Lab Cab Festival always offers some of the year’s most adventurous shows-in-progress. And now the “venue” will be as striking as the performances.
After six years at Factory Theatre, the free festival moves west to Parkdale with short works of music, dance, theatre, film, poetry, clown, visual art, comedy and events for kids.
Instead of a single space – though admittedly the Factory performances were in every nook and corner of the theatre – these presentations take place in restaurants, flower shops, parks, hair salons, laundromats and parking lots.
The two-day fest (Saturday and Sunday, July 27 and 28) involves over 100 artists offering works that range from five to 30 minutes in length. It begins at noon on Queen West near Roncesvalles and moves east toward Dufferin over the course of each day.
Look for theatre by Raoul Bhaneja, Shadowland, Clinton Walker, Amy Lee Lavoie, Jessica Moss, Laura Nanni, Morgan Norwich and Johnny Walker as well as dance by Gadfly, Meagan O’Shea, Triana Project Cuadro Flamenco, Lee Pham and Toni Ellwand.
Want some comedy or clown? Check out offerings by Mackenzie Muldoon, Asiansploitation, Joanne O’Sullivan and Christy Bruce and Lindy Zucker.
New this year, artists lead a series of workshops. You can make puppets with Dutch Uncle Puppetry, create a clown character with Helen Donnelly and learn the Singkill fan dance with Catherine Hernandez. Everyone can contribute to a mural by graffiti artist Gloria “Fiya” Monreal.
Each day starts with a free pancake breakfast, and there’s free child care, too, if you want to see something that might not be appropriate for youngsters.
It’s a great way to unify the neighbourhood and make art and its creation accessible to everyone.
See listing or, for a full schedule of programming, labcab.ca.
Telling tales
Outside the March has had a banner year, with productions of Mr. Marmalade, Terminus and the co-pro of Passion Play.
The company launches its upcoming season with The Spoke, a monthly storytelling event. The evening features Sasha Lukac, Kate Knibbs, Paul Tjepkema, Andrew Morris and Julie Tepperman.
It also marks the first instalment of The SPOKEcast, a bi-weekly storytelling podcast.
The event on Monday (July 29) also includes a live auction in which you can win the personal skills of the company’s ensemble to do whatever you want.
Doors open at 7 pm at Videofag (187 Augusta) admission $10.
Looking at A Black Boy
Darren Anthony’s Secrets Of A Black Boy, which examines the lives of a number of young black men, caused a stir when it premiered here in 2009.
On Saturday (July 27) the production returns for a pair of performances, in part to prepare for an August run at the National Black Theatre Festival in North Carolina.
The recent acquittal of George Zimmerman for the killing of Trayvon Martin and the first anniversary of the Danzig shooting in Toronto make the material still timely.
Following the 2 pm matinee there will be a Q&A discussion aimed at young people about how the themes of the play are relevant to what’s happening on the street today.
Directed by Kimahli Powell, the production features Anthony, Samson Brown, Shomari Downer, Al St. Louis and Troy Crossfield. DJ O provides the show’s onstage beats.
Performances 2 and 8 pm at the Daniels Spectrum (585 Dundas East). Tickets at secretsofablackboy.eventbrite.ca.
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