The word of the week is Action.

The sun is shining, dandelions are fluffing, bees are buzzing (and keeping our food supply going) -- everything is verbing. Humans -- understandably pent up after the snowy, rainy spring -- are out in their full glory, gussied up, and travelling in packs. Everything feels easier this time of year: I can toss on a dress and be ready; I can step barefoot onto the concrete, assured that the weather won’t kill me.

Last minute plans seem more feasible in good weather. Want to do something after work? With the sun burning late, and the warm wind blowing, how can I say no? If everything has a season, this is the season of blooms bursting, and things coming to fruition.

When my friend asked me if I wanted to go to temple this past weekend, it was an easy yes. On the other hand, I wasn't sure we’d actually get there: see, we’ve made these plans before. I've wanted to go to the International Society for Krishna Consciousness temple for as long as I can remember. It’s out of the way, but not that far. At first, I was shy. Going to religious services seems like one of those things for which the groundwork must be laid in youth. While I've been to synagogue, and various Christian churches, I approached those visits with open curiosity, often going with a friend for an occasion, and never returning. This, however, was trickier: my heart prays in this direction, and I would be truly disappointed if the vibe wasn't right. What if I was judged as an imposter? Worse, what if I was perceived as super spiritual? Then I would feel like a fraud for my meat eating, punk listening, cursing, weed smoking ways. Would the temple live up to my devotion? Would my devotion be seen as tainted by my personality?

I remember telling my dad that I wanted to visit the Krishna temple. He told me that he'd always wanted to as well. A devoted Catholic with an open mind, I think he was secretly afraid that attending service there would be an affront to Jesus. Contrarily, in his meditating hippie heart, I think he knew that Jesus and Krishna would've been besties. Still, he never made it there. This summer marks 10 years since his death. Procrastination can be hereditary.

In the past few years, my friend and I aimed for the temple often. A Christian Canadian of Indian descent, she's attended church more often than anyone else I know. Together we casually discuss God, metaphysics, energy, and high vibes. She'd been to the Krishna temple in Toronto more than 10 years ago (with another white girl). She said it was fun, was sure I would love it, all I had to do was get there. We’d take turns cancelling: scheduling conflicts, bitter weather, sniffles -- there was always something. So, last weekend, even as I got ready to meet her, I was sure we wouldn't reach our destination. Something would go sideways. It couldn't be so simple. Even after we met up, I was skeptical. We were in the neighborhood far too early, and maybe we would get distracted as we killed time, and miss the service. Maybe we would tucker ourselves out, realizing that all we really needed was some socializing and a walk in the sun, and skip it. I legitimately wasn't convinced until we saw the building with the Maha Mantra (the Hare Krishna chant, you know?) written out on the façade.

It felt surreal to finally walk in. Still early, we took seats on the floor, as a couple of guys sang the mantra with strands of the harmonium filling the big, beautiful room. It was fairly empty, and I wondered if maybe it would be a small turnout. How many people come to this each week, I wondered. How niche will this scene be? People started coming in slowly, one by one, and in pairs, children moving freely through the space. Soon we looked around and found ourselves surrounded by beautifully dressed women (the well dressed, softly smiling men on the other side of the room). The drums started and more people began singing along. We were part of it now, and even as we stumbled through the details, no one clicked their tongues or stared. We were welcome.

My friend leaned over, asking what the devotees were doing with the candles, with the water, and I was glad to have the answers. My nerdy knowledge is weird in a lot of circles, but I was in my zone. The candle fire had been offered to the Deities in the form of the sacred idols (statues of God) that form the proverbial main stage. Devotees drank water from the pitcher that had poured water on the Gods. A woman brought flowers around: the flowers had been offered too, so as we each took a sniff of the intoxicating blooms, we were also inhaling blessings. We sang, we danced (I didn't foresee the little two-step, and struggled to find my rhythm as the chanting changed tempo). I was afraid my friend would get bored or uncomfortable, and kept checking in with her, but she was good to go.

After the songs, there was a short talk on the subject of authenticity; the importance of offering your own gifts and love as opposed to giving what you think you're supposed to. It was a reminder we both needed at that moment, and we internalized the words.

We moved to another room for the feast, a free offering given out each Sunday, no questions asked. You don't have to earn it, or prove yourself worthy; it's offered out of love, with love, and all you have to be is there to accept it. I had no expectations; there were so many people, I couldn't even fathom how they would serve everyone let alone how much food we would get, or how good it would be. Two lines snaked around the room and out the door, moving up to receive their plates cafeteria style. We got our food and mango lassi and took seats on the floor, surprised by the sheer quantity and variety of our servings. It was all delicious. We ate ourselves to bursting, conscious of the sign that warned against wasting the sacred food. It was prasad, first offered to God, who takes what he needs and returns the rest as blessed nourishment.

We left, and took a moment to sit and chat in the evening sun, processing the experience together. There was a concert nearby, girls in mini skirts, boys in hats and hoodies, everyone eating chips and drinking seltzers. It was a normal scene, but a shock to the system after our afternoon oasis. Had we fallen into a rabbit hole of altered reality? Had we dreamed of the singing and dancing and flowers? No, it was all true all at once, and we had simply chosen where we focused our attention. We were proud of ourselves for having gone, finally, and talked about our favorite parts, the prettiest outfits, saying over and over how full we were. We wanted to prolong the experience.

I'm not saying you should go to temple, Dear Reader (unless you want to). But there's something, or many things, that have been on your wish list for too long. Things you've been afraid of, or afraid would disappoint in reality. But now is the time. This is your sign. Go out there and risk your own disillusionment for the chance to discover that it truly was exactly what you hoped. And if you do end up disappointed, at least you’ll finally be able to say you did the thing, and when the lists are tallied, I think that's what really matters.

Do it.

Groovy

Welcome to a cozy evening of folkloric music from eastern Europe to the Celtic lands, as these different soundworlds talk to each other, as if respond to each other‘s groove, hence the name of the event. Solo pianist, Vytautas Bucionis Jr., will be unrolling the personal soundworld that he constructed through playing music from these two corners of Europe, and finding meeting points between these two cultures, including geographic ones like his native Lithuania. Come along, dream and move, whatever personally suits you. Traditional tunes will alternate with personal compositions and semi composed improvisations. Free admission, but donations are warmly appreciated.

WHAT: Congroovances

WHERE: La Brassée, 2522 Beaubien St. E., Montreal, H1Y 1G2

WHEN: Tonight, Wednesday, June 4 @ 730 PM

METRO: Beaubien (Orange)

DETAILS: Facebook

Absurdist Dark Comedy Is My Personality

Heterochromia is an absurdist dark comedy that will plunge audiences into a hypnotic loop of quantum paradoxes and existential reckoning.

Two people explore the meaning and depth of their connectivity and how they relate to one another. A strange process unfolds that alters their realities. Like particles, they are inescapably bound, their existence entangled through distance and time. Can relationships effectively transcend physical systems?

WHAT: Heterochromia

WHERE: Mission Santa Cruz, 60 Rachel St. W., Montreal, H2W 1G3

WHEN: Opens Thursday, June 5, Various Showtimes

METRO: Mont-Royal (Orange)

TICKETS: Fringe

Where Everybody Knows Your -- Oh, Wait, It's A Murder!

Showcasing emerging artists recently graduated from Dawson College Dome Theatre Program, a classic one-act “whodunit” murder mystery comes to the Fringe Festival. Set in 1960s Paris in a luxurious apartment, Cheers! follows old friends who come to visit Léon and his wife after many years apart. But the evening quickly turns sour when someone mysteriously dies. As secrets begin unfolding, it becomes clear that this wasn’t an accident, but a murder. The characters scramble to figure out who the killer is, without risking their own lives in the process.

WHAT: Cheers!

WHERE: Mission Santa Cruz, 60 Rachel St. W., Montreal, H2W 1G4

WHEN: Opens Thursday, June 5, Various Showtimes

METRO: Mont-Royal (Orange)

TICKETS: Fringe

End Of The World As We Know It…And I Feel Fine

A darkly comic debut about the end (and beginning) of the world. This show turns a children's television show on its head, meshing existential horror and radical hope to inspire us to act in times of crisis.

WHAT: Mr. Potts

WHERE: Petit Campus, 57-B Prince-Arthur Est, Montreal, QC, Canada H2X 1B4

WHEN: Opens Friday, June 6, Various Showtimes

METRO: Sherbrooke (Orange)

TICKETS: Fringe

All Or Nothing

Anything & Everything Productions’ Fundraiser Cabaret marks its first ever in person event! All proceeds raised will be put towards our emerging theatre company's future projects.

Hosted by Gaby Vitali, this cabaret will feature many talented performers who are dedicated to giving you the night of your life through their own theatrical expression! Acts range from dance, song, and so much more!

There are two ticket tiers: general admission and student admission. Students get a discount, but be ready to prove you're a student, just so everything's above board.

At the end of the night they'll be auctioning a poster signed by the entire cast!

Their goal for this Cabaret is not only to pave the foundation for the company's future, but to also have you, the audience, walking out saying, "Wow, that was awesome! I need more!"

WHAT: Anything & Everything's Fundraiser Cabaret

WHERE: La Porte Rouge, 750 Mistral St., Montreal, H2P 1Z2

WHEN: Friday, June 6, Doors @ 630 PM, Show @ 7 PM

METRO: Jarry (Orange)

TICKETS: Simplii

Written Words

Join Jerome Ramcharitar for the launch of his debut full length poetry collection "The Riddle of Three Crimson Doors"! Special guest readers to include Willow Loveday Little, Matthew Rettino, and Samara Garfinkle.

Free Entry! Cash bar!

WHAT: Cactus Press Book Launch!

WHERE: Rocket Science Room, 170 rue Jean-Talon W., #204, Montreal, H2R 2X4

WHEN: Saturday, June 7 @ 7 PM

METRO: Jean-Talon (Orange)

DETAILS: AllEvents

Puts The ‘BOO’ In Booty

Hold onto your Ouija boards, Montreal!

Fresh off a trail of seductively spooky success at the OUTstages Festival in Victoria, BC, this award-winning supernatural solo smash is ready to haunt your funny bone and raise your… expectations.

Meet ParaNorma: part private investigator, part paranormal medium, part hot horny hellion. Created and performed by the dangerously funny Hilary Fillier—whose deliciously unholy antics have already seduced over 53,000 TikTok followers—ParaNorma PI is part paranormal mystery, part burlesque exorcism, and part horned-up fever dream.

A full-throttle celebration of fat bodies, fierce femmes, and filthy fun, ParaNorma PI is the campy, creepy, cleavage-forward comedy you’ve been dying for.

She solves crimes. She summons spirits. She strips like the devil’s watching.

WHAT: ParaNorma PI

WHERE: Petit Campus, 57-B Rue Prince-Arthur E

WHEN: Opens Saturday, June 7, Various Showtimes

METRO: Sherbrooke (Orange)

TICKETS: Fringe

World’s Smallest Comedy Night has so many cool things happening, so here are their events this week in order!

What Do You Know? Like, Seriously…

Tonight! Come to Hurley's for Trivia Night, and get bonus laughter! The theme for this week is The Simpsons! Grab a pint, enjoy delicious pub fare, and get ready to show off your trivia skills. Grab your team, and enjoy this night of comedy, friendly competition, and great company! Hosted by Vance Michel, this week features Miguel Mckenna, Peter Bowen, and George Assily.

WHAT: Trivia Night at Hurley's

WHERE: Hurley's Irish Pub, 1225 Crescent St., Montreal, H3G 2B1

WHEN: Every Wednesday @ 8 PM

METRO: Lucien l'Allier (Orange) & Guy-Concordia (Green)

RSVP: Eventbrite

West Side Representation

Thursday, head West for more killer comedy!

Get ready to laugh your socks off at Rustik Pub & Grill with Cheap Laughs!

Montreal's most talented comedians and touring pros hit the stage at the legendary local haunt, Rustik. Make your East-side friends come to your part of town for a change, or come explore the NDG for yourself! It's a chill and hilarious night every time.

This week, they're once again giving you top shelf comedy at rock bottom prices! Join Walter Lyng, Troy Stark, Jackie Agnew, Jonny DiVito, James Mancini, Tim Kraft, Alex Wood, Sean Weir, and Alex Callahan.

WHAT: Cheap Laughs at Rustik Pub

WHERE: Rustik Pub & Grill, 5621 Sherbrooke St. W., Montreal, H4A 1W4

WHEN: Thursday, May 22, Doors @ 7 PM, Show @ 8 PM

METRO: Vendôme (Orange)

TICKETS: Eventbrite

Classic Coke

Beat the Monday Blues with WSC’s OG offering, The World's Smallest Comedy Night!

Enjoy a showcase of the best comedians in the city, hot up-and-comers, national and international touring comics, and surprises!

Hosted by Vance Michel, this week features Charles Montgomery, Sam Adamo, Daniel Johan, James Mancini, Miguel Mckenna, Eric Spicely, Jason Houle, and Matthew Bourjeli.

WHAT: The World's Smallest Comedy Night

WHERE: Hurley's Irish Pub, 1225 Crescent St., Montreal, H3G 2B1

WHEN: Monday, May 12 Doors @ 7 PM, Show @ 8 PM

METRO: Lucien l'Allier (Orange) & Guy-Concordia (Green)

TICKETS: Eventbrite

Dirty Monday

The Monday Night Dirty Mic is the place to be! Hosted by Vance Michel, every show is an unpredictable and unique experience as a hilarious collection of comedians from newbs to pros take the stage. See the best before anyone else, and catch seasoned locals doing their freshest funnies!

Comics: show-up, sign-up