1. The Sikh Research Institute is the organization behind “Kultar’s Mime,” a play that explores human suffering and courage in the face of oppression – heavy stuff that echoes events in both 1903 Russia (a pogram targeting the Jewish population of Kishinev) and 1984 India (the assassination of PM Indira Gandhi and anti-Sikh violence that erupted in the following days). The play, set in New York City and based on a poem by Haim Nahman Bialik, synthesizes “the sufferings of innocent victims of organized violence, separated by thousands of miles, numerous years and insurmountable differences of religion, language and culture.” Currently on a tour of Metro Vancouver, “Kultar’s Mime” is twice staged at Surrey Arts Centre on Saturday (Oct. 3), at 5 and 8 p.m. Tickets for the shows are free when booked through an Eventbrite link on the institute’s website, SikhRI.org/km1984.
2. Admission is also free at the second annual Surrey Skill Share Fair, set for Saturday (Oct. 3) at Surrey Nature Centre from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event is a billed as a great way to learn about interesting people and projects in the community, with topics such as laughter yoga, sewing with a 1920s hand-crank machine, easy magic tricks and related props, cutting and weaving T-shirts to make corsets, cat and dog grooming, making flowers from discarded books, crafting health potions and more. “Surrey has an abundance of interesting, skillful people, and gatherings like this prove it,” said Peter Leblanc, an organizer of the volunteer-run event. “We have people come out to just listen and learn. They like the tone of the event and then the next year we see them signing up to teach something. It is inspiring to see people grow like that.” It all happens at 14225 Green Timbers Way; details are posted at Skill-share.ca.
3. The next Authors Among Us event hosted by Surrey Libraries is all about “The Dark Side” – that is, the craft of writing about “death, demons and despair,” featuring a trio of writers in a two-hour session that runs from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. next Wednesday (Oct. 7) at Guildford Library. Writers Marty Allen, Maro Azzano and Bryan Clegg will reveal how they create their fictionalized worlds. The Italian-born Azzano, author of the “Ian McBriar” murder-mystery series, didn’t learn English until he started school, and he didn’t move to Canada until he was 12. Interestingly, he has worked as a skydiver pilot, college instructor, copier repairman and pizza driver, and is currently employed in the technology sector, troubleshooting networks. Meanwhile, Steveston-area resident Allen wrote “Cordelia” as his first novel in the crime series about Corporal Vaanes, and New Westminster’s Clegg authored “What Dark Passages.” For more event details and to save your spot, call 604-598-7366.
tom.zillich@thenownewspaper.com
