River City Writer

There are a lot of things going on in the city right now (as there will be all summer), so I figured the easiest way to share the information would be in a single round-up post.

• The Edmonton International Jazz Festival and The Works Art & Design Festival both wrap up this weekend. If you have the chance, check them outbefore they’re over.
• “Bash’d” the gay rap opera by Edmonton theatre alumni Chris Craddock and Nathan Cuckow is being performed as an off-Broadway production in New York City right now. The New York Times gave them a good write-up recently.
• The Freewill Shakespeare Festival (formerly the River City Shakespeare Festival) began this week, and continues everyday (excluding Mondays) until July 20. This year’s productions are “As You Like It” and “Richard III.” I’ve seen both already and they’re both good, though I have to admit that the performances don’t seem quite as strong as in past years. If you’re only able to make it out to one of the plays this year, I’d suggest going for the comedy, “As You Like It.”
• The Feats Festival of Dance begins tomorrow. I honestly didn’t even know that Edmonton had a dance festival until I started checking out the upcoming festivals at FestivalCity.ca. It looks like the festival includes a wide range of dance types, so there should be something for just about everyone.