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On Saturday, June 8, the indie fashion magazine is throwing SECONDHAND PROM, a party that celebrates the launch of their 16th issue while going back in time and giving us the proms we wish we had experienced (oh, and we’re stoked to be a media sponsor). Prom attire isn’t required, but it is encouraged. We’re picturing updos, metallic lipsticks, and strappy heels. Maybe a few clip-on sparkles in your hair? Perhaps a tassly shawl draped across your elbows? You can also spruce up your outfits with WORN corsages and boutonnieres!

There will be Steam Whistle beer ($4) and spiked punch ($5), plus a handcrafted cake by Corey Moranis and music from This Broken Mixtape. Basically, it’s going to be the best prom ever.

Everything kicks off at 9:30pm — ending at  2am — at Church of the Holy Trinity (10 Trinity Square). Advance tickets are $10 and can be purchased here or at Type Books (883 Queen St. W.). You can also get ‘em at the door for $15. Admission includes a copy of the new issue! We promise you will have a better time than she did (but what a dress!).

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Thrown by the Bangs & Blush ladies, Fuck It features the best (worst?) tunes from the ’80s, ’90s, and 2000s (think Britney Spears, Blink-182, The Village People, Will Smith, Spice Girls, Hall & Oates, S Club 7, and Disney songs). Don’t pretend that you don’t like it.

Doors at 10pm. $5.

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The Life and Death of Marina Ambramovic

Telling her life story under the direction of acclaimed director Robert Wilson, international art star Marina Ambramovic plays dual roles on stage: those of both herself and her mother. Following her personal narrative from her troubled childhood in Serbia to her current status as an artistic icon, the show is sure to stir up some pretty intense emotion. After all, that’s what Ambramovic does best. The show is making its North American debut at Luminato. $55-$125.

Happening at the Bluma Appel Theatre (27 Front St. E.) on:
Friday, June 14 at 7:30pm
Saturday, June 15 at 7:30pm
Sunday, June 16 at 2:00pm
Monday, June 18 at 7:30pm

Danse Lhasa Danse

After being born in New York, Lhasa de Sela settled in Montreal. The singer-songwriter released three albums, the last of which was released in 2009—the same time she was diagnosed with cancer. She died less than two years later. To celebrate her life and artistry, choreographer Pierre-Paul Savoie created this tribute of music, dance, and film—presented outside Quebec for the first time. Free.

Happening at David Pecaut Square (55 John St.) on:
Wednesday, June 19 at 9:00pm

A Literary Picnic

Surrounding a theme of beginnings, over 60 authors including Jowita Bydlowska, Stacey May Fowles, and Edward Keenan (hi, Ed!) will take to three stages to share selections from their work. They will also be discussing how they start the process of writing, and how a story begins; as well, many authors will be setting up picnic blankets backstage for special one-on-one chats with the public. Book nerds are encouraged to bring gently used books to trade for others at a special table; the Toronto Public Library Bookmobile (um, COOL) will also be there. Pack a picnic or munch snacks from one of the many food trucks that will be on site! Free.

Happening at Trinity Bellwoods Park (155 Crawford St.) on:
Saturday, June 22 at 12:00pm

The City as a Stage

This talk centres around how we live together in cities and how public space defines our day-to-day human interaction. How do we collaborate and live harmoniously in our city? How can we better our city, creating more inspiring and exciting experiences for all of its citizens? The talk will be led by Toronto’s Chief Planner Jennifer Keesmaat, Vancouver “condo king” Bob Rennie, and Centennial Professor of Sociology at the London School of Economics Richard Sennett. $20.

Happening at the TIFF Bell Lightbox (350 King St. W.) on:
Friday, June 14 at 6:00pm

Joni: A Portrait in Song

Iconic singer and artist Joni Mitchell is turning 70. 70! To celebrate, Luminato—working directly with Mitchell—is putting on a massive tribute to her and her music. Featuring an all-star lineup of artists, including Chaka Khan, Glen Hansard, and Rufus Wainwright, the evening will demonstrate the power and longevity of Mitchell’s work. $35-175.

Happening at Massey Hall (178 Victoria St.) on:
Tuesday, June 18 at 7:30pm
Wednesday, June 19 at 7:30pm

For a full list of Luminato happenings, click here.

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Starring an amazing cast including Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco, Michael Cain and Morgan Freeman, Now You See Me pits an elite FBI squad in a game of cat and mouse against “The Four Horsemen”, a super-team of the world’s greatest illusionists.  “The Four Horsemane” pull off a series of daring heists against corrupt business leaders during their performances, showering the stolen profits on their audiences while staying one step ahead of the law.

ENTER TO WIN!

Tweet: “Hey @shedoesthecity, I would love to attend the red carpet premiere of #NowYouSeeMe!“
Winners will be selected on May 24 by 1pm EST.

Now You See Me
Red Carpet Premiere
Wednesday May 29th, 7PM
Scotiabank Theatre 

In theatres everywhere May 31. Watch the trailer now.

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rock.paper.sistahz festival: May 24 to 31 at Artscape Wychwood Barns

b.current has been hosting the annual rock.paper.sistahz festival since 2002.The event concentrates on presenting performance work by black female artists and artists of colour. “Taking its name and form from the well-known hand game, the festival is always dynamic, fast-paced, and surprising as we strive to develop and present fresh material, performance styles, and ideas seldom seen in professional contemporary spaces; while also focusing on themes, forms, and styles which have grown out of the black diasporic culture.”

InspiraTO 10 Minute Play Festival: May 30 to June 8 at Alumnae Theatre

Canada’s largest 10-minute play festival, the InspiraTO Theatre Festival, offers an innovative approach to the 10-minute play format. The festival is made up of four distinct shows, with six 10-minute plays in each show—and each show addresses a creative challenge. This year, for the first time in its history, the InspiraTO Festival will also feature the White Show: a “safari” approach where audiences will be led to four site-specific venues and see a 10-minute play at each one.

Toronto Fringe Festival: July 3 to 14 at various venues in the Annex

This year marks the Toronto Fringe Festival’s 25th anniversary! The festival features 148 shows in 35 venues, in every genre featuring artists from all over the world. It promises “new plays and old favourites, experimental works and fresh hits… eight dance productions and FringeKids! Shows… a Site-Specific Art Category, with 20 shows in venues such as a pawn shop, a laundromat, a storage unit, and the Campbell House Museum.”They also have a slew of free activities and, of course, everyone’s post-show favourite: beer tents!

SummerWorks: August 8 to 18 at various venues on Queen West

Founded by five friends with an idea to form a fringe-style festival, SummerWorks Festival has been active on the Toronto scene since 1991. Summerworks is now the largest juried festival in all of Canada and it aims to present new Canadian plays, reflecting Toronto and Canadian culture. In addition to theatre, SummerWorks also hosts music and performance art pieces,.

Guild Festival Theatre: July 18 to August 11 at Guild Gardens (okay, a bit out-of-the-way but it sounds beautiful!)

Having began in 2009 the Guild Festival Theatre is one of Toronto’s newer festivals, but its content is rich with history. The Guild Festival Theatre presents pieces from the past, presenting an annual festival of classics on a Greek open air stage in the Guild gardens, above Lake Ontario. Its philosophy is that theatre “educates the soul, not only the intellect.” This year the Festival is presenting Moliere’s The Misanthrope.

Shakespeare in the Park: July 2 to September 1 at High Park Amphitheatre

This summer, Shakespeare in the Park is showcasing Macbeth and Taming of the Shrew. The performances are produced by Canadian Stage production in collaboration with the Department of Theatre in the Faculty of Fine Arts at York University. You can get your fix of both tragedy and comedy as the shows alternate nightly, and are both pay-what-you-can!

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Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival bike tour, May 19 around the city

Such a cool way to see what this month-long festival has to offer! This Sunday CONTACT’s Artistic Projects Manager, Sabrina Maltese, is leading a bike tour through the streets of Toronto and stopping at the festival’s public installations along the way. You’ll cycle through the Dundas and Ossington area as well as the downtown core to see exhibits like Broomberg and Chanarin’s Shirley’s and Chris Marker’s La Jetée. The tour starts at 1pm at the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art (952 Queen St. W.). Oh, and it’s BYOB (that’s bring your own bike, y’all).

Amanda Mabro and Chris Assaad, May 22 at the Drake Underground

Named one of the city’s most promising singer-songwriters by The Montreal Gazette, Montreal’s Amanda Mabro is a jazz/pop singer that is sure to grab your attention. Check out a preview of her latest effort, The Lost EP (it features a duet with Ron Sexsmith!), at this show at the Drake Underground (1150 Queen St. W.). Accompanying her on the bill is pop/folk singer Chris Assaad, who will make your heart melt. Tickets are $10 advance and $15 at the door; show starts at 8pm.

Picture Day, opening May 24 at the TIFF Bell Lightbox

This film as a Canadian female director. Woo! It’s the debut feature by Kate Melville and stars TIFF 2012 Rising Star Tatiana Maslany. Picture Day tells the story of Claire Paxton, a teenager who is forced to repeat her last year of high school after a slew of bad grades and missed classes. Despite this, Claire still chooses to cut class whenever she can and spends her nights going out clubbing. Not a girl, not yet a woman, you know? 

Doors Open Toronto, May 24 to 25 around the city

The 14th annual Doors Open Toronto offers the chance to take a peek inside some of the city’s most architecturally, culturally, socially, and historically significant buildings. This year’s theme is Creators, Makers and Innovators, and features over 150 Toronto buildings. There’s an awesome walking tour program, as well as a new informative speaker series featuring experts like architect Will Aslop and Toronto community leaders Wayne Swanton and Sheldon Levy.

Yard Sale for the Cure, May 25 at Trinity Bellwoods Park

Head to one of the city’s best parks for a day of shopping in the sun—that benefits the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation! Pretty sweet deal, methinks. It’s happening from 10am to 7pm, so give yourself a good amount of time because there will surely be a plethora of goodies to buy! These Yard Sales are happening in communities all over the country; find others here.

Lore, opening May 31 at the TIFF Bell Lightbox

The much-anticipated follow-up to Australian director Cate Shortland’s debut feature Somersault (2004), Lore is set in 1945 in the aftermath of WWII. In it, a 14-year-old German girl named Lore has to lead her four siblings on an intense journey across the country to reach their grandma who lives in the north. It’s sure to be an inspiring story, plus it has a strong female lead!

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We’re talking sneakers, skimmers, espadrilles, and just your every day flat in bright colours with metallic detailing and literal animal prints. This summer, flat shoes are ready for anything you can throw at them and it’s even more helpful that many of them can be found at a low price point. WIN. We are flat out ready for flats. Bring it on summer.

Superga sneaker: Supergas are the best change-up from classic sneakers like Vans and Converse. They have a bit of a platform, which is kind of fun, yet are sporty and classic. If you’re looking for a pair of running shoes that aren’t only for the gym but rather for every day outings, look no further than Superga. Gravity Pope, $70

Opening Ceremony Ballerina Flat: These are like your grandma’s floral couch for your feet—what a treat. Opening Ceremony makes the ultimate cool girl staples and these shoes are no exception. The combination of silver detailing with the light springy florals makes splurging on these flats soooo worth it. Gravity Pope, $345

Zara Flat Sandal with Buckle: Talk about a funky take on the 90s sandal trend/Birkenstock. We will acknowledge that these are definitely not for everyone but if you’re feeling so totally 90s for summer, these will be your best friends on the weekends. Zara, $90

H&M Ballet Pumps: The most basic pair of the bunch, these H&M flats are still key for summertime. They will let your foot breathe with the little perforations and when fall comes and they are no longer white, you won’t feel guilty about chucking them away (that is, if you have destroyed them) because they are cheap. H&M, $30

Cooperative Applique Kitty Skimmer: Let the records show that I am a dog person but I am also a big fan of the literal animal print. We will never turn down a good piece in leopard print but for now, we’re taking a break and wearing actual animal faces on our clothing. Just do it. Urban Outfitters, $34

Kiko Black Strap Shoes: Not going to lie, but these are my number one pick for flat shoes. The combination of all-black plus cut-outs plus buckles makes these shoes not only interesting but also practical—which is the reason we started searching for flats in the first place. They aren’t a basic ballet flat but more of a shoe-boot (shobootie?) and would look nice at work but also on the weekends. These shoes are definite winners. Topshop, $124

Gap Printed Espadrilles: Striped espadrilles for only $30—do we need to say more? No, no we do not. Gap, $30

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Durcak’s resume includes the names of some of Montreal’s best-loved coffee shops, and now that she’s a business-owner she’s committed to sustainable  practices and local, organic ingredients. In addition to catering events and serving up espresso on the streets, Dispatch provides a Cold Brew coffee delivery service subscription (Yes, you heard that right, every home office in Montreal), a variety of baked goods from local chefs, and barista training. We talked to Durcak about how she got her dream on the road.

SDTC: How did you get the idea for Dispatch Coffee?

Chrissy Durcak: I had been planning to open my own café for quite some time, had the business plan worked out, was location scouting, etc. Last summer, my friends started a guerilla sandwich delivery service out of their homes called Coq Asian. They specialized in Bahn Mi’s and asked if I could do a Vietnamese style iced coffee for their menu. I started bike delivering iced coffee in mason jars.

Volume increased and people started asking wher they could find us or order more. I came up with the name “Dispatch Coffee”. 

Around the same time, my friends at the Nouveau Palais were building their Winneburger truck, and I felt a need for mobile coffee. One thing lead to another and I re-visited my café business plan, modified it to a more mobile business, bought a truck, converted it over the summer and developed the Dispatch Coffee brand identity.

SDTC: So far, what has been the most important element of success for you?

CD: I would say a combo of hard work, incredible support and generous advice from friends and local business owners, commitment to quality and detail, and trusting my instincts.

SDTC: What are some tips you wish you’d known before you started out?

CD: Maybe to always have a Plan C?

SDTC: Your truck is beautiful. What’s the story behind it?

CD: Thank you. I shipped it from Vancouver as it was cheap and seemed to be in great condition. I later learned that I needed to throw in about as much as it cost in repair! 

As for its design, I wanted to keep it simple. My brilliant friend David Dworkind and my brother Mike Durcak helped with my branding (website and design of truck). 

I wanted our service to be out of the back of the truck, as the truck came with this beautiful white roll-up door in the back. The idea behind this was to create the ambiance of a café on the city streets, give people a real, intimate coffee break from their busy day, rather than the quick in and out service of a window on the sidewalk. However, we might have to re-configure this as the city is standardizing that all food-trucks do service out the side. Regardless, we’ll still keep our back stair system for private or open -air events.

SDTC: What’s the best place in Montreal to sip a take-out coffee?

CD: Dispatch Coffee? Hah. Um…I think we have have witnessed an amazing independent, quality focused coffee-shop growth spurt in Montreal over the past few years.  I personally go to the few cafés that are a stones throw from where I live: Sardine, Arts Café, Café Plume, Pikolo, Myriade 2 on St-Viateur, Neve, etc. but there are so many others that I should mention. Each café seems to shine in its own unique way, which is the beauty of independent coffee shops – you can sample coffee from different roasters, prepared on different machines and handled by many different baristas.

SDTC:  What advice would you give to young entrepreneurs?

CD: I mean, what works for me might not work for the next person. I’m not the best at hashing out business models and doing market research, etc. as most of my instinct stems from years of experience working in service/coffee. But I would advise to anyone, once you have hatched an idea that you are passionate about, to commit to it, do extensive research, make sure you have a security blanket and a plan B for everything. Be malleable and adaptable; expect life and things to throw a stick in too concrete of plans. Don’t be too hard on yourself, undertaking self-employment and entrepreneurship is always a risk, so try to frame it as a project rather than a necessity!

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Sabrina explains her love of her seemingly nerve-racking art form by focusing on its autonomous nature. “Stand-up is a great showcase of you. You showcase yourself as a writer, performer, and a person that wasn’t huggedenough by your parents.”

Jalees is casual and self-deprecating, and her demeanor makes me feel immediately as ease. And she is funny. The kind of natural funny that flows comfortably through a conversation and it’s only afterwards, while trying to transcribe the interview, that you realize how hard you were laughing.

Much of that natural funniness and day to day conversation influences her writing process. “Maybe I’ll say something funny to you and you’ll laugh,” she says.“Maybe? At one point? I’m trying real hard…”

“I say something to you and it’s fine then I’m like ‘Oh that’s an idea’ and I’ll write it down, and look at it later and then either I’ll be like, ‘Woah, you were stoned’ or ‘Woah, you were a prodigy… a genius!’ and then I’ll say it on stage… and I’ll be like, ‘Oh no, you were definitely stoned.’ Or maybe something about it will work and I’ll build it from there.”

Much of Sabrina’s routine is autobiographical: she came out to her Muslim family and married her partner in the last year (she wrote an awesome article about it for Huffington Post). The process was difficult and many of her conservative family members disowned her (hence her upcoming tour’s name). But, discussing it now, she says that things have gotten better, and that some of her family has come back into her life. She says that even before her marriage, family and culture were fodder for much of her routine.

“When I was younger it was about being brown after 9/11 and now it’s more about getting married to a chick and living in the States. Even in New York, telling people I got married, their first reaction is, ‘Oh yeah! It’s legal now!’ Which is a shitty first reaction to ‘I just got married!’ It means if I would have told them a year ago their first reaction would have been ‘Hmm… That sounds illegal…’”

In terms of the content in her Brownlisted tour, Sabrina says ”You can expect a lot of me, a little bit of TMI, talk about race, some jokes about Kesha, and then just in general ‘A-HA’ moments, as Oprah would say. Oprah has said that about my act, but don’t ask her about it. She doesn’t like to acknowledge it. They can expect to laugh ’til they shit… wrong answer? The guarantee is that you will laugh until you… at least… fart.”

I assume there will be a lot of poo jokes.

“No. No poo jokes” she responds, “You’ll be laughing, you’ll be so loose, you’ll just, you know, poo.”

When I inquire about her future career aspirations, Jalees jokes that she’ll be an old lady in a scooter, peddling jokes for money. I press her a bit further, and she explains, ”I really love producing and writing… I just shot a web series called Baby Trinkets that I produced that will be on Youtube soon. In the TV jobs that I’ve had, I’ve always sort of written for myself and had some producing insights. So in the future I’d like to have my own show, produce it and maybe direct it and take over the world. I like making things, and the thing that I love about stand-up is that it open doors to other places.”

It certainly has, in addition to Sabrina’s stand-up work her resume is overflowing with TV credits. She has written for Canada’s Got Talent, performed in MuchMusic’s Video on Trial, YTV’s In Real Life and worked with NBC, MTV, CBC, Just for Laughs, and ABC. In New York she has been doing stand up nightly honing her set, and has worked with NBC’s Last Comic Standing, Logo’s Year End Revew, Animal Planet’s The A-List, and MTV’sFailosophy.

As we close the interview Sabrina adjusts her body towards the microphone and parodies a radio announcer’s voice: “The tour kicks off June 14 and then rolls around through the country like a dice in a mug! No! Like a marble shaking around a… bowl…!”

She tries again, with her deliberately corny enthusiasm. “Kicks off June 14 then rolls around the country like a… steam engine on a track!” She looks up grinning, “Okay?”

The Brownlisted steam engine rolls across Canada and stops in Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Halifax, Newfoundland, Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg in June and July. It is sure entertain! For more information check out her website.

And for a chance to win free tickets to Sabrina’s show watch this video:

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