The third of Annie Baker’s trio of plays set in small-town Vermont, The Aliens shared the Obie Award for best new American play in 2010.
The Aliens
The third of Annie Baker's trio of plays set in small-town Vermont, The Aliens involves a pair of misfit souls merrily fooling themselves with cozy dreams. Gentle and offbeat, the coffee-shop-set character study shared the Obie Award for best new American play in 2010 with another Baker script, Circle Mirror Transformation.
Sept. 20 to Oct. 8 (previews begin Sept. 17). $42.50 (previews, $25). Coal Mine Theatre, 1454 Danforth Ave., coalminetheatre.com
Kensington Market Jazz Festival
A melodious affair has an old-school ethos when it comes to money matters: No debit or credit cards, just cash on the barrel head. Which is appropriate enough, given that the Market is probably one of the few neighbourhoods in town still with barrel heads around. A weatherproof festival – most venues are indoors – presents the city's best jazzers in funky boho settings.
Sept. 15 to 17. No advance tickets. kensingtonjazz.com
Toronto Symphony Orchestra
First, there was Yann Martel's allegorical 2001 novel about a lifeboat and a big Bengal cat, followed by Ang Lee's astonishing film from 2012. Now comes another Life of Pi creation: An orchestral suite by the Canadian composer Mychael Danna, whose Life of Pi soundtrack won him an Oscar. The 20-minute piece anchors a TSO season opener that includes a discussion with Lee and Danna, who chat about catching tigers and riding inspiration.
Sept. 19, 7 p.m. $40.75 to $154. Roy Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe St., 416-598-3375 or tso.ca
Annie Pootoogook: Cutting Ice
"I draw every day," Annie Pootoogook said in a 2006 documentary. "To me, it's a job – my job." The acclaimed artist died a year ago (homeless at the age of 47 in Ottawa), leaving behind colourful portrayals of Inuit life that were soulful and homey but also hard-hitting. At the McMichael, the influence she had on her peers is celebrated.
To Feb. 11, 2018. $15 to $18 ($36, family pass). McMichael Canadian Art Collection, Kleinburg, Ont., 905-893-1121 or mcmichael.com
JFL 42
With the outrageous Trump apologist Jeffrey Lord banished from CNN, the news network's funniest personality now is W. Kamau Bell, the comic and host of the docu-series United Shades of America. A studier of race-based subcultures, Bell is known for reasonable opinions (his podcast is called Denzel Washington is the Greatest Actor of All Time Period) and wry self-assessment (his latest comedy album is Semi-Prominent Negro). On Sept. 30, he'll play Toronto's largest comedy festival.
Sept. 21 to 30. Various venues, prices and ticket plans. jfl42.com
Brad Wheeler