Here’s this week’s “Arts in the City” column by HELEN MUSA.

HONEST Puck Theatre has two new young performers, Ruby Pardy as Anastasia, and Hester McDonald as her best friend, in Lois Lowry’s play, “Anastasia Krupnik”, about a 10-year-old who struggles with school, the big questions of life and being misunderstood. James Scott plays Anastasia’s dad and Monica Engel as her mum. Perform Australia Theatre, April 20-23. Book at honestpuck.com.au 

NEWLY appointed members of the ACT Arts Minister’s Creative Council are musician AJ America as deputy chair, producers Ketura Budd and Hannah de Feyter, musician and disability advocate Ruth O’Brien, visual artist Ngaio Fitzpatrick and the NGA’s indigenous leadership co-ordinator, Ian Colless. 

MORE than a theatre production, “The Trojan Women” by Euripides, adapted by Joe Woodward and a committed cast from Daramalan Theatre Company are linking the original text to current-day situations, especially in Afghanistan. Old Chapel Studio, Daramalan College, April 23-30, book at events.humanitix.com

AN observant reader of our recent story about Canberra Youth Theatre has noticed that the actor holding the silks in the picture from “Psychosis” 2012, is Nathalie Morris, now the lead in “Bump”, a Stan original Australian comedy-drama series directed by Claudia Karvan, which has just finished shooting season 3. 

PHOENIX Collective’s East/West fusion erhu concert will explore traditional Chinese folk music, improvisation and modern experimental techniques. As well, Phoenix will perform Debussy’s “String Quartet in G minor”. Tuggeranong Arts Centre, April 21 and All Saints, Ainslie, April 22. Book at phoenixcollective.com.au 

REBUS Theatre will present a free, interactive theatrical exploration of climate change, “Inner Climate”, at multiple venues around Canberra. Part workshop, part performance, it is loosely based on a theatrical experiment in Canada. At Questacon, April 22-May 18. More at rebustheatre.com 

CANBERRA Mandolin Orchestra and dancers from the Monaro Folk Society are staging “Dancing Feet”, where massed mandolins of different sizes will play a wide variety of dance music from across the world including waltzes, mazurkas, tangos, polkas and folk dances. Folk Dance Hall, Hackett, 2pm-4pm, Saturday, April 23, tickets at the door or call 0417 691404.

CAPO’s annual auction event at Canberra Contemporary Art Space on the lake – postponed because of Omicron – has now been rescheduled to Saturday, April 23. Book at capo.org.au

CANBERRA author Merlinda Bobis, who won the Christina Stead Prize, NSW Premier’s Awards, in 2016 for “Locust Girl, A Lovesong”, has been shortlisted for the 2022 prize for her collection of short stories, “The Kindness of Birds”, which also won a Canberra Critics’ Circle Award last year.

News all day, every day at CityNews.com.au.