October is a lovely time to get out for some live music, with the cool fall evenings making an outing to a warm cozy venue all the more pleasurable. Peterborough and the Kawarthas are full of music for fans of all genres. Here are just a few of the concerts happening in the area in October.

Evangeline Gentle at The Theatre on King in Peterborough on October 4

Peterborough singer-songwriter Evangeline Gentle continues to make waves in the Canadian music scene with their amazing voice and songs that strike chords with all ages.

On Friday, October 4th at The Theatre on King (171 King St., Peterborough), Gentle and band will celebrate the release of their debut self-titled album. The album was produced by Ottawa-area producer/songwriter Jim Bryson in his Stittsville studio and was released on Rae Spoon’s COAX Records in September.

General admission tickets are $12 in advance at eventbrite.ca/e/evangeline-gentle-album-release-tickets-67440052011 or $15 at the door.

Doors open at 7 p.m. with the show starting at 8 p.m.. Mike Teevee (a.k.a. Cormac Culkeen) will be opening.

VIDEO: “Sundays” – Evangeline Gentle

Rick Fines at the Market Hall in Peterborough on October 4

Award-winning local singer-songwriter and bluesman Rick Fines has written a new collection of songs for his upcoming eighth album, and he’ll be performing them an intimate concert at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre (140 Charlotte St., Peterborough, 705-749-1146) on Friday, October 4th at 8 p.m.

Fines’ new album is an all-acoustic one, featuring his Dobro and National guitars along with his trusted six-string. He’s written a couple of songs with Matt Anderson and local poet PJ Thomas.

Fines will also be asking the audience at the Market Hall concert how they want to purchase songs from the new album (streaming, CD, LP, etc.).

Tickets are $35 for general admission ($25 students or artists) or $40 for cabaret table seats, available at the Market Hall Box Office or online at markethall.org.

VIDEO: “Laundry On The Line” – Rick Fines

Sean Burns at The Garnet in Peterborough on October 5

Sean Burns, originally from Oshawa but now residing in Winnipeg, is one of the hardest-working musicians in Canada. He is almost always criss-crossing Canada with his old-time country stylings.

On Saturday, October 5th, he returns to The Garnet (231 Hunter St. W., Peterborough, 705-874-0107) along with pedal steel player Skinny Dyck.

Also on the bill are Peterborough’s favourite country-rockers Diamond Dave and the Smoke Eaters.

The show begins shortly after 9 p.m. and will cost $10 at the door. Put on your best Western shirt and cowboy boots and get ready for a country-filled hootenanny!

VIDEO: “Invitation to the Blues” – Sean Burns & Lost Country

Breabach at the Market Hall in Peterborough on October 6

On Sunday, October 6th, check out contemporary folk band Breabach from Glasgow, Scotland at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre (140 Charlotte St., Peterborough, 705-749-1146).

Breabach’s music shifts from traditional folk stylings to contemporary tunes and original compositions that expand on exactly what it means to be a ‘folk group’. The award-winning group’s latest record is entitled Frenzy of the Meeting and continues to show an expanding and developing sonic space for them.

The show is a matinee beginning at 4 p.m. Tickets are $35 for a regular seat and $38 for a cabaret table spot. You can get them at the Market Hall Box Office or online at markethall.org.

VIDEO: “Knees Up” – Breabach

Long Range Hustle at the Tweed Kiwanis Pavillion on October 11

The Tweed and Area Arts Council presents up-and-coming roots-rock band Long Range Hustle on Friday, October 11th at the Tweed Kiwanis Pavillion (137 Victoria St. S., Tweed).

The Tweed/Stirling area band — featuring Paul Brogee (vocals, guitar, violin), Jay Foster (vocals, piano), Mike Brogee (bass, vocals), and AJ Fisico (drums, vocals) with Ryan Pritchard (guitar) — brings an infectious energy to the stage, along with catchy songs that have been lighting up audiences in Canada and the U.S.

The show costs $15 and is an all-ages licensed event. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and the show runs from 8:30 to 10 p.m. It’s a great way to start your Thanksgiving weekend.

Tickets are available at eventbrite.ca/e/long-range-hustle-at-the-tweed-kiwanis-pavilion-tickets-63336141103.

VIDEO: “Carry Us” – Long Range Hustle

Carolyn Mark at The Garnet in Peterborough on October 15

Vancouver Island’s Carolyn Mark is a songwriter who is always worth seeing live. Her tunes range from quirky to relatable to downright sad.

On Tuesday, October 15th, Mark returns to The Garnet (231 Hunter St. W., Peterborough, 705-874-0107) to play my birthday party!

Come and share a few laughs, some pints, and check out one of Canada’s best-kept secrets in Carolyn Mark’s excellent music.

Tickets will be $10 at the door and the show begins at 8 p.m.

VIDEO: “Miles from Nowhere in a Valley Off The Highway” – Carolyn Mark

Steve Poltz at the Market Hall in Peterborough on October 19

There’s no one quite like singer-songwriter-madman Steve Poltz.

Although Poltz may be best known for co-penning “You Were Meant for Me”, a huge hit by Jewel in the mid-90s, his career is much more broad and interesting than that. His tunes and his performance are always full of laughs and twists.

Poltz comes to Peterborough on Saturday, October 19th at 8 p.m. at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre (140 Charlotte St., Peterborough, 705-749-1146). Tickets are $35 and you can get them the Market Hall Box Office or online at markethall.org.

VIDEO: “Ballin’ On A Wednesday” – Steve Poltz

Jimmy Bowskill at The Garnet in Peterborough on October 20

Bailieboro’s Jimmy Bowskill has been a professional musician since before he was a teenager. His solo career began with the blues, and has evolved through bluegrass and beyond as his influences have broadened.

Beyond his own fantastic music, Bowskill has been playing with a couple bands you may have heard: The Sheepdogs and Blue Rodeo. On Sunday, October 20th, he will bring his own band, The Hometown Beauts, to The Garnet (231 Hunter St. W., Peterborough, 705-874-0107) for a pair of intimate shows: a matinee at 3 p.m. and an evening show at 8 p.m.

Each show costs $25. Tickets are available at The Garnet and also online at ticketscene.ca/artists/jimmy_bowskill_and_the_hometown_beauts/.

VIDEO: Jimmy Bowskill at ideacity in 2015

Jim Cuddy at the Academy Theatre in Lindsay on October 24

Two words: Jim Cuddy! That’s right, fans of the long-time Blue Rodeo co-founder, he is coming to the Academy Theatre (2 Lindsay St. S., Lindsay, 705-324-9111) on Thursday, October 24th.

Cuddy just released a brand new record called Country Wide Soul and his voice and tunes continue as strong as ever. He’ll be performing a show as The Jim Cuddy Trio along with guitarist Colin Cripps (Blue Rodeo, Jim Cuddy Band) and fiddler Anne Lindsay (Jim Cuddy Band, The Skydiggers, John McDermott).

Tickets are $79.50 plus taxes and fees. Tickets are available at the Box Office, by phone at 705-324-9111, or online at www.academytheatre.ca.

VIDEO: “Back Here Again” – Jim Cuddy

Death By Art School at The Garnet in Peterborough on October 31

Head to The Garnet (231 Hunter St. W., Peterborough, 705-874-0107) on Thursday, October 31st for a rocking Halloween party with Death By Art School.

The group is an outrageous high-energy mix of rap, rock, and glam electro music. There will be costumes, guns shooting fake money, and enough music to make it a super-fun night. Guests to be announced soon.

Tickets are $10 at the door.

VIDEO: Death By Art School

Promising to deliver “an emotional rollercoaster,” acclaimed mentalist and magician Spidey returns to Peterborough this fall, this time spinning his mind-blowing web at the Showplace Performance Centre.

“There are things that happen in my show that people would describe as supernatural,” he says in a March 2017 interview with kawarthaNOW that precluded his last visit to the city.

“There are very intense moments, extremely happy moments, really funny moments, and deeply emotional moments.”

For most, those ingredients are at the centre of pure entertainment, and entertain Spidey will when he takes to the stage of the downtown Peterborough venue on Friday, October 18th.

VIDEO: Spidey: Make Believe – Magic of your Mind

He promises to bring his popular magic and mentalism tricks to the Showplace stage, from playing a heart-racing game of Russian roulette and ‘mind Pictionary’ to tapping into someone’s happiest memories and revealing impossible details.

Spidey (his real name is Bedros Akkelian) has entertained and amazed millions via North American and international tours, numerous television appearances, and several viral YouTube videos — including one clip that sees him exercise the power of suggestion to dodge getting a speeding ticket. He also appears as a guest star in three episodes of the 2018 Netflix original series, Brainchild, which is available in 21 countries.

A Canadian Magician of the Year nominee and a Canada’s Got Talent finalist, Spidey has performed for, and been consulted by, numerous celebrities, the famed magic duo Penn and Teller among them.

In 2014, performing in front of a studio audience for a taping of the reality TV series Wizard Wars, Spidey’s mentalism skills caught the full attention of the duo, including a rare vocal outburst from the typically silent Teller. Leaping to his feet, he cried ‘Bravo!’ repeatedly.

“It was one of most iconic moments of my career … that was huge for me,” recalls Spidey, noting it led directly to his appearing on Penn and Teller’s television series Penn & Teller: Fool Us.

VIDEO: Spidey and Joel Meyers on Penn & Teller Fool Us

A graduate of Montreal’s Concordia University with a degree in social psychology, Spidey practised card tricks while in high school. His eventual stage name can be traced back to his time as a camp counsellor. A fan of comic books, and with the Spiderman film big in theatres at the time, he adopted that handle as his camp name.

Spidey’s increasing fascination with the mental aspect of magic took him in a new direction. In a June 2018 interview with Lindsay Carlton of Fox News, Spidey recalls “That was when the real spark hit where I got really into the more mental stuff”..

“I thought it (mentalism) was a really great way to connect with people, to break the ice, and it’s something that I just became so passionate about.”

According to Spidey, mentalism has at its heart four subcategories: prediction, clairvoyance, telekinesis, and telepathy. That said, he adds mind reading isn’t what most think it is.

“It’s not like we look at the person and we see or hear their thoughts,” he says. “Through a combination of deductive reasoning, magic, and psychology, we know what they’re thinking.”

He adds using psychology to manipulate people’s minds shouldn’t be confused with being psychic.

“When people see mentalism, their first guess typically is that it involves some sort of psychic ability, but it’s not,” Spidey explains.

“I think that even psychics are using trickery and deceptive methods. The only difference is what they claim it is. They say it’s real — ‘I’m tapping into your energy, and I’m reading your mind, and I can see your aura’ — whereas for me, it’s ‘I’m just entertaining you with this’.”

VIDEO: Spidey uses the power of suggestion to get out of a speeding ticket

Spidey makes it clear he doesn’t view his talent as a gift. Rather, he says, it’s all about technique.

“It’s something you learn and develop, akin to learning to play a music instrument.”

That in mind, he advises to aspiring mentalists to practice over and over.

“Because mentalism is so much about connecting with someone, the best way is just to get out there and do it as often as you can, for as many people as you can. You’re going to mess up at first — it’s going to happen — but then, as you get more comfortable with it, you get better.”

For more information about Spidey, visit his website at www.spideymagic.com.

On Friday, September 27th, the curtain goes up on Lindsay Little Theatre’s 2019-2020 season with Ken Ludwig’s farcical comedy Moon Over Buffalo.

Directed by Pamela Brohm and Beth Harrington, Moon Over Buffalo is a likeable comedy lampooning the backstage antics of repertory theatre and the ambitions of aging actors who have seen better days.

Written by award-winning playwright Ken Ludwig, Moon Over Buffalo debuted directly on Broadway in 1995, where it saw the return of comedian Carol Burnett on stage after 30-year absence. A hit with curious audiences, the play saw Tony nominations for Burnett and her co-star Phillip Bosco, and was the subject of a documentary by famed filmmaker D.A. Pennebaker. The show ran for 300 performances and has had a life on the stage ever since.

Set in 1953, Moon Over Broadway centres on the fading careers of married actors George and Charlotte Hay (Michael Chapman and Lorna Green). Once famous on Broadway, the couple were the darlings of New York and even appeared on the cover of Life magazine.

However, after a failed attempt to make it in Hollywood, where they perished in B-movies, George and Charlotte are now appearing in repertory theatre in Buffalo during an era where the advent of television is replacing people’s interest in theatre. Performing daily performances of Cyrano de Bergerac and Private Lives, things are about to go from bad to worse for the couple.

When George and Charlotte’s daughter Rosalind (Shannon Peters Bain), who gave up acting to live a ‘normal’ life, arrives in Buffalo to introduce her parents to her new fiancé Howard (Colin Dusome), she doesn’t expect to run into her old flame Paul (Michael Hart), who is producing the couple’s show.

Furthermore, an unexpected night of passion paired with the return of an old flame threatens to break George and Charlotte up, marking the end of the theatre company. But everyone soon needs to get things together because it is revealed that famous Hollywood director Frank Capra has lost his leading man to an accident on the set, and he is on his way to Buffalo to see the couple perform as possible replacements.

From that moment on, everything goes wrong, leading to mistaken identities, misinformation, disastrous performances, and plenty of slamming doors in the classic comedic farce style.

In the Lindsay Little Theatre production of Moon Over Buffalo, Michael Chapman and Loran Green are well cast in the roles of George and Charlotte Hay. The audience can find comedy as George, a likeable cad, has the worst day of his life.

As George, Michael is highly energetic with expressions that fall somewhere between actor Tom Ewell and comic book hero Plastic Man. He meets his match in Lorna, who remains spot on and steady through the entire production.

However, some of the funniest scenes are between Michael and co-star Michael Hart, who plays stage manager Paul. The pair have an unlikely comedic chemistry, and Michael gives a delightful performance.

The highlight of the show for me was a hilarious reading of Noel Coward’s Private Lives by Michael and Shannon Peters-Bain. While Michael keeps it straight, Shannon plays it bored and haughty, making for the biggest laughs of the show.

Supporting performances are by Kaitlyn Thibodeau as Eileen and Jeff Condon as Richard, whose romantic entanglements threaten the future of the theatre (not to mention George and Charlotte’s marriage), and Bonnie Kelly as Charlotte’s crusty mother Ethel, who has most of the show’s best zingers.

A special shout-out goes to Colin Dusome as hapless weatherman Howard who, despite mostly being shoved out doors or maliciously manhandled, gives the funniest and most charming performance in the play. A very funny character actor, Colin lights every show he is in and provides a much-needed comedic rescue for Moon Over Buffalo.

Although the farcical antics makes up the majority of the show, the real fun begins when the actors fly into the world of Cyrano de Bergerac and Noel Coward. Donning fabulous costumes by Meg Duncan, the mixture of stage fiction and stage reality is a joy to watch and is when the actors really get into the spirit of the show. Wait carefully for the second scene in act two for some truly fun moments.

Moon Over Buffalo is an interesting choice for the opening of Lindsay Little Theatre’s new season. Although the material is slightly dated at times, the company puts a lot of passion into it. For audiences that enjoy a classic farce, Moon Over Buffalo is a perfect opportunity to visit one of the most endearing theatres in the Kawarthas.

Moon Over Buffalo will be performed at Lindsay Little Theatre (55 George St. W., Lindsay) at 8 p.m. on Friday, September 27th and Saturday, September 29th and again on Friday, October 4tyh and Saturday, October 5th. Tickets are available in person or by phone at the Academy Theatre box office (2 Lindsay St. S., Lindsay, 705-324-911), online at www.lindsaylittletheatre.com, or at the door before each performance (subject to availability).

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, September 26 to Wednesday, October 2.

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.

Halloween comes early this year when Planet 12 Productions premieres Tex at The Theatre on King (TTOK) in downtown Peterborough from September 25th to 28th.

A supernatural thriller written and directed by Derek Weatherdon, Tex is a creepy ghost story in the vein of Stephen King, mixed with a hint of Rashomon. Starring Samuelle Weatherdon, Aimee Gordon, and Emily Keller, Tex mixes urban legends with a hint of nostalgia in Planet 12’s most ambitious production to date.

Ouija boards, apples, and the grave of an unknown man set the stage for this chiller. Tex follows three friends — Max (Samuelle Weatherdon), Billie (Aimee Gordon), and Regi (Emily Keller) — on Halloween. Just at the age where they are almost too old to go out for candy, the three girls spend the early evening trick or treating and return to Max’s home for candy and scary movies.

However, Max has other ideas. Having borrowed a Ouija board from a school friend, Max chides her reluctant friends into using it. Almost immediately the threesome begin communicating with a spirit identifying himself as Tex, leading the girls into a local cemetery in search for the answers to a gruesome murder from their town’s past. What follows is a night of secrets, confessions, and revenge as the girls spend their Halloween in the company of spirits of the past, and the horror of Tex.

Although Planet 12 Productions has created a lot of interesting shows since their inauguration in 2017, Tex is the strongest offering from the group since Boy Wonders. Exploring themes from his own youth, writer/director Derek Weatherdon has a masterful way of capturing the nostalgic wonderment of yesteryear, especially when writing about the 1970s.

Set in 1974, Tex is a love letter to Halloween nights of the past, when parents allowed their children to run wild in the dark, dressed in garish plastic Ben Cooper Halloween costumes, with little to no supervision.

From the perfect vintage look of the set and costumes to zippy dialogue bursting with era-appropriate cultural references, to musical interludes featuring music by Gladys Knight and the Pips, Cher, Screaming Jay Hawkins and Skeeter Davis, Derek and his company manage to capture that simpler time, immediately creating a nostalgic feeling for anybody who lived in that era.

But Tex is not just a ghost story — it’s also a coming-of-age tale, written to usher in the Planet 12 regulars who are no longer kids but growing into both young adults and fine performers.

As someone who has been following these young actors working together in productions since 2016, it is really wonderful for me to see them grow from performance to performance. I have a natural soft spot for the Planet 12 performers, but in Tex they raise the bar to a new level.

Although still in her teens, Samuelle Weatherdon has already become one of the most prolific young performers in the Kawarthas via her appearances at TTOK, 4th Line Theatre, the Peterborough Theatre Guild, and other various stages.

In Tex, Sam plays the slightly naive but forceful Max. Seemingly the most stable of the three friends, Max is the girl that leads the girls into the darkness of the past.

I don’t want to give away any of the story but, in the role of Max, Sam is able to put on duo hats as a curious teenage girl looking for mystery and adventure, and something else from beyond the grave. It’s a great role for a fine actress.

I have been very vocal that Aimee Gordon, who plays Billie, is one of my favourite local young actresses, and it’s wonderful to see her again with Planet 12 after a short absence. Although a wonderful musical theatre actress, Aimee also has some serious dramatic chops and she once again flexes those muscles in Tex.

In the role of Billie, Aimee is the cool girl with a complicated family situation. She is also the medium between the two other girls, who wavers between siding with Max’s spooky ideas and Regi’s cautious ones. Aimee brings a sense of reality to the role, giving another fine performance to her growing theatre resume.

The biggest shout-out goes to Emily Keller as Regi. Although Emily has always had a solid presence with Planet 12, in the past she has always been the quiet (bordering on docile) performer. In the role of Regi, Emily has finally found her voice and she steps up her performance tenfold.

As the cautious, if not slightly dorky, of the three girls, Regi is the voice of reason. However, as the night goes forward, Regi is fighting a losing battle against the spirits that surround them. Emily gives her greatest performance to date and often stealing the stage from her co-stars — a big role for an emerging actress who finally takes centre stage.

Tex also features a series of flashback scenes featuring Ben vanVeen, Nicole Roy, and Brad Brackenridge.

In his first appearance at TTOK, Ben shows great dramatic chops by playing the role of Tex in three very different fashions, embodying different versions of the same character. It’s a strong debut by a promising actor who I hope we will see much more of on stage.

Nicole Roy also gives one of her strongest performances to date as the tragic Catherine, who she plays as both sultry and sweet. Brad, who is always interesting to watch, plays the town’s leading citizen August La Grande, who holds the key to the mysteries of the past, and gets entangled in the horror of Tex.

Tex is also unique by including two short film sequences, created by Adam Martignetti (who makes a small but potent cameo in the show as Max’s father).

The filmed sequences are a brilliant and well-executed element of the production, allowing the story to be told beyond the confines of the physical theatre.

One of the pieces is a beautiful and moody opening sequence that gives Tex a cinematic feel, adding an exciting element to the play.

There is a lot to be excited about when it comes to Tex. It is a perfect mix of clever dialogue, endearing characters, universe-building moments, and chilling horror centred around three talented young actresses.

Tex sits well amongst recent film releases It Part Two and Stories to Tell in the Dark in relation to theme and genre, but out of the three I’ll admit I’m most excited about Tex.

Come out to this great show this week for some early trick or treats and to discover the truth about Tex.

The play runs from Wednesday, September 25th to Saturday, September 28th at TTOK. Each performance start at 8 p.m. and is $10 at the door or pay what you can.

Public Energy Performing Arts — Peterborough’s presenter and facilitator of contemporary dance, theatre, performance, and interdisciplinary work — has announced its 2019-20 season, featuring seven performance events from October through May.

The upcoming season includes two festivals, a free outdoor storytelling installation, and mainstage events at three downtown Peterborough performance venues, as well as artist discussions, classes, and workshops.

Themes covered this season range from transformation, mental illness, and the precarity of creative labour to the impact of residential schools and environmental activism.

Here’s the full 2019-20 lineup:

Trophy – October 4 and 5, 2019

Trophy, by Ottawa artists Sarah Conn and Allison O’Connor, features local stories of life-changing moments of transformation in a pop-up living installation at Fleming Park (427 Aylmer St. N., Peterborough).

Audience members will move through at their own pace from tent to tent listening to stories that capture turning points in the lives of the storytellers. The light-filled tents become temporary beacons to a world in changing times, before they vanish off into the night.

Drop in anytime during performance times: from 7 to 10 p.m. on Friday, October 4th and from 4 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, October 5th. This event is free.

The Mush Hole – November 2, 2019

The Mush Hole is a visceral and thought-provoking dance performance that reflects the realities of the Mohawk Institute residential school experience through dance.

Performed by Kaha:wi Dance Theatre, The Mush Hole offers a way to open dialogue and to heal through acknowledgement and by honouring the spirit of the survivors and families that were impacted.

Curated by Patti Shaughnessy, The Mush Hole was choreographed by Santee Smith (Six Nations / Toronto). Local audiences may remember Smith’s dance about lacrosse, The Creator’s Game, that had its world premiere for a crowd of 3,000 at the Peterborough Memorial Centre during the 2012 Ode’min Giizis Festival. Smith is an award-winning producer and choreographer whose original work has been seen around the world and featured on film and television.

The Mush Hole will be performed at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 2nd at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre (140 Charlotte St, Peterborough). Tickets will cost $25 ($12 for the underwaged and $7 for high school students) and there will be a post-show question-and-answer session with the artists.

Precarious2: Peterborough ArtsWORK Festival – November 1 to December 21, 2019

Precarious2 is a month-long multi-arts festival that explores the precarity of creative labour features more than 50 artists creating and presenting new works in theatre, visual art, music, spoken word, literary arts, and performance. The first Precarious Festival took place in November 2017.

Presented by Fleshy Thud in partnership with Public Energy Performing Arts with Kate Story as artistic director and Ryan Kerr as festival director, Precarious2 will also offer workshops, artistic mentorships, and panel discussions on topics including food security, decolonizing artistic practice, precarity and aging, labour issues, and gentrification.

Precarious2: Peterborough ArtsWORK Festival will run at multiple venues throughout downtown Peterborough from Friday, November 1st until Saturday, December 31st. More details will be coming closer to the event date.

Every Brilliant Thing – January 16 to 19 and 21 to 25, 2020

Public Energy Performing Arts has partnered with New Stages Theatre to present Every Brilliant Thing, directed by New Stages artistic director Randy Read and starring Stratford company member Steve Ross.

Written by Duncan MacMillan and Jonny Donahoe, Every Brilliant Thing is a powerfully moving comedy-drama about a man who remembers when, as a young boy, he tried to ease his mother’s depression with a list of everything he could think of to remind her that life was still worth living. In the process, he makes his own discoveries about the power of hope and storytelling.

A full production of Every Brilliant Thing will be staged at The Theatre on King (171 King St., Peterborough) at 7:30 p.m. from Thursday, January 16th through Saturday, January 25th (no performance on Monday, January 20), with a 3 p.m. matinee performance on Sunday, January 24th. Tickets will cost $25 ($12 for the underwaged).

The Chemical Valley Project – March 6, 2020

Toronto’s Broadleaf Theatre presents The Chemical Valley Project, a work of documentary theatre featuring an innovative blend of design, object puppetry, and performance.

Located in Sarnia, Ontario, the so-called “Chemical Valley” is a corridor of petrochemical industry plants that lie adjacent to the Aamjiwnaang First Nations reserve. In The Chemical Valley Project, theatre makers Julia Howman and Kevin Matthew Wong document the activism of Vanessa Gray and Lindsay Beze Gray, who have dedicated their lives to fighting the pollution that threatens their community’s health and future.

The 2017 critics’ pick by Toronto’s NOW Magazine, The Chemical Valley Project will spark conversation on Canadian environmental policy, treaty rights and Indigenous relations, and Canadian identity and values.

The Chemical Valley Project will be staged at 12:30 and 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 6th at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre (140 Charlotte St, Peterborough). Tickets will cost $25 ($12 for the underwaged and $7 for high school students) and there will be a post-show question-and-answer session with the artists.

Emergency Festival #23 – April 3 to 5, 2020

Now in its 23rd year, the Emergency Festival is a cornerstone of support for local artists creating new work, from experimental theatre to contemporary dance and aerial circus arts.

A call for artists to submit proposals for Emergency Festival #23 will be issued in November 2019, with artistic programming decisions to follow.

The schedule for the 2020 festival is still to be determined, but performance venues will include Market Hall Performing Arts Centre (140 Charlotte St, Peterborough) and The Theatre on King (171 King St., Peterborough).

In-Ward – May 14, 2020

Presented by Montreal urban dance company Ebnflõh in conjunction with Showplace Performance Centre, In-Ward uses hip-hop dance to explore the human psyche with dramatic tension and dark humour.

Choreographer Alexandra “Spicey” Landé builds bridges between hip-hop culture and contemporary dance, taking the dance of the streets to new artistic heights. With six accomplished dancers, she plunges us into the deep waters of the human psyche, depicting the overlapping of feelings and the subtle contradictions of the unconscious — both individual and collective — while faced with forced confinement, sharing same spaces, and isolation.

Renowned hip-hop beat maker and producer Shash’U provides a sound design that simultaneously accompanies the dance and propels it forward.

In-Ward will be performed at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 14th Showplace Performance Centre (290 George St. N., Peterborough). Tickets will cost $25 ($12 for the underwaged and $7 for high school students) and there will be a post-show question-and-answer session with the artists.

For more details about Public Energy Performing Arts’ 2019-20 season, visit publicenergy.ca/performance-season/2019-2020/.

kawarthaNOW.com is proud to be a sponsor of the 2019-20 season of Public Energy Performing Arts.