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Funny girls
Most comedy lineups are devoid of women, let alone women of colour.
That’s definitely not the case at Plaitform Entertainment‘s annual Urban Womyn’s Comedy Festival , dubbed Dat Girl ‘Sho Is Funny!
The brainchild of trey anthony and Rachael Lea Rickards (both of the mega-hit ‘Da Kink In My Hair), the fest marks its third year with a bigger-than-ever lineup of women of colour.
Rickards and anthony co-host the sure-to-sell-out show that features everyone’s favourite Pakistani-Swiss teen comic, Sabrina Jalees , Second City vet Jamilla Ross (here’s hoping she does her “sad white girl song”), the Raging Asians , Fish Eyes writer/performer Anita Majumdar and We’re Funny That Way dyke fave Karen Williams , among others.
Jemini , from 93.5FM, makes her comedy debut in the Dat Girl sketch comedy troupe. And back again this year is another variation on the All Girlz dating game. Last year featured a woman-on-woman lineup this year steps up to the altar with a newlywed-themed game.
The show takes place Saturday (June 11) at the St. Lawrence Centre (27 Front East). A special related VIP fundraiser at the swank Opal Lounge (472 Queen West) raises cash for Plaitform’s remount of ‘Da Kink in sunny California this fall. Tickets to the gala include a ticket to the comedy fest. See Comedy Listings, page 108, for details. 416-366-7723.
Something Fishy
If you become an Anita Majumdar fan after seeing her in the Dat Girl show, stick around. She’s bringing back her SummerWorks 2004 hit, Fish Eyes , for a couple of weeks. Fish Eyes tells the story of Meena, a high schooler who’s trying to reconcile her need to be popular with her training in Indian dance.
Chosen by NOW as one of the outstanding performers at SummerWorks, Majumdar – a recent grad from the National Theatre School and a member of Tarragon’s Playwrights Unit – has added more dance and more absurdity to the remount. She’s well trained in Indian dance, including Kathak, Bharatnatyam and Odissi.
The show kicks off Monday (June 13) and runs to June 26 at Theatre Passe Muraille Backspace (16 Ryerson). See Theatre Listings, page 104, for details. 416-504-7529.
Suburban schedule
Haven’t booked into Suburban Motel yet? Hurry up. You’ve got another week. The remount of Adult Entertainment and The End Of Civilization , two of George F. Walker ‘s plays from his acclaimed cycle, has been held over until June 19. The two shows – set in the same seedy motel room – look at sex, corruption and poverty and feel just as relevant as when they debuted here in the late 90s. The plays run in rep at the Factory Theatre (125 Bathurst), which marks its 35th year with one of the strongest seasons yet. See Theatre Listings, page 104, for details. 416-504-9971. stage@nowtoronto.com
