Mississauga invades Toronto Fringe Fest

Mississauga will be well-represented when the delightfully weird and wacky Toronto Fringe Festival gets underway later this week.
The festival, running July 2-13 at various locations and theatres in Toronto, will feature six shows starring, written or performed by troupes and artists from the city.
On Thursday, Cow Over Moon Children’s Theatre presents The Three Magic Wishes in the Palmerston Library Theatre. It runs until Sunday, July 13.
The show stars Katie Crown as Mrs. Woodcutter and Aaron Knight as her husband. The young couple, who are of modest means, are given three wishes by a magical wood nymph with hilarity and disaster ensuing shortly thereafter.
The couple learn sometimes you have to be careful what you wish for.
The show is directed by Kathleen Phillips with design by Kristan Klimczak. It also stars Terrance Balazo and Maggie Maloney.
Phillips also penned original music for the score with Michael Balazo.
For a complete list of performances and show times, visit www.fringetoronto.com.
Mississauga author and spoken-word artist J. Nichole Noel will have her children's novel Nephetiti & Sweetie Go To The Zoo translated to the stage for the festival.
The interactive performance, about 60 minutes in length, will begin with a question and answer session with the children in the audience regarding the language and culture similarities between Canada, Africa and India. Illustrations from the book will be projected onto a screen for children to follow with a question and answer session after the presentation.
The story follows the adventures of two friends of different ethnicity's, a humongous banana hat and monkeys that love to chit-chat.
It runs July 4-13 in the Palmerston Library Theatre.
For more information, visit www.nephetitiandsweetie.com.
Mississauga dancer LaToya Robinson performs in the Gadfly production of Unbearable Prospect by Apolonia Velasquez and Ofilio Coto Portillo. The show's being billed as an eccentric concept that combines an unconventional anthology of dance styles including contemporary, jazz, house, lyrical and hip-hop, among others.
Unbearable Prospect runs various dates between July 2-12 at the Factory Theatre.
For more information, visit www.gadfly2.com.
Mississauga actor Mark Koelsch will appear in Tyrolia, which runs various dates between July 3-13 at Factory Studio. The show's described as a queer comedy set in a ski chalet in the Austrian Alps.
The play, directed by Sky Gilbert, also stars Moynan King, David Tomlinson, David Roche and Brittany Wright.
For more information, visit www.highballtheatre.com.
Local dancer Kristina Obelienius performs in Epic. The piece is based on the theory there are only seven stories you could ever tell and Epic will tell them with movement instead of words.
The show is being presented at the Tarragon Mainspace on various dates between July 3-12.
Rounding out the local content is Jessica Derventzis, who serves as producer in the Palais Productions' piece Ike and Pearl. The historical musical-drama is based on a true story about Canadian sweethearts who were separated and exchanged letters for four decades until both died the same year.
It runs various dates from July 3-12 at the Tarragon Mainspace. For more information, visit www.ikeandpearl.ca.
cclay@mississauga.net