Toronto’s indie theatre and arts festival got some (more) buzz (than usual) this year, when at the last minute they lost their funding from the Department of Canadian Heritage. (Suspicious, since our Prime Minister criticized the festival for using public funds to stage a piece about the Toronto 18 terrorist plot, but the government says that had nothing to do with the funding pull.)

Luckily, the show will go on, with an eclectic line up that showcases the diverse talent of Canada’s artistic communities. The amazing ladies of Birdtown and Swanville will investigate the strange medical ailments suffered by thwarted despots in The Physical Ramifications of Attempted Global DominationZugzwang will bring a whole new level of understanding to chess geniuses, ift theatre will explore the otherness of immigration from three perspectives in dancing to a white boy song, Hannah’s Turn will explore the love between Jewish thinker Hannah Arendt and Nazi professor Martin Heidegger. Exit, pursued by a bear is a puppet play about a girl whose dreams are haunted by bears when she befriends a prophetic beggar on the streets of Vancouver. And that’s just a taste of what’s on offer. 

SummerWorks isn’t just about theatre: they also have an amazing concert series featuring some of our favourite bands, including Hooded Fang, Bonjay, and Powers. For a schedule of performances, and an awesome playlist, check out their site

SummerWorks runs August 4-14

~ Haley Cullingham