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Urban Planner: April 13, 2010
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 [email protected].
There will be a tribute show for the late Paul Quarrington tonight at The Opera House. Photo by Irene Duma.
TRIBUTE: The late Paul Quarrington (who passed away last January) was a beloved Canadian artist and friend to many, who spent his life being the ultimate multi-hyphenate (musician, novelist, filmmaker, screenwriter, non-fiction writer, journalist, and educator). Tonight, a group of Quarrington’s friends and colleagues will produce a tribute show in celebration of his life and accomplishments, featuring performances from Porkbelly Futures, Bidiniband, Jim Cuddy, Melanie Doane, and many others. Scenes adapted from Quarrington’s literary and stage work will also be featured, with actors Gordon Pinsent and Geraint Wyn Davies among those taking the stage. The Opera House (735 Queen Street East), 7 p.m. (doors at 6:30 p.m.), $40 at the door ($35 in advance).
THEATRE: Nightwood Theatre‘s FemCab is a celebration of the success of women from around the world. This cabaret-style event—now in its twenty-eighth year—will feature performances from ten artists, including comedy from Sandra Battaglini, opera from Jean Stilwell, a short film by Andrea Dorfman, and a keynote lecture by Maude Barlow. Barlow is a highly recognized author and activist (having received eight honorary doctorates as well as the 2005 Right Livelihood Award). Expect her to talk about her environmental activism as well as her work as the national chairperson for The Council of Canadians. Harbourfront Centre, Brigantine Room (235 Queens Quay West), 8 p.m., $30.
LECTURE: New Yorker magazine has the distinction of being equally comfortable exploring world politics as it is Americana and modern literature. Although well-known for its insightful articles and short stories, the magazine’s popular cartoons will be the point of discussion tonight at the Institute for Contemporary Culture’s latest talk, “The Ethos and Ethics of The New Yorker Cartoons.” Robert Mankoff, the magazine’s cartoon editor, will discuss how the New Yorker handles topical issues in its cartoons compared to the editorial cartoons in newspapers. After the lecture, Mankoff will be joined on stage by the Globe and Mail columnist Margaret Wente for a discussion and Q&A. Royal Ontario Museum, Signy and Cleophee Eaton Theatre (100 Queen’s Park) 7 p.m., $20 ($8 for ROM member, $6 for Friends of ICC).
WORDS: Today’s TINARS event focuses on the meaning of truth. Nora Young (from CBC Radio’s Spark) will speak to author Andrew Potter (co-author of The Rebel Sell) about his recent release, The Authenticity Hoax: How We Get Lost Finding Ourselves. The book explores our culture’s obsession with the artificial (how many of your Facebook friends could actually be considered “friends”?), and in the book (and tonight’s talk) Potter asks why the search for authenticity has buried us in fake things. Gladstone Hotel Ballroom (1214 Queen Street West), 7:30 p.m. (doors at 7 p.m.), $5 (free with book purchase).
WORDS: After being closed for years for extensive renovations, the Toronto Public Library’s Thorncliffe Branch will see its grand re-opening today. Among the many updates is the addition of eleven thousand new books, twenty-one public access computers, free wi-fi internet, new reading lounges, and ten thousand square feet to explore. Toronto Public Library, Thorncliffe Branch (48 Thorncliffe Park Drive), 1 p.m., FREE.