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Souls Spook-tacular

Not all ghost stories involve bloody horrors. Some of the best are suspenseful in an unsettling psychological way. Troubled Souls Co-op wants to capitalize on that more subtly disturbing quality in Haunted Masters , Gene Franklin Smith ‘s dramatization of a quartet of little-known ghostly tales by Henry James , Edith Wharton , D.H. Lawrence and Charles Dickens . “The stories are mostly about love gone awry, involving a triangle of people who, for whatever reason, fail as lovers,” says director Patrick Conner . “There’s at least one death in every tale.”

Intriguingly, the show’s being staged atmospherically in various rooms at the Spadina Museum across from Casa Loma the audience moves along with the actors.

“Some pieces suit one room rather than another,” notes Conner. The works, featuring Jacklyn Francis , Soo Garay , Stephen Sparks and Craig Stanghetta , range in length from 15 to 25 minutes.

“The James piece, which is so much about style, form and correctness, works best in a well-appointed space. The Lawrence, a gritty post-war story, is appropriately played out in a more dilapidated room.”

See listings, page 89, for details.

New native dances

Here’s a chance to catch some exciting works-in-progress by native writers. The 17th Weesageechak Begins To Dance Festival , sponsored by Native Earth Performing Arts , offers eight pieces by playwrights from around the country, including Alanis King , John Garfield Barlow , Mosha Folger and groups the Turtle Gals and Tonto’s Nephews . Keep an eye out for Tara Beagan ‘s Dreary And Izzy , directed by Ruth Madoc-Jones . Beagan’s the author of Thy Neighbour’s Wife, a strong script that played here last June.

There’s lots of talent in the casts, too, with actors like Cheri Maracle , Darrell Dennis , Gloria May Eshkibok , Herbie Barnes , Jani Lauzon , Jonathan Fisher , Michelle Latimer , Michelle St. John and Monique Mojica . Among the directors are Arturo Fresolone , Lisa C. Ravensbergen , Bill Lane , Marion de Vries and Nina Aquino .

See listings, page 89, for details.

Applause, applause

The Actors’ Fund of Canada , which offers encouragement and short-term financial aid to workers in the entertainment industry, holds More Than Applause 2 , a benefit evening to kick off a national week of awareness and fundraising for the fund. The performers include dancer Rex Harrington and musical theatre performers Sarah Cornell , Vanessa Olivarez , Stephen Patterson and Blythe Wilson . Scott Thompson hosts. For more info, see listings, page XX.

Human arts

We’re in the middle of ARCfest , a multidisciplinary event that’s examining ways to use the arts to address human rights issues in Canada. Theatre events in the festival – ARC stands for Art for Real Change – usually include a post-show discussion. Look for Darrell Dennis ‘s Tales Of An Urban Indian and also Fifteen Minutes To Change The World , a collaboration between Cahoots Theatre Projects and PEN Canada , featuring short political dramas by Emma Beltrán , Silvija Jestrovic , George Seremba and Goran Simic . Also part of the fest are Diplomatic Immunity , a performance facilitated by Darren O’Donnell and Marilo Nunez , about using art as a tool for activism and community building and a piece of forum theatre sponsored by the Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture . For details, see listings.

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