This June 13^th is the Montreal Fringe Festival premiere of Snack Music, a brand new show from the award-winning creators of the fringe smash-hits Kitt & Janeand Little Orange Man (Playwright’s Theatre Centre Prize, Centaur Theatre Award, Most Outstanding Overall Production.) Snack Music invites the audience to tell their best (or worst) true story, then sit back and watch the artists bring the story to life with improvised puppetry and live music. The snacks are free.

“There is something about puppets that can take the strangest story and make sense of it, take the darkest story and find the humour, take the simplest story and make it an epic tale,” says director Ginette Mohr. “Imagine telling a short story from your life to a dancer and watching them dance it, or giving your story to a composer and having them compose a mini symphony. It’s impossible to explain, you’ve just got to experience it.”

During the post-show Q & A, audience members remarked that Snack Music “feels like a house party, only funnier and with more friends.” If the idea of sharing your story terrifies you, you can also just sit back and watch. “Everyone is welcome,” says Snack Music puppeteer Ingrid Hansen, “We won’t make you open your mouth, except to maybe put snacks in it.”

All this is in an attempt to build a temporary community out of an audience of strangers. Snack Music has only six performances at the Montreal Fringe, and the company’s show Kitt & Jane sold out last year, so get your tickets in advance for this one or you might get left out of the game.

SNACK MUSIC produced by SNAFU

Playing at the 2015 St-Ambroise MONTREAL FRINGE FESTIVAL

Directed by Ginette Mohr

Performed by Andrew G. Young, Elliott Loran, and Ingrid Hansen

Dates:

• Saturday June 13^th @ 22:15
• Sunday June 14^th @ 14:15
• Thursday June 18^th @ 18:00
• Friday June 19^th @ 20:00
• Saturday June 20^th @ 23:45
• Sunday June 21^st @ 13:30

Venue: MAI (Montréal, Arts Interculturels) 3680 Rue Jeanne-Mance, Montreal

Tickets: $10 online at www.montrealfringe.ca

At the Fringe HQ Box Office 3905 St. Laurent 514.849.FEST and cash-only at the door.

Janice is the one-woman powerhouse behind Gâteaux Janice, a made-to-order Montréal cake business that not only creates cakes that are total flights of decorative fantasy, but also bakes everything from scratch, assuring that they taste positively fantastic. Looking through her portfolio, I see the work of a total perfectionist. Elegant roses and lilies with petals so delicate that they look almost too real to eat and playful cakes that imitate flower pots, shoes, books and fish. Apparently no idea is too much of a challenge for Janice.

But this master of icing sugar isn’t a graduate of a fancy culinary school. The only formal schooling she’s had was a night class on basic cake decorating. Through practice and experimentation, Janice taught herself to make cakes that would stand their ground against any reality TV show baker. Nowadays her plate is full with clients who keep her on her toes, looking for more and more complex and off-the-wall creations for their weddings, birthdays and fundraisers. Since the summer season of celebrations is upon us, I asked Janice what’s hot for this year in the world of cake. She replies that berry shortcakes and red velvets are very en vogue right now and that she personally recommends something along the lines of a lemon curd with either blueberry or raspberry. But no matter what the trend, assures Janice, don’t be afraid to order the good old standards because chocolate continues to reign supreme as the most popular flavour of all.

[email protected] t. 514.295.1700 www.gateauxjanice.com

“A few powerful experiences made me passionate about sex education as well as contributing to my desire to build a place to counter the sex negativity in our culture,” says Shelley Taylor, founder of Venus Envy .

This desire for positive sex education is an integral part of Taylor’s store, a welcoming treasure trove of sex toys, accessories, and books. Though Taylor opened the original Venus Envy in Halifax in 1998, she went on to expand in Ottawa in 2001. Recognizing the importance of community, in 2006 VE launched the Venus Envy Ottawa Bursary Fund, a program that “aims to support women and trans people in need who wish to further their education.” On June 15, Fall Down Gallery presents One Night Stand, a fundraiser for the bursary. Aside from monthly workshops, the store hosts a reading every second Wednesday of the month called Voices of Venus, with Toronto spoken word artist Keisha Monique Simpson performing in May.

While Taylor will soon go on a yearlong leave from her day-to-day at VE, she’ll still be organizing all of the store’s special events. This industrious maven will continue to share her knowledge and passion online with passtheherpes.wordpress.com , a blog that demystifies the silence and shame surrounding the subject of herpes. She’s an inspiring leader (and by all accounts a great boss), so basically, a superb role-model as a business woman and activist. Loves.