30 p.m., $10 (or FREE for members, students, and youths 24 and under).