Sub-Urban Arts.
Step into your community and experience the local arts scene with these events:
THURSDAY, OCT. 27
About Art Toronto 2011
Join this gathering of some of the world's best galleries and artists. Lectures and onsite events are free with admission tickets. General admission $18 (available online for $16); groups/students/seniors $14; four-day pass $44; and children under 10 are free. Metro Toronto Convention Centre (MTCC) North Building, 255 Front St., 1-800-663-4173, www.arttoronto.ca
For details or to purchase tickets, call 416-979-6628.
Lettice and Lovage
East Side Players presents the comedy Lettice and Lovage Oct. 27 to Nov. 12 at The Papermill Theatre. Eccentric Lettice Duffet simply cannot settle for the ordinary. Even working as a tour guide at Fustian House, one of Britain's more boring stately homes, cannot stop her creativity. In her passion for the past, though, she begins to stray from fact and increasingly makes her tours more theatrical, much to the horror of dry and dour Lotte Schoen, a representative of the Preservation Trust. Lettice suddenly finds herself without a job. But bit by bit, the purist Lotte finds herself drawn into Lettice's world of historical romance. The two discover they have more in common than meets the eye and an unsual friendship grows. Performances: Oct. 27 to Nov. 12. Showtimes 8 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday matinees. Tickets: $20, students $15. Purchase tickets online at www.eastsideplayers.ca. Box office: 416-425-0917. The Papermill Theatre, 67 Pottery Rd. Entrance off of Bayview Extension.
Love and Other Stresses
Encore Entertainment presents Love and Other Stresses now playing until Nov. 6. A funny and irreverent musical revue that pokes fun at love and stress in a world that includes Facebook, Twitter, blogging, texting, YouTube and Internet dating. For anyone who has been in love, who has been married, or wants to be and for anyone who isn't sure if relationships are worth the trouble. For anyone who has been a parent, or wants to be one, or who has one. For anyone who stresses about their weight, their age, their teenagers, their homework, their job and the fact that time is going by too quickly. Any of this sound familiar? Nov. 1 to 5 at 8 p.m. and Nov. 6 at 1 p.m. Studio Theatre, Toronto Centre for the Arts, 5040 Yonge St.
Precious Life
Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies hosts an exclusive screening of the documentary film Precious Life. It documents the struggles and consequences of an Israeli pediatrician and a Palestinian mother brought together to save her son, who suffers from an incurable genetic disease. Each must face his most profound biases and navigate external pressures as they act to save an innocent life. With special guest Dr. Raz Somech, head of pediatric immunology at Sheba's Edmond and Lily Safra Children's Hospital in Israel. Call 416-864-9735, ext. 29 or mmarkowitz@fswc.ca
SATURDAY, OCT. 29
Celtic Fundraiser
An Autumn night of Celtic Charm, presented by The Dunmore Choir, takes place Saturday, Oct. 29 from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at St John's Presbyterian Church, 415 Broadview Ave. (Broadview and Gerrard). Direct from Galway, Ireland, The Dunmore Choir show is a benefit concert for L'Arche Toronto. Visit www.larchetoronto.org
Native Earth
Native Earth brings the performing arts community together for its 24th annual Weesageechak Festival. This year's four-day festival is being held at Theatre Passe-Muraille (16 Ryerson Ave), Oct. 26 to 29. Native Earth said the new festival dates provides it with the opportunity to engage with sister organizations imagineNative and Centre for Indigenous Theatre (CIT).
SUNDAY, OCT. 30
Fool's Festival
Festival Of Oral Literatures (FOOL), now on until Oct. 30 at several locations, is a bilingual celebration of the arts of voice and story. Visit www.foolfestival.ca
Burton and Isabelle Pipistrelle
Go Batty for Halloween at the Royal Ontario Museum Oct. 30 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Celebrate the launch of the ROM's new children's book Burton and Isabelle Pipistrelle with everything about bats. The author and illustrator of the book will be on hand for readings and drawing workshops and the ROM's own Batman Burton Lim makes a special appearance to talk about bats. Bill BatBoy Scully will also be bringing in live bats. Create bat crafts and more with special guest Tara Winterhalt illustrator of Burton and Isabelle Pipistrelle: Out of the Bat Cave. Free with admission. Visit www.rom.on.ca. Royal Ontario Museum 100 Queen's Park.
MONDAY, OCT. 31
Happy Halloween!
TUESDAY, NOV. 1
Ravine Fundraising Concert
Friends of Glen Davis Ravine, a community organization formed by local residents in response to a condominium proposal at 580-592 Kingston Rd., alongside The Association of Artists for a Better World, is hosting a fundraising concert Tuesday, Nov. 1. The Save the Glen Davis Ravine fundraiser will take place from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. at the Delta Chelsea Hotel, 33 Gerrard St. W. The concert will feature a host of local musicians/artists including Hotcha!, Noah Zacharin, Brian Gladstone and John Jackson, who are donating their time and talent to raise funds to save the local green space. Artists are welcome to drop in and sign up to play for a few hours. A house guitar will be available. Admission is free but a minimum $10 donation is encouraged. Funds raised will help the local group's ongoing battle at the Ontario Municipal Board. Visit www.friendsofglendavisravine.ca for more information.
International Diaspora Film Festival
The 11th annual International Diaspora Film Festival (IDFF) runs Nov. 1 to 6 at Carlton Cinemas and Innis Town Hall. The IDFF is a not-for-profit film festival exploring themes of migration, integration and cultural diversity that interface through the medium of cinema. Both dramatic and documentary films are selected from all over the world, representing diverse ethnicities from European, Middle Eastern, East Asian, South Asian, Jewish and Latin American communities. For complete schedule and ticket information please visit www.diasporafilmfest.com
This year's festival highlights include:
* Lady of No Fear, movie on the life of Nobel Prize Laureate and leader of Burmese struggle for democracy Aung San Suu Kyi, with a talk on Burma moderated by Karen Connelly;
* Free public screening of Forget Baghdad.
* Gaza Women's Film Festival - series of films made by Palestinian female filmmakers. In a society that typically does not support women to enter into this type of field, the results are impressive. From documentaries to shorts, an insightful opportunity to preview current conditions in Gaza, through the eyes of women. This event is co-presented by Palestinian Film Festival;
* Acclaimed Iranian-Canadian filmaker Shahin Parhami's film Amin makes its Toronto debut. Parhami to be in attendance for Q and A.