5 events to watch for at this year's FemFest

The Fringe Festival is well behind usand the big theatres are still a few weeks away from opening their new seasons.

But another long-running theatre festival kicks off this weekend Sarasvati Productions' FemFest is now in its 14th year of offering up an array of theatre productions, readings and workshops to celebrate women in theatre.

Here are five FemFest events to watch for at this year's festival:

1. Opening cabaret (Sept. 17)

FemFest is bringing in artists from several Canadian cities this year, but the opening cabaret is a great chance to see some top-notch local talent. Local comedian Lara Rae hosts, Outside Joke's Robyn Slade and company will perform an improv/theatre fusion piece called 50/50, the very funny duo of Alissa Watson and Spenser Payne (fresh from touring their Fringe hit The Polka Dots of Death) will perform a new piece, and there'll be contemporary dance from Gearshifting, among more.

2. Morro and Jasp Do Puberty (Sept. 20-22)

The clown duo of Morro and Jasp (Heather Marie Annis and Amy Lee) have become favourites at the Fringe, and for good reason they deliver heartfelt and hilarious shows like this one, last seen here at the 2008 Fringe, all about the anticipation and terror of hitting puberty. If you're looking for a sure thing at FemFest, don't miss this one.

3. Miss Understood (Sept. 22-24)

Antonette Rea, a transgender spoken word artist from Vancouver, delivers an acclaimed one-woman show about her journey through life a harrowing story of drugs, sex work, violence and survival.

4. The Seduction Theory (Sept. 17-24)

A premiere of a new work from Vancouver Playwright Sherry MacDonald, which focuses on a teen in the 1950s who becomes too much to handle at home.

5. Bake Off (Sept. 19)

Always a mixed bag, but always a fun evening. Playwrights are challenged to write a new work using a specific list of "ingredients" in just eight hours. The results get a one-night-only reading at the Bake Off. Good fun for a $5ticket.

Sarasvati Productions' FemFest runs at the University of Winnipeg's Asper Centre for Theatre and Film until Sept. 24.