10 TO DO
Books, bubbles and YouTube moms
LITFEST
Scaachi Koul, Jen Agg, Kamal Al-Solaylee, Tanya Talaga, and Eamon McGrath are among the authors coming to town for this year’s LitFest, a celebration of nonfiction writing. First time authors Britt Wray (Rise of the Necrofauna), Evany Rosen and Chris Urquhart (Dirty Kids) will be on hand to talk about their books, while veteran writers Elaine Dewar (The Handover) and Chris Turner (The Patch) return for panels, workshops, and discussions. Check the website for more info.
When: Thursday, Oct. 12 to Sunday, Oct. 22
Where: Various locations
Admission: $129 all-access LitFest pass available from the website; individual event tickets also available.
Info: litfestalberta.org
A BRIGHT ROOM
An early effort by Pulitzer-prize winning playwright Tony Kushner kicks off the University of Alberta Studio Theatre’s 2017-2018 season. A Bright Room Called Day draws parallels between 1930s Germany and the present era, as a group of artists decide whether to leave or stay and fight for their beliefs. Billy Brown, Silverius Materi and Nancy McAlear are among the cast of U of A drama students; Brenley Charkow directs.
When: Thursday, Oct. 12 to Saturday, Oct. 21. Performances at 7:30 p.m.; No show on Sunday, Oct. 15; 12:30 p.m. matinee on Thursday, Oct. 19
Where: Timms Centre for the Arts, 87 Avenue and
112 Street Admission: $12 to $25, available at the door or from the U of A website Info: ualberta.ca
AMPLIFY
The Royal Foundry, Viva Dance, and NXG Company are among the performers taking part in this year’s Amplify Festival. The twoday arts and culture celebration aims at students from Grade 7 up to the age of 21 in the Edmonton area, boasting workshops, art exhibits, poetry slams, silkscreening and more among the musical acts. Check the website for more info. When: Friday, Oct. 13, 3 p.m. to 10:45 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 14, noon to 10:30 p.m. Where: Kinsmen Banquet Centre, 47 Riel Drive, St. Albert Admission: Free to ticketed. Ticketed events are $7 to $10, available from Eventbrite Info: eventbrite.ca
MOULETTES
They seem to get a bit touchy about people affixing “the” before Moulettes, but otherwise the English orchestral art-folk ensemble Moulettes come across as affable sorts. The hard-working quartet have been through a few different iterations, recently bolstering their ranks with guitarist/vocalist Raevennan Husbandes for their latest record, 2016’s Preternatural. Opening for the evening are Winnipeg’s Lanikai.
When: Friday, Oct. 13 at 7:30 p.m. Where: Festival Place,
100 Festival Way, Sherwood Park
Admission: $29 to $34, available from the Festival Place box office or in advance from Ticketmaster
Info: ticketmaster.ca
SHORT FILM FESTIVAL
The title says it all as the Royal Alberta Museum hosts a variety of films and videos of varying lengths, from 30 seconds to 15 minutes, in this year’s edition of the Edmonton Short Film Festival. Saturday is devoted to the main event, with comedies, horror films, dramas, and experimental efforts on the screen, as well as live music, free hors d’oeuvres and more added into the mix. Sunday is the Free Family Fun Film Festival, an interactive all-ages event; it’s free, but make sure to pre-register on the ESFF website.
When: Saturday, Oct. 14 and Sunday, Oct. 15
Where: Royal Alberta Museum Theatre, 12845 102 Ave.
Admission: Free to ticketed; $25 Red Carpet Gala tickets for Saturday available from the ESFF website
Info: esff.ca
TERRA LIGHTFOOT
It’s imperative that Canada has a singer-songwriter with the last name of Lightfoot on the road at all times, so Hamilton’s Terra Lightfoot (not related to Gordon Lightfoot) has taken up the gauntlet. The Sonic Unyon recording artist has been on the road with Bruce Cockburn, but she’ll be switching to a slot warming up Whitehorse at the Winspear on Saturday night. It will be a special evening for Lightfoot, as she’ll just have released her latest album, New Mistakes, produced by the same team that helmed her breakthrough album, 2015’s Every Time My Mind Runs Wild. When: Saturday, Oct. 14 at 8 p.m. Where: Winspear Centre
Admission: $35.50, available from the Winspear box office or website
Info: winspearcentre.com
XAVIER JARA
The prizes have been piling up for Minnesota native Xavier Jara. The acclaimed classical guitarist first made himself known by winning Boston Guitarfest in 2014, following that up with first prizes at the Gargnano Competition in 2015 and last year’s Tokyo International Competition. The 24-year-old recently released his first album on Naxos. When: Saturday, Oct. 14 at 8 p.m. Where: Muttart Hall, Alberta College, 10050 MacDonald Drive
Admission: $30, regular; $25, students and seniors. Available at the door or in advance from Tix on the Square
Info: tixonthesquare.ca
BUBBLE SHOW
Latvia boasts thousands of years of culture, but for the early 21st century the most amazing thing to come out of the Baltic state might be the Underwater Bubble Show. If you’re a kid, that is; the Underwater Bubble Show brings the inhabitants of Bubblelandia to Sherwood Park, as starfish, mermaids, clown fish, and others help the mysterious Mr. B along on a magical journey that really needs to be seen to be understood. Puppetry, mime, dance, sand art, juggling, bubble blowing, and more make up this performance, which should keep the little ones enchanted.
When: Sunday, Oct. 15, at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.
Where: Festival Place,
100 Festival Way, Sherwood Park
Admission: $34, adults; $27, children. Available from the Festival Place box office or in advance from Ticketmaster
Info: ticketmaster.ca
CANADA 150
There are only a few months left in 2017, which means that celebrations for Canada’s 150th birthday are also winding down. Don’t fear, however, as a few more events are coming up, including MacEwan University’s Conservatory of Music’s Canada 150 Concert. Local composer Joseph Lai premieres his latest effort, Four Songs (feat. the poetry of Arthur O. R. Thormann), with the rest of the afternoon devoted to works by Violet Archer, Srul Irving Glick, Hope Lee and more, played by a roster of musicians that includes Dan Davis, Ian Woodman, Bianca Baciu, Dan Sutherland, as well as soprano Elizabeth Raycroft. When: Sunday, Oct. 15 at 2 p.m. Where: Muttart Hall, Alberta College, 10050 MacDonald Drive
Admission: $10, available at the door or in advance from Eventbrite
Info: eventbrite.ca
MOM SO HARD
Kids plus dogs plus husbands plus wine. Sounds like a recipe for disaster, but Kristin Hensley and Jen Smedley have turned it into a YouTube winner under the name #IMOMSOHARD, milking comedy out of parenting foibles. The California-based pair, best friends and veteran performers, have picked up over 55 million views for their web series, and are now bringing the show on the road. No word on whether mimosas will be served at the Winspear for the evening, but perhaps a few advance emails can nudge them into preparing some.
When: Tuesday, Oct. 17 at 7:30 p.m.
Where: Winspear Centre
Admission: $47.75 to $5 7.75, available from the Winspear box office or website
Info: winspearcentre.com