Radar: Glengarry Glen Ross, Kaj Mook on Dutch Public Bike Rentals, Earth Day Book Swap, McClung's Magazine Spring 2010 Launch, Put the Rifle Down and PDF Format at Wrongbar, the Rabble of Downtown Toronto
THEATRE | Glengarry Glen Ross
Soulpepper's hit production of David Mamet's scathing indictment of greed in Reagan-era America returns to the Young Centre for the Performing Arts tonight to begin a six week run. The stunning Pulitzer Prize-winning Glengarry Glen Ross reveals the inner workings of a Chicago real estate office that specializes in selling undesirable property at vastly inflated prices, and twenty-six years after it first debuted seems particularly relevant in the wake of the US housing crisis and the subsequent recession that gripped the globe. Soulpepper's 2009 production of the play received rave reviews, and this year's run stars some great Canadian acting talent including Eric Peterson and Albert Schultz. Runs til June 5.
Young Centre for the Performing Arts, 55 Mill Street, Monday to Saturday 7:30 pm with 1:30 pm matinees, $29 - $52
COMMUNITY | Kaj Mook on the Netherlands Public Transport Bike Rental System
As anyone who's ever been on holiday in Amsterdam can attest, the Dutch do bikes well. In major city's across the lowland country, bicycles have been fully integrated into the transport infrastructure and bike rental services are available at all railway stations. Tonight Kaj Mook, a member of the Cycling.nl network, comes to Toronto to discuss how he's trying to improve the public bike rental system in his own country, and how we can learn from what's been done there. We could use some advice; Toronto opened its first bicycle station at Union Station last year and at this point there are only vague plans to expand the system to several more points throughout the city. The event tonight is in anticipation of tomorrow's Complete Streets Forum, and will feature input from Sean Wheldrake, the city's Public Bikeshare program coordinator, and Matthew Blackett of Spacing Magazine.
Hart House, Music Room, 7 Kings College Circle, $10, registration required, 7 pm
BOOKS AND LIT | Earth Day Book Swap
Books are one of the few things in life whose value is in no way reflected by how much you pay for them. You can spend hundreds of dollars at bookshops in search of a good read, only to come across one in library or your parents' bookshelf that changes your life. But once you're done with that mind-blowing novel or favourite kids book, it's only fair that you pass it along to some one else. To that end, and in honour of Earth Day, for the next four days Bloor Street socially-conscious craft shop Ransack the Universe is hosting a book swap. Bring by a couple of your favourites, drop them off, and peruse the store for your next big find. Simple.
Ransack the Universe, 1207 Bloor Street West, Thursday to Sunday 12 pm - 7 pm
BOOKS AND LIT | McClung's Magazine Spring 2010 Launch
When McClung's Magazine was first launched, the only way its cash-strapped editors could publish it was to photocopy it themselves. Eighteen years later, the Ryerson-based feminist magazine has won a Canadian Association of Journalist award and has a loyal readership. Named after trailblazing Canadian activist and politician Nellie McClung, the magazine explores pop culture, politics and social issues from the perspective of Canada's vibrant young women. The magazine launches its Spring 2010 issue tonight with a party at the Boat featuring DJ Tha1whoTrevs, who promises to spin some tunes by that other trailblazing feminist, Cyndi Lauper.
The Boat, 168 Augusta Ave., $5, 10 pm
MUSIC | Put the Rifle Down, PDF Format, Green Splat, Opopo RMX at Wrongbar
After a months-long hiatus from performing live, electro rockers Put the Rifle Down return to the stage tonight at Wrongbar. The foursome have always had a knack for writing hooks (see their stellar single Architekt from a few years back) and fans of electronic beats, undeniably catchy melodies, and general good times in general should be celebrating their return. They'll be joined by local auto-tuning master PDF Format and Green Splat, with synth-pop trio Opopo spinning a high-energy dj set.
Wrongbar, 1279 Queen Street West, $7, 10 pm
BOOKS AND LIT | The Rabble of Downtown Toronto
Comic book artist Jason Kiefer is the kind of guy who stops to listen when he hears some one screaming on a downtown street corner. Rather than look the other way and pretend they don't exist, Kiefer finds inspiration in Toronto's eccentrics, and growing up in Cabbagetown he's certainly got a lot to work with. He claims that whenever he goes walking through his neighbourhood, he's constantly approached strangers who are always willing to tell him their stories. He just has that kind of face. His latest comic book the Rabble of Downtown Toronto is a collection of stories about life on the fringes and is Kiefer's attempt to urge readers to engage with the marginalized people in our communities. He launches the new book tonight with a party at the Central.
The Central, 603 Markham Street, 8 pm
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Photo: "Untitled" by Mariyah., member of the blogTO Flickr Pool.
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