Every Thursday, we publish live music and performance events at pubs and clubs in Peterborough and The Kawarthas based on information that venues provide to us directly or post on their website or social media channels. Here are the listings for the week of Thursday, May 2 to Wednesday, May 8.

If you’re a pub or club owner and want to be included in our weekly listings, please email our Nightlife Editor at nightlife@kawarthanow.com.

Check out this video of Ennismore singer-songwriter Melissa Payne’s new song “1000 Pieces”, which dropped today (May 1) on Spotify and Apple Music.

It’s from her soon-to-be-released new album Darker Than Your Dark.

Melissa debuted the tune in a live performance at Knox Farm, a private converted barn north of Peterborough operated by music producer and event designer James McKenty and his wife Kellie.

“1000 Pieces” – Melissa Payne

It was the first time she and her new band (Kate Suhr, Marcel Rousseau, Derek Downham, Ian McKeown, and Jordan Rousseau) performed the songs from Darker Than Your Dark before a live audience.

“Her upcoming record, Darker than your Dark explores an entirely different realm from the pages of her songbook,” declares her new website at www.melissa-payne.ca.

“Nine original tracks that take the listener through the peaks and valleys of the life of this highly emotive artist who is just gaining her stride. Her honest and vulnerable approach to the songs that comprise her latest effort are sure to win over her dedicated fans and first time listeners alike.”

You’ll be hearing (and seeing) a lot of Melissa this spring and summer.

In addition to touring in support of her new album, Melissa will be performing with Kate Suhr and Kate Brioux as the Dixie Hicks at The Canadian Canoe Museum’s Campfires & Cocktails fundraiser on Saturday, May 6th.

She’ll be opening (along with Evangeline Gentle) for American singer-songwriter Carrie Alice Williams at the Market Hall in Peterborough on Wednesday, June 5th.

And both Melissa and Kate Suhr will be performing this summer for the first time at 4th Line Theatre at the Winslow Farm in Millbrook.

From May 1st to 4th, Enter Stage Right returns to the PCVS auditorium with a brand new production A Good Man is Hard to Find.

Written and directed by brother and sister team Greg and Jen Nugent, A Good Man is Hard to Find is a throwback to the campus comedies that dominated pop culture in the early 1980s.

Sort of a Facts of Life meets Revenge of the Nerds, with a hint of Legally Blonde and Animal House thrown into the mix, this original production is a different kind of show than I’ve become used to from Enter Stage Right in previous years.

By being firmly based in reality, it creates new dramatic challenges for the young cast of players. As Enter Stage Right’s company grows up, so do the productions.

It’s no secret that I have a soft spot for Enter Stage Right, and visiting with the cast and crew of their productions is a highlight of my theatrical year each year. Led by the Nugents, Enter Stage Right is a non-profit group that brings high school students from across Peterborough to help create their own original musical.

I’ve always thought of Enter Stage Right as the “little theatre company that could” and, with limited resources or funding, this dedicated group always put on a highly original production. Over the four years that I have spent with this group, I have come to find the entire Enter Stage Right cast and crew to be very endearing, which brings me back each year.

A Good Man is Hard to Find had a more organic origin than previous plays. In the past, the company has been presented with original scripts by Greg and Jen written the summer before production begins. However, when the company only had two male actors show up for auditions this year, alongside a dozen young women, Greg and Jen put away their planned script and developed a brand new story to accommodate this unique situation that a good man, in fact, is hard to find.

Enter Stage Right welcomes you to Everleigh College, where the two campus sororities are in competition for pledges, not to mention pretty much everything else. There’s Phi Beta Sigma, led by pretty and popular Riley Hannigan (Sarah Theberge), who is pristinely dressed, armed with cookies, and ready for a good party. Then there’s Alpha Omega Psi, led by Carter Abbotsford (Taite Cullen), which was formed on traditional, if not outdated and wildly misguided, values.

In an eternal struggle for dominance on campus, the two sororities are in a bitter feud, which escalates via various subplots throughout the show.

One plot focuses on new students Delany (Hannah Boyes) and Sam (Annika Goeckel), two best friends from high school who planned to come to college and join a sorority together. However, while outgoing Delany finds herself seduced by the glamour and popularity of Phi Beta Sigma, awkward Sam feels more at home with Alpha Omega Psi.

As the two split off to discover life in their chosen sorority, not only is their friendship threatened, but they begin to discover the strengths and flaws of the two houses.

Meanwhile, two displaced male students, slacker frat boy Chuck (Russell Wideman) and his more serious studious best pal Addison (Isaac Martin), find themselves displaced when they are banned from all fraternities after an accidental explosion that Chuck caused. Homeless and facing the cutting of their funding, Chuck discovers a loophole allowing them to pledge to sorority houses. With Chuck heading over to Phi Beta Sigma, Addison pleads with Alpha Omega Psi to allow him in.

Discovering there’s little they can do to stop the boys from pledging, Riley and Carter decide to force the boys out. In doing so, a private bet is concocted for which house will drive the boys out first — with harrowing consequences to the losing sorority.

But once the boys start to become part of the sorority life, feelings begin to change among the girls as alliances are formed, friendships are broken, sisters are betrayed, and romance blooms in a story with likeable characters and lots of heart.

One of the things I enjoy about Enter Stage Right shows is to follow the returning performers who come back each year and watch them grow as actors. I’ve been watching some of the performers for three shows now, and in A Good Man is Hard to Find I noticed a maturity in the performances of many of the returning actors, who have greatly stepped up their game with this show.

Taite Cullen, who caught my attention last year in After the Battle as angry underwater superheroine The Wave, has become a confident and strong leading lady in the role of Carter. She is able to lead this ensemble cast through a lengthy production with multiple plots.

Issac Martin, who in previous years played awkward characters such as Dilton in Everyone Loves Archie and The Bureaucrat in After the Battle, steps out of his previous typecasting into a more mature and emotionally conflicted character as Addison.

Jordan de Groot, who won over audiences last year as the hapless criminal The Gooch in After the Battle, continues to steal scenes as dumb but lovable Rosalie, who has not only a strong stage presence but many of the best lines of the show. Jordan always manages to make the scene glow when she takes centre stage.

I was really impressed with Lena Ross, who graduated from saying apple puns in last year’s show to becoming the emotional powerhouse player this year. In the role of conflicted Phi Beta Sigma vice president Reagan Hanover, Lena creates a realistic and relatable character. Confident on stage, Lena is always interesting to watch.

New to Enter Stage Right this year is Russell Wideman, who becomes the audience favourite in the role of Chuck. The stereotypical sophomoric slacker, Chuck is fun to be with and, despite his shenanigans, always remains likeable. While the character could be in fear of slipping into a cocky obnoxiousness, Chuck keeps him laid back and likeable.

Chuck and Lena’s performance together at the finale could be my favourite moment of the show.

I also really enjoyed the performance by Annika Goeckel as Sam. Reminding me as a teenaged Sarah Silverman, Annika is a standout because she is just so different from the rest of the girls in the show. Quirky and awkward yet fierce, Annika can project strong emotions not only through her dialogue, but also with her interesting uses of body language — most notably the hunched stance she often uses when leaving the stage defeated. I think Annika has the potential to become a very good character actress and I hope to see her on stage again.

I also want to give a shout out to the important performances by Britney Burton and Eli Cox as house mothers Helen LaRue and Miss Munn. Britney dominates the stage with larger-than-life confidence as the mean-spirited former president of Phi Beta Sigma, while Eli delivers the show’s best lines as the spaced-out but spiritually beautiful Miss Munn.

Unlike some shows in previous years that relied heavily on chorus characters, in A Good Man is Hard to Find each character has a unique function and each cast member has a part to play in the movement of the plot.

The cast is rounded out by Hunter Sanderson as the conniving Staci Monroe, Eden Ferris as the exasperated Alpha Omega vice president Erica Sloane, Victoria Bell as annoying fact-quoting Tiffany, and Jaiden Charters as an exotic animal collector who causes havoc across campus.

Through each of these characters, a whole world of subplots and personalities make up campus life at Everleigh College.

A Good Man is Hard to Find isn’t without a noticeable weakness here and there, but for the times that it does fumble it makes up for it with the conviction of the performers and the noticeable heart that the Enter Stage Right company invests into the production.

Like every year, the company pulls off another production when the odds sometimes seem stacked against them, proving again that they are the little theatre company that could. As long as they are devoted to creating original theatre filled with heart and a sense of honesty, they will always be able to maintain my devotion to them.

A Good Man is Hard to Find runs from Wednesday May, 1st to Saturday, May 4th in the auditorium at PACE at PCVS (201 McDonnel St., Peterborough). Doors open at 6:#0 p.m., with the show at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults and #10 for students and seniors and are available for sale at the door.

In May, the Art Gallery of Peterborough is showing two new exhibits accompanied by some fun workshops. Artspace hosts its annual 50/50 fundraiser, with a new exhibit by Tia Cavanagh coming later in May. Ah! Arts and Heritage Centre of Warkworth is presenting playful cat sculptures by Blandford Gates, and Leanne Baird’s ‘Up Came The Sun’ is showing at the Colborne Street Gallery in Fenelon Falls.

The Peterborough Youth Arts Festival is at PACE in early May, and the annual “Get your Art On” exhibit is happening over the Victoria Day weekend. Spring shows and sales include the Willow Spring Artisan Show and Market in Douro and the Artsanity Show and Sale in Lakefield on the first two weekends in May. Tickets are now available for the second annual Peterborough Arts Awards, which will be presented at the Mayor’s Luncheon for The Arts on May 24th.

And don’t forget the popular First Friday art crawl is coming up on May 3rd, featuring fun workshops and many different open studios and art exhibits in downtown Peterborough.

Nicole Bauberger’s ‘Get There from Here’ exhibit, workshop, and Family Sunday at the Art Gallery of Peterborough

‘Get There From Here’ represents an ongoing painting project. Since 2008, Nicole Bauberger has been traversing the roads of Canada, stopping at intervals to paint the landscape of the open road. This series represents routes of travel across the country, from Newfoundland to Vancouver and as far as the Northwest Territories.

In conjunction with this exhibition, Nicole will be conducting a painting workshop on Saturday, May 4th, focusing on the ‘plein air’ method of painting outside on location. Visit agp.on.ca/programs/plein-air-painting-with-nicole-bauberger/ to register or call the Art Gallery at 705-743-9179.

There will also be a special Family Sunday, “Painting the Road with artist Nicole Bauberger”, on Sunday, May 5th. Nicole will be set up outside the gallery with a tent and a well-plasticked vehicle interior. Sit inside the vehicle and imagine what it would be like to use it as a mobile painting studio, as you create your very own painting of the road with tempera paint on matte board. Drop in anytime between 1 and 4 p.m. (first come, first served). There will also be other fun activities set up in the gallery and the studio.

Finally, on Tuesday, May 7th from 6:30 to 8 p.m., join the artist for ‘Road Stories with Nicole Bauberger’ in the centre court at Lansdowne Place mall (645 Lansdowne St. W., Peterborough). There will be a meet and greet with Nicole at 6:30 p.m. featuring live music and food samples. Then, at 7 p.m., Nicole will give a 40-minute slide show presentation set around some of her favourite stories from the road, including a performance on ukulele of the waltz she wrote for her dog Itsy who accompanied her for many of the painting journeys. This is a free event open to all.

‘Get There From Here’ is on display until Sunday, June 2nd.

The Art Gallery of Peterborough is located at 250 Crescent Street in downtown Peterborough and is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday. It offers free admission, barrier-free access, and a gallery shop. Parking is available in the Del Crary lot. For more information, call 705-743-9179 or visit agp.on.ca.

‘Grand Theft Terra Firma’ by David Campion and Sandra Shields currently on display at the Art Gallery of Peterborough

‘Grand Theft Terra Firma’ deals with the serious subject of injustice as experienced in S’olh Temexw, otherwise known as BC’s Fraser Valley, in a somewhat light-hearted way. Using fictional characters alongside accurate historical facts, David Campion and Sandra Shields weave a story depicting the colonization of Canada as an act of greedy thievery masterminded by criminals in London.

This story stands in contrast to the story of nation-building we are regularly told, which is known to leave out some of the less-pleasant details involved in the process. The story Campion and Shields tell encourages viewers to consider the impact these historical events have had, as well brings facts that may not be widely known to light. This kind of work opens up space for better understanding and communication between groups that have historically been divided in our society and moves us closer to understanding and reconciliation.

Curated by Laura Schneider and produced and circulated by The Reach Gallery in Abbotsford, the exhibit will be displayed until Sunday, June 23rd.

The Art Gallery of Peterborough is located at 250 Crescent Street in downtown Peterborough and is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday. It offers free admission, barrier-free access, and a gallery shop. Parking is available in the Del Crary lot. For more information, call 705-743-9179 or visit agp.on.ca.

Colborne Street Gallery in Fenelon Falls presents ‘Up Came the Sun’ by Leanne Baird opening May 2nd

This new series of colourful and visually interesting landscapes Leanne Baird expresses the beauty of quiet moments of contemplation. Nature and the play of light in natural landscapes are constant sources of inspiration for Leanne.

Come out and meet the artist at the opening reception on Thursday, May 2nd at 6 p.m. The exhibit will be on display until Sunday, May 26th.

Colborne Street Gallery is located at 44 Colborne Street in Fenelon Falls. Hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday. For more information about the space or upcoming exhibits, visit colbornegallery.ca, email info@colbornegallery.ca, or call 705-887-0997.

Artspace 50/50 Art Draw, Fire Sale, and Silent Auction in Peterborough on May 4th

Get your tickets! Artspace’s Annual 50/50 fundraiser and party is around the corner, at 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 4th.

This fun night of music, door prizes, food and drink, and of course the exciting Art Draw, Fire Sale, and Silent Auction will not disappoint.

For the Art Draw, you buy a ticket and wait for your ticket number to called at random, and then select a piece of art from the wall. Everyone with a draw ticket goes home with a piece of art.

Tickets are $25 for the party and $100 for the Art Draw, available online at artspace-arc.org/event/5050-art-draw-2019/.

Artspace is located at 378 Aylmer Street in downtown Peterborough and offers barrier-free access (to all but Gallery 2) and free admission during regular open hours: Tuesday to Friday from noon to 6 p.m. and Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. Parking is available in the municipal lot on Hunter Street between Aylmer and George. For more information, call 705-748-3883 or visit artspace-arc.org.

The Willow Spring Artisan Show and Sale in Douro on May 5th

The Willow Spring Artisan Show & Market, a carefully curated annual show taking place from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, May 5th, features natural and herbal products, jewellery, fibre arts, pottery, glasswork and visual art.

With more than 20 artisans from the region, this spring market is a great opportunity to find gifts for Mother’s Day and for a spring drive out to Douro. All proceeds from the $2 door fee goes towards Cystic Fibrosis Canada.

The Willow Spring Artisan Show & Market takes place at St. Joseph’s Parish Hall (299 County Rd. 8, Douro). For more information, visit www.facebook.com/willowspringartisans/.

Second annual Peterborough Youth Arts Festival on May 5th

An annual celebration of young artists in the community, the Peterborough Youth Arts Festival was created in 2018 by Lydia Etherington and continues in 2019 in partnership with Arts for Awareness, a collective of experienced local artists who help encourage and nurture emerging artists in the city.

The 2019 festival, which takes place on Sunday, May 5th at Peterborough Alternative and Community Education (PACE), features work by more than 40 young artists, with visual art ranging from photography to painting and live performances including solo singers, two rock bands, a jazz ensemble, and a drumming group.

PACE is located at the Peterborough Collegiate Vocational School (210 McDonnel St, Peterborough). Doors open at 1 p.m. and the live performances begin in the auditorium at 2 p.m. Admission is $10 or pay what you can.

For more information. visit artforawareness.net/peterborough-youth-arts-festival or email peterboroughyouthartsfestival@gmail.com.

Publication launch of ‘La Ràbida, Soul of Conquest: an Anishinaabe encounter’ at the Art Gallery of Peterborough on May 11th

La Ràbida, Soul of Conquest: an Anishinaabe encounter documents Bonnie Devine’s exhibition of the same name (which was on display at the Art Gallery of Peterborough in 2016-17) in full colour and includes essays by Bonnie Devine, Deb O’Rourke, John G. Hampton and Davis DeLeary.

Join a celebration of the launch of the publication at 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 11th at the Art Gallery of Peterborough. This is a free event open to all.

The Art Gallery of Peterborough is located at 250 Crescent Street in downtown Peterborough and is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday. It offers free admission, barrier-free access, and a gallery shop. Parking is available in the Del Crary lot. For more information, call 705-743-9179 or visit agp.on.ca.

Artisanity Show and Sale in Lakefield on May 11th and 12th

If you are in the Lakefield area on Mother’s Day weekend, then stop in at the Artisanity Show and Sale and perhaps find a few treasures.

There will be gourd art, bird houses, baby blankets, stuffed animals, garden sculptures, kitchenware and much more — even kaleidescopes!

Presented by Artisans Centre Peterborough, the show and sale will be happening on both Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Marshland Centre (4 Hague blvd, Lakefield).

Admission is a $2 donation to support the Artisans Centre’s programs.

Artspace presents Tia Cavanagh’s ‘jibwaa aawang / miiniwaa nongwa / baamaa pii’ opening May 24th

Opening on Friday, May 24th at 7 p.m., Tia Cavanagh’s ‘jibwaa aawang / miiniwaa nongwa / baamaa pii’ is a multidisciplinary show explores process and materials through Indigenous research methodologies.

As an Indigenous woman, Tia brings her own perspective to the representation and exploration of the world though her artistic practice.

Stop in, meet the artist and enjoy some light refreshments during the opening reception. The exhibit will be on display until Saturday, July 13th.

Artspace is located at 378 Aylmer Street in downtown Peterborough and offers barrier-free access (to all but Gallery 2) and free admission during regular open hours: Tuesday to Friday from noon to 6 p.m. and Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. Parking is available in the municipal lot on Hunter Street between Aylmer and George. For more information, call 705-748-3883 or visit artspace-arc.org.

Ah! Arts and Heritage Centre of Warkworth presents ‘Cats: The fantasy world of Blandford Gates’ opening May 24th

Come and see this fun new exhibit at Ah! Arts and Heritage Centre of Warkworth featuring the latest series of sculptures by Blandford Gates, a local resident who assembles playful cat metal sculptures using recycled tools, machine parts, plumbing, and hardware.

The opening reception is on Saturday, May 4th from 7 to 9 p.m. and will feature some of his big cat sculptures outdoors, as well as a family-oriented interactive experience involving photographs and cat ears.

Curated by Sheree Rasmussen, the exhibit continues on weekends until Sunday, June 16th.

Ah! Arts and Heritage Centre of Warkworth is located at 35 Church Street in downtown Warkworth. Hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. For more information, visit ahcentre.ca.

Peterborough Arts Awards at Mayor’s Luncheon for The Arts on May 24th

The Electric City Culture Council will be presenting the second annual Peterborough Arts Awards on Friday, May 24th at the Mayor’s Luncheon for the Arts.

Six awards of $2,000 each will be presented for outstanding achievement in the arts in Peterborough, as well as two Bierk Art Fund bursaries (from the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough, established to honour the memory and celebrate the life of Peterborough resident Liz Bierk, wife of renowned artist David Bierk).

The awards are for Outstanding Emerging Artist (sponsored by Tim and Shelley Barrie of Merit II Realty Limited), Outstanding Mid-Career Artist (sponsored by Betty and Bill Morris), Outstanding Senior Artist (sponsored by Paul Hickey of Outpost379), Outstanding Achievement by an Indigenous Artist (sponsored by LLF Lawyers), Arts Champion (sponsored by Paul Bennett/Ashburnham Realty), and Arts Catalyst (sponsored by Kate and Alex Ramsay).

The guest speaker is Charlie Foran, author of Mordecai: The Life & Times, which in 2011 won both the Governor General’s Literary Award for nonfiction and the Hilary Weston Writers’ Trust Prize for Nonfiction. There will also be performances by Dreda Blow, Justin Millon, Curtis Driedger, and more.

The luncheon, with a three-course meal provided by BE Catering, takes place from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the McDonnel St. Activity Centre (577 McDonnel St., Peterborough). Tickets are $40, available at eventbrite.ca.

“Get Your Art On” at The Mount in Peterborough on the Victoria Day long weekend

The 4th annual “Get Your Art On” exhibit takes place on the Victoria Day weekend (May 17 to 20) in the beautiful Austin Doran Hall (the former chapel) at The Mount Community Centre in Peterborough.

Drop in on the opening reception at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, May 17th for light refreshments and meet other arts enthusiasts and artists from the community.

If you would like to participate, the call for artists is still open. Drop off will be between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Thursday, May 16th. Art pick up and an open house takes place all day on Monday, May 20th (Victoria Day).

The Mount Community Centre is located at 1545 Monaghan Road in Peterborough.