Breadcrumb Trail Links
EntertainmentLocal Entertainment
State of the Arts: ‘I try to write only when I think there’s something I simply have to say’
Published Sep 24, 2025 • 5 minute read
Roger Nash has a thought-provoking new book of poetry, When, available for $21 at Books and Beans on Elgin Street. Supplied photoArticle content
Roger Nash has a thought-provoking new book of poetry, When, available for $21 at Books and Beans on Elgin Street.
Advertisement 2
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article content
Said Nash: “I try to write only when I think there’s something I simply have to say.”
Article content
Article content
And Nash has much to say in his new collection. He might take on how industry affects the environment or might simply wax poetic about a surprise encounter with a wolf or his observations concerning pigeons and hummingbirds. Even the weather has an impact on Nash, who makes detailed observations we may have noted ourselves but fail shortly to articulate.
He’s published 22 books of poetry, short fiction and philosophy.
Nash, a retired Laurentian University professor, is a past-president of the League of Canadian Poets and inaugural Poet Laureate of Greater Sudbury. Last year, he moved to British Columbia with his wife, Chris.
As president of the League of Poets, he worked with Senator Jerry Grafstein to create the Parliamentary Canadian Poet Laureate position in Ottawa.
Advertisement 3
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article content
– Casey and Diana: YES Theatre’s production of Casey and Diana by playwright Nick Green is on stage from Sept. 25 to Oct. 19. Tickets are available at yestheatre.com.
The play is based on a true story. In 1988, Toronto’s Casey House opened one of the first hospices in the world to provide palliative care for people living with HIV/AIDS.
In the fall of 1991, Diana, Princess of Wales, visited that hospice, helping to change public attitudes toward people living with AIDS. During her visit to Casey House, she was photographed shaking hands with one of the palliative residents, a generous and caring gesture that helped change public perspectives.
– Mourir de trop gueuler (Die From Shouting Too Much), Sept. 26: The Ottawa-based Créations In Vivo company presents Mourir de trop gueuler (Die from Shouting Too Much), an absurdist, no-holds-barred theatre in which overexcited bouffons, the more intelligent and darker cousins of the clown, bury a big frog that died from too much screaming.
Advertisement 4
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article content
In this theatrical extravaganza riddled with laughing, singing and dancing, the frog is brought back to life, just in time, as we ask ourselves the big question, “What are we going to do with the next 50 years?”
The production is at Lounge 390 at 390 Elgin St. in the Quality Inn. For tickets, go to billetterie@maplacedesarts.ca.
– Latin Night: Boots and Salsa: Zoi Monroy and Ritchie Rich present Boots and Salsa, a Latin dance night with a cowboy twist, 7 p.m. Friday, Sept 26, at A&L Family Diner in Lively.
Monroy invites everyone to “Dust off those boots and bring the heat to the dance floor. We’re mixing cowboy style with the hottest Latin rhythms from salsa and bachata to reggaeton and merengue. It’s a night of beverages, dancing and good vibes.”
Advertisement 5
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article content
There is a free salsa class at 8:45. To purchase tickets, go to zoimonroy.com.
The A &L Family Diner is just past Lively’s Tim Hortons at 145 Regional Road 24.
– Annual Fall Art Show: Northern Artists Gallery hosts its third annual fall show on Sept. 27 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at its gallery on Paris Street between Starbucks and TD Canada Trust.
Artists Alley will highlight artists and offer a variety of artwork available for purchase.
Northern Artists Gallery is a member-based organization of Northern Ontario juried artists representing a wide range of art disciplines and styles.
Its purpose is to be a relevant part of an engaged northern artist community by promoting quality art through inclusivity, respect, strategic partnerships and advocacy.
Advertisement 6
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article content
Learn more about the Northern Artists Gallery at northernartistsgallery.ca.
– Music in Memorial Park: Sudbury Arts Council and Downtown Sudbury present The Hilltoppers, Saturday, Sept 27 from 3 to 5 p.m. in downtown Sudbury’s Memorial Park.
The popular Hilltoppers music harkens back to a time when Big Bands drew throngs of people who loved to dance. The group plays Thursdays from 1 to 3:30 p.m. at the Minnow Lake Legion and is led by musician Dick Perras.
“Everyone loves the sax/trumpet/trombone sound made famous by greats like Glen Miller, Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Paul Anka, Ella Fitzgerald, and Michael Bublé. The band plays not only Big Band swing, but favourites from every era since the 1940s,” says Carolyn Otto, who plays with the Hilltoppers.
Advertisement 7
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article content
Join Sudbury Arts Council as it celebrates Culture Days with a free concert at Memorial Park this Saturday.
– Wordstock AGM: Organizers of Wordstock are reimagining the literary festival with help from the community.
People are encouraged to buy a Wordstock membership and attend the annual general meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Sept 29 at the main branch of the Sudbury Public Library on MacKenzie Street.
This is an opportunity to get involved in Wordstock and perhaps donate to the organization.
Wordstock Sudbury Literary Festival, which will take place Oct. 24 and 25, is an intimate celebration of the literary arts.
Previous festivals have featured some of Canada’s most celebrated authors, poets, playwrights, and songwriters. It creates opportunities for vital conversations that challenge assumptions, explore diverse perspectives, and use critical thinking — all through a literary lens.
Advertisement 8
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article content
Established in 2013 to support and promote the love of reading and writing in Northern Ontario, Wordstock Sudbury needs the community’s support to continue this extraordinary journey.
Donations can be made to Wordstock through Canada Helps. Visit the Sudbury Arts Council website (sudburyartscouncil.ca/) and click on the Donate tab.
– Sudbury Symphony Orchestra Concert: Fresh on the heels of the Sept. 19 popular Beatles concert Magical Mystery Tour, the Sudbury Symphony Orchestra launches its 2025-26 season on Oct. 4 at Sudbury Secondary School.
This sequel to last year’s Mega Hits is packed with iconic orchestral moments and provides a deep dive into enduring and influential masterpieces, hosted by Maestro Bill Rowson.
Advertisement 9
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article content
There are two performances to choose from, a 2 matinee and a 7:30 evening show. Both contain works by Beethoven, Schubert, Berlioz, Offenback, Rimsky-Korsakov, Brahms, Marquex, Williams and Bizet.
Generally speaking, the matinee performance is often somewhat shorter in length.
It’s not too late to purchase a season subscription at sudburysymphony.com. Individual tickets are also available.
– If a Tree Falls: The installation by Ashley Guenette’s If a Tree Falls, is at the Galerie du Nouvel-Ontario (GNO) in Place des Arts until Oct 25.
Guenette explores the forest as refuge, a place where feelings, memories and truths unfold. Each piece echoes the texture and colours of the north.
The GNO at 27 Larch St. is open from Tuesday to Saturday from noon to 6 p.m. during exhibitions. Admission is free.
– Congratulations: The Sudbury Arts Council congratulates Cinefest Sudbury on an exceptional festival held Sept 13-21 at SilverCity. The audience numbers were not only back to pre-pandemic levels but exceeded previous attendance records in many cases. It was nine days of films that ran the gamut in content and style, and demonstrated exceptional programming by Cinefest. Kudos to Patrick O’Hearn and the entire team on their expert planning and smooth execution.
The Sudbury Arts Council’s State of the Arts is a bi-monthly article for The Sudbury Star.
Article content
Share this article in your social network