Art
Anna Banana: 45 Years of Fooling Around with A. Banana
I’ve had a love-hate relationship with bananas for quite a while. Sometimes it’s like, dang, these are so good. And other times it’s like, dang, these are mushy . . . what was I talking about? Oh yeah, renowned artist Anna Banana is teaming up with Open Space and the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria to present the epic Encyclopedia Bananica, 23 tomes of banana history and pop culture, and regift 1 158 banana items to visitors. Sounds quite . . . ap-peal-ing.
Saturday, Sept. 19, 4 p.m.; opening reception on Friday, Sept. 18, 8 p.m., at the AGGV.
Open Space, 510 Fort St.
Community
Puppets for Peace Festival
This weekend-long festival celebrating all things puppetry should make for a heck of a time. Featuring puppets big and small, attendees should make sure to attend the Puppets for Peace Parade, which winds through Fernwood at 1:45 p.m. on the final day of the festival. This festival will also feature workshops and performances, allowing guests hands-on (hands-up??) experience with a variety of puppet types.
Events to be held at various locations; visit puppetsforpeace.org for complete event listings.
Sept. 11–13
Admission is open to all ages.
Eves of Destruction Season Finale
If you haven’t had your roller derby fix yet this summer, this is your last chance; it’s the Eves of Destruction season finale, and the derby girls have a double-header waiting for you! First up will have the Junior Derby’s Rotten Apples face off against Nanaimo’s Candy Crushers. And then the main event: the Belles of the Brawl versus the Margarita Villains! Get out to Esquimalt and show your support!
Archie Browning Arena, 1151 Esquimalt Road
Sept. 19, 5–9 p.m.
Admission: $12, free for kids under 10 with an adult (max two kids per adult); $10 discount tickets available; more info at evesofdestructionrollerderby.com.
Music
Orion Series in Fine Arts — Gordon Wolfe & Vanessa May-lok Lee
Alumnus and trombonist Gordon Wolfe returns to the University of Victoria with pianist Vanessa May-lok Lee to perform selections from his debut solo CD, Reflections. Funny story: I made a friend of mine from high school really angry when I referred to her trombone as a “giant slide-whistle.” I probably wouldn’t get away with that here, though.
Phillip T. Young Recital Hall, B-Wing, MacLaurin Building
Master class on Friday, Sept. 18, 12:30 to 2:30 p.m.; concert on Saturday, Sept. 19 at 8 p.m.
Admission is free and open to all.
Theatre
The Belfry Theatre 40th Anniversary — Speed-the-Plow
The Belfry Theatre is pleased to present Speed-the-Plow, David Mamet’s “savagely funny exposé of Hollywood and the male psyche,” ushering in the 40-year anniversary of a Victoria institution. The play tells the story of a Hollywood producer forced to choose between a sure-fire blockbuster or an “important” art house flick, and has been described as Mamet’s “deftest and funniest” work.
Belfry Theatre, 1291 Gladstone Ave
Play runs from Sept. 14–Oct. 11; various showtimes available.
Admission: $23–$45, plus GST; discounts/rush seating available; tickets available online at tickets.belfry.bc.ca.
Reel-to-Reel Grand Finale
The CineVic Society of Independent Filmmakers will be screening each entry in their tenth and final annual Reel-to-Reel competition, and are inviting anyone interested to participate! There’ll be prizes for Audience Favourite as well as Jury Pick, so don’t worry if you’re not as well-versed in film as Roger Ebert; just go with what you know.
Wednesday, Sept. 15; doors at 7 p.m., screenings at 7:30 p.m.
Victoria Event Centre, 1415 Broad St.
Admission: $10; advance tickets available at CineVic, 1119 Fort St., Tue–Fri 9–2 p.m. and Sat 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
