November 13, 2002

stage

Stage listings are compiled by Cheryl Eddy. Performance times may change; call venues to confirm. Reviewers are Robert Avila, Rita Felciano, Lara Shalson, and Chloe Veltman. See 8 Days a Week for information on how to submit items to the listings.

theater

Opening

The A**hole Monologues Exit Theater, 156 Eddy; 931-1094. $15-25. Opens Thurs/14, 8pm. Runs Thurs-Sat, 8pm (no shows Nov 28-30). Through Dec 14. Mr. Bagel Productions' show features a variety of performers expressing their thoughts on the body's backside. Proceeds benefit the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America.

Hedwig and the Angry Inch Victoria Theatre, 2961 16th St; 863-7576. $20-40. Previews Wed/13-Sun/17, 8pm. Opens Nov 20, 8pm. Runs Wed-Sun, 8pm (also Sat, 11pm). Open-ended. See 8 Days a Week, page 56.

Rent Orpheum Theatre, 1192 Market; 512-7770. $40-60. Opens Tues/19, 8pm. Runs Tues-Sat, 8pm (also Sat, 2pm and Nov 29, 2pm; no show Nov 28); Sun, 2 and 7pm. Through Dec 1. The popular Broadway musical returns.

The Time of Your Life Next Stage, 1620 Gough; 333-6389. $10-20. Opens Thurs/14, 8pm. Runs Thurs-Sat, 8pm (no show Nov 28, Dec 14); Sun/17 and Dec 14, 2pm. Through Dec 21. Multi Ethnic Theater presents William Saroyan's comedy-drama.

Bay Area

Alarms and Excursions Aurora Theatre, 2081 Addison, Berk; (510) 843-4822. $28-38. Previews Fri/15-Sat/16, 8pm; Sun/17, 2pm; Nov 20, 8pm. Opens Nov 21, 8pm. Runs Wed-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2 and 7pm. Through Dec 22. Aurora Theatre Company performs Michael Frayn's series of eight short comedies that make light of our dependence on gadgets and technology.

Haroun and the Sea of Stories Berkeley Rep's Roda Theatre, 2015 Addison, Berk; (510) 647-2949. $10-54. Previews Fri/15-Sat/16, Tues/19, 8pm; Sun/17, 7pm. Opens Nov 20, 8pm. Runs Tues and Thurs-Sat, 8pm (also Nov 23, 30, Dec 5, 14, 19, 26, and Jan 4, 2pm; no shows Nov 28 and Dec 24-25); Wed and Sun, 7pm (also Sun, 2pm). Through Jan 7. Berkeley Rep performs an adaptation of Salman Rushdie's novel.

Medea Zellerbach Playhouse, UC Berkeley, near Bancroft and Telegraph, Berk; (510) 642-9988. $36-56. Opens Thurs/14, 8pm. Runs Thurs-Fri, Tues/19, Nov 20-21, 8pm; Sat, 2pm (also Sat/16, 7pm; Nov 23, 8pm); Sun, 3pm. Through Nov 24. The national theater of Ireland, Abbey Theatre, performs its version of the Euripides classic.

Ongoing

Are We Almost There? Shelton Theatre, 533 Sutter; 345-7575. $12-15. Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Open-ended. Travel is the theme of this musical comedy revue.

The Big Bang, the Buddha, and the Baby Boom The Marsh, 1062 Valencia; 826-5750. $14-21 (sliding scale). Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Through Nov 23. KFOG-FM news commentator Wes "Scoop" Nisker performs his solo musical comedy.

The Bombay Trunk New Conservatory Theatre Center, 25 Van Ness; 861-8972. $18-38. Wed-Sat, 8pm (no shows Nov 28, Dec 25); Sun, 2pm. Through Jan 5, 2003. The New Conservatory Theatre Center presents the world premiere of Felice Picano's mystery comedy.

Cannery Row (Chapters 1-7) Magic Theatre, Bldg D, Fort Mason Center, Marina at Laguna; 437-6775. $25 (Wed, pay what you can). Wed/13-Sat/16, 8:30pm; Sun/17, 5pm. (Nov 21, moves to Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College, Berk. Same schedule and price; no show Nov 28. Through Dec 1.) Word for Word interprets the Steinbeck classic.

Cirque du Soleil Presents Varekai "Grand Chapiteau," parking lot of Pacific Bell Park, 24 Willie Mays Plaza; 1-800-678-5440. $31.50-70. Tues-Sat, 8pm (also Thurs-Sat, 4pm; no shows Nov 26, Dec 17); Sun, 1 and 5pm. Through Dec 22. The modern circus company performs a new show (the title translates to "Wherever" in Romany) that pays tribute to the nomadic soul.

Cowboy Mouth Bulldog Theatre, 965 Mission, Ste 250; 305-6773. $7-10. Thurs-Sat, 8pm (also Sat/16, 11pm). Through Nov 23. Mostly Grounded Theatre Company performs Sam Shephard's tale based on his relationship with Patti Smith.

Demon_Industry Shelton Theater, 533 Sutter; (510) 704-4448. $12-20. Fri/15-Sat/16, 8pm; Sun/17, 2pm. Bella Union Theatre Company performs Gene Mocsy's supernatural tale set at a San Francisco computer game company.

Eugenia Theatre Rhinoceros, 2926 16th St; 861-5079. $16-18. Thurs-Sat, 8:30pm; Sun, 3:30pm. Through Nov 24. Chameleon Theatre Company performs Lorae Parry's play.

The Food Chain New Conservatory Theatre Center, 25 Van Ness; 861-8972. $15-25. Wed-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2pm. Through Dec 1. The New Conservatory Theatre Center and Unidentified Theatre Company present Nicky Silver's comedy about relationships and body image.

'Hysterics' Phoenix Theatre, 414 Mason; 431-8423, www.kaliyuga.com. $12-20. Thurs/14-Sat/16, 8pm. Kaliyuga Arts presents an evening of two solo performance pieces: writer-performer Dan Carbone's Up from the Ground and Jill Dowse's X: The Rise and Fall of an Asylum Star, acted by Jennifer Taggart.

Icarus's Mother and The Unseen Hand Actors Theatre of San Francisco, 533 Sutter; 296-9179, www.actorstheatresf.org. $5-20. Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 7pm. Through Nov 23. Actors Theatre of San Francisco performs two experimental works by Sam Shepard.

*It Could Have Been a Wonderful Life Bannam Place Theater, 50A Bannam Pl; 986-4607, www.wonderfullife.org. $15-20. Fri-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 3pm. Through Dec 29. Fred Raker's 25-in-one-man show – back after a successful run last year – charts the despair of aspiring Jewish comedian Phil Resnick, who winds up pigeonholed on public television while the life he could have had goes to an Anglo American-ized colleague, the host of TV's What's Up with That, America? The crisis provokes a little divine intervention by Phil's guardian angel, Jack Benny. Based on Raker's own brush with stardom as well as the Capra classic, this very funny solo performance cleverly weaves Jewish identity and self-doubt into nothing less than a wonderful 75 minutes. (Avila)

Killing My Lobster Circus of Failure A Traveling Jewish Theater, 470 Florida; 558-7721, www.killingmylobster.com. $10-15. Extended run: Thurs/14-Sun/17, 8pm. All the world's a big top – at least it is for the irreverent, idiosyncratic sketch comedy company Killing My Lobster. In Circus of Failure, a topsy-turvy take on bearded ladies, miniature ponies, and the French Canadian approach to the acrobatic arts, the circus becomes a metaphor for a madcap but not inconceivable world, where city supervisors have shiny green skin and antennae, and George Foreman grills sell out at the local Wal-Mart. The members of Killing My Lobster don't work with the most original material. The hackneyed sight gags and offbeat scenarios sending up the middle classes walk a well-worn tightrope – dust off the Monty Python and Saturday Night Live archives for proof. Yet the Lobsters (ring)masterfully make us believe we've never seen a man trip over his own feet before or a woman lose her grip. (Veltman)

Lackawanna Blues Geary Theater, 415 Geary; 749-2228. $11-49. Wed/13-Fri/15, Nov 19-23, 26, and 29-30, 8pm (also Wed/13, Nov 23, and 30, 2pm); Nov 27, 2 and 7pm; Sun/17, Nov 24, and Dec 1, 2pm. Through Dec 1. See "Growing Up," page 44.

The Man Who Outgrew His Prison Cell Thick House, 1695 18th St; 401-8081. $15-25 (sliding scale). Thurs-Sun, 8pm. Through Nov 24. Joe Loya performs his autobiographical show about his journey from bank robber to journalist.

The Men from the Boys New Conservatory Theatre Center, 25 Van Ness; 861-8972. $18-38. Wed-Sat, 8pm (no show Nov 28); Sun, 2pm. Through Dec 8. Mart Crowley's long-awaited sequel to The Boys in the Band finds the famous circle of seven gay men (minus one) firmly in middle age, again assembled at Michael's New York penthouse apartment, this time for a memorial. Crowley has Larry die of cancer, not AIDS, bent on avoiding certain traps even as he struggles to draw a bead on his characters three decades after Stonewall. What was compelling in 1968 sounds shopworn today, as even the playwright seems to acknowledge when he has Michael bemoan the clichéd gay melodramas that inevitably take place in somebody's living room. But the attempt to move things forward by focusing on the trials of aging (three twentysomethings help measure the generation gap), doesn't get very far, while the vituperative wit and climactic tongue-lashings of the original reemerge fitfully at best. In short, the play has as much trouble changing with the times as its characters do. The biggest trammel after the script is a terribly uneven cast. Only Will Huddleston as Harold really shines. Director Ed Decker manages a busy stage with finesse but is hampered by some serious casting missteps. (Avila)

Peggy-Ann Eureka Theatre, 215 Jackson; 255-8207. $15-27. Thurs/14-Fri/15, 8pm; Sat/16, 6pm; Sun/17, 3pm. 42nd Street Moon's tribute to Richard Rodgers continues with an early and rare Rodgers and Hart 1926 musical. Peggy-Ann (Sorsha Miles) of Glens Falls dreams of a life in the Big Apple with perpetual fiancé Guy (Bill Fahrner) while drudging Cinderella-like in her mother's boardinghouse. But the impecunious Guy hasn't received the big break that will cinch the deal, and it looks like wicked stepsister Dolores (Laura LeBleu) and beau Arnold (Joshua Powell) will beat her there. These worries shape Peggy-Ann's thoughts as she falls asleep, entering a seriously random and wacky dreamworld, flecked with just then fashionable Freudian colors and inhabited by real-world associations now transposed to her anxious vision of Manhattan. Director Greg MacKellan's competent cast brings plenty of pluck to a host of corny lines, as well as some winning numbers, though ones only the true Rodgers aficionado will recognize. (Avila)

Puppetry of the Penis Theatre on the Square, 450 Post; 433-9500. $29.50-44.50. Tues-Thurs, 8pm; Fri-Sun, 7pm (also Fri-Sat, 9:30pm). Open-ended. Aussies Simon Morley and David Friend bring their bare-bones, antierotic testicle spectacle to San Francisco: an endless series of juvenile contortions with titles like the Hamburger, the Eiffel Tower, the Didgeridoo, and the Boomerang, accompanied by limp showbiz banter. There's nothing surprising about the origins of the show in an Australian pub act, two genial blokes lampooning highbrow sophisticates with a series of "genital origami installations" (a.k.a. "dick tricks"). The surprise is that this pub act has embarked on a multiyear international tour of the posh theater circuit. It's as if global warming had dislodged a huge crust of cultural no-man's-land and set it adrift to threaten cities worldwide. The one-joke premise treating it as an "art" can't hide the fact that as entertainment it's even more of a stretch. (Avila)

R. Buckminster Fuller: The History (and Mystery) of the Universe Project Artaud Theater, 450 Florida; 626-DOME, www.foghouse.com. $20-40 (first Wed of each month, pay what you can). Wed-Sat, 8pm (also Sat, 3pm); Sun, 2pm. Open-ended. D. W. Jacobs's R. Buckminster Fuller: The History (and Mystery) of the Universe is bursting with so many ideas that it's almost impossible to contain them within the confines of the stage. Fuller was one of the great brainiacs of the 20th century, a philosopher, mathematician, inventor, and idealist who devoted his life to finding the best fit between nature and humanity. In Jacobs's fitful, two-hour monologue based on the life and writings of Fuller, actor Ron Campbell dexterously pings from one of the visionary's obsessions to another. Whether rattling through a dense explanation of atomic structure, proselytizing about how famine will become extinct as humans do "more and more with less and less," or espousing the joys of parenting, Campbell inhabits Fuller's eccentric soul with physical and verbal intensity – at times so much so that the margins between performance and lecture blur. (Veltman)

Rocket Girl New Langton Arts, 1246 Folsom; 289-6766. $18. Thurs/14-Sat/16, 8pm. Thunderbird Theatre Company presents an original sci-fi musical comedy.

Scenic Routes Exit Stage Left, 256 Eddy; (510) 986-9194. $15-25. Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Through Nov 23. Golden Thread Productions presents the world premiere of Yussef El Guindi's drama about the cultural differences facing a white woman and her Egyptian boyfriend.

7 Sins: The Holiday Edition Shelton Theater, 533 Sutter; 820-3947. $20-25. Sun, 5 and 8pm. Through Dec 15. A revolving cast of seven perform comedy monologues drawn from real-life experiences.

17 Reasons (Why) Intersection for the Arts, 446 Valencia; 626-3311. $9-15 (sliding scale). Thurs/14-Sun/17, 8pm. Campo Santo + Intersection presents the world premiere of Naomi Iizuka's excavation of San Francisco's Mission District, a ghost story haunting the interstices between official history and personal memory. Taking its title and cue from the neighborhood's famous thrift-store sign, the play comprises 17 scenes, many drawn from real episodes in San Francisco history reaching back to the turn of the century, from which a single but ambiguous murder tale slowly emerges. A charismatic cast and director Delia MacDougall's kinetic staging – which achieves a kind of walking-tour effect with its shifting panels and configurations, and its use of newsreel and original video footage – go a long way toward enlivening a tale that is often intriguing but too diffuse and fragmented to add up to a compelling whole. (Avila)

Show Ho Theatre Rhinoceros, 2926 16th St; 861-5079. $15-25. Wed-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 7pm (also Sun/17, Nov 24, and Dec 1, 3pm). Through Dec 7. Writer-performer Sara Moore is, as a former Ringling Brothers employee, licensed to clown. Popping back and forth between a number of characters, mostly carnies, our host is the excruciatingly nervous, gender-ambiguous Hell's Kitchenette Rhonda Hammerstein. Scrunch browed and wide eyed, and responding like a sea anemone to every tremor from the audience, Rhonda tells us how she came to accept who she was (and lose her virginity) among a community of clowns embracing their freakishness and otherwise making a virtue of difference. Along the way we get a couple of songs from Moore's able lungs, including the delightful "When Everyone Fun Is Dead." John Fisher directs with a light but knowing touch that supports Moore at her best. While the unabashedly sentimental story line is sweet but slight, Moore proves a comedic powerhouse, in the vaudeville tradition, with shades of everyone from Fannie Brice to Carol Burnett and Tim Conway. Even when she leaps into less harmonious territory – like her admittedly crowd-pleasing rendition of a half-nude Japanese-language boxing audition – she comes out swinging. (Avila)

Young Zombies in Love Venue 9, 252 Ninth St; (510) 982-0433. $12-15. Thurs-Sat, 8pm (no shows Nov 28-30). Through Dec 7. Emerald Rain Productions present a pop-rock musical comedy about a love affair from beyond the grave.

Bay Area

The Canadian Play La Val's Subterranean, 1834 Euclid, Berk; (510) 704-8210. $10. Mon/18-Tues/19, 8pm. Shotgun Theatre Lab performs Thessaly Lerner's political satire.

Eternity Is in Love with the Productions of Time Transparent Theater, 1901 Ashby, Berk; (510) 883-0305. $20 (Sun, pay what you can). Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 7pm. Through Dec 8. Transparent Theater performs an original play about a group of Russian poets fighting for artistic freedom.

Frame of Possibilities Metro Theatre, 201 Broadway, Oakl; (510) 444-8521. $15-20. Fri-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 3pm. Through Nov 24. Anniversary Productions presents Judith Offer's comedy set in the contemporary art world.

Menocchio Berkeley Repertory Theatre, 2025 Addison, Berk; (510) 647-2949. $38-54. Wed, 7; Tues, Thurs-Sat, 8pm (also Thurs/14, Nov 21, 30, Dec 7, 12, and 21, 2pm; no show Nov 28); Sun, 2 and 7pm. Through Dec 22. Berkeley Rep performs Lillian Groag's comedic exploration of one man's fight for intellectual freedom.

Misanthrope Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant, Berk; (510) 558-1381. $8-18 (Thurs/14, pay what you can). Thurs-Sat, 8pm (no show Nov 28); Sun, 5pm. Through Nov 30. Central Works performs a new play based on Moliere's classic comedy.

The Wind Cries Mary San Jose Repertory Theatre, Sobrato Auditorium, 101 Paseo de San Antonio, San Jose; (408) 367-7262. $20-48. Wed/13-Sat/16, 8pm (also Wed/13, noon; Sat/16, 3pm); Sun/17, 2, 7pm. In its lavish world premiere, Philip Kan Gotanda's keen but loving look back at the 1960s charts the fitful course from an "Oriental" to Asian American identity, amid minority student unrest and antiwar protests at San Francisco State University. This revolutionary moment is fraught with ambiguity, however, the violent force of which is embodied in Eiko Hanabi (Tess Lina), proud and willful bride of a nebbishy Caucasian academic (Thomas Vincent Kelly). Inspired by Ibsen's Hedda Gabler, Gotanda ingeniously blends Eiko's constraint by an overweening patriarchy with the friction of her Japanese-American identity. Unable to free herself from the restraining grip of either, Eiko pushes personal-political revolution to the breaking point. Still, it's a synthesis that has its rough edges, especially in the second act. Though her lover Miles (Stan Egi) calls her Mary, a name suggesting the counterculture's promise of liberation through a holy excess of sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll, Eiko remains aloof in a way that makes their crucial psychological tussle unconvincing. Ultimately, the logic of Hedda's predicament does not transpose neatly to Eiko's, leaving us somewhat bemused, if simultaneously taken by the rich texture of Gotanda's portrait. (Avila)

Wonderful Town Marin Theatre Company, 397 Miller, Mill Valley; (415) 388-5208. $25-43. Tues and Thurs-Sat, 8pm (also Nov 21, 1pm; Dec 7, 2pm); Wed, 7:30pm; Sun, 2 and 7pm. Through Dec 8. Marin Theatre Company and Allegro Theatre Company coproduce the Tony-winning musical set in 1930s New York.

Working for the Mouse La Val's Subterranean Theatre, 1834 Euclid, Berk; (510) 464-4468. $7-12. Fri/15-Sat/16, 8pm. (Starting Nov 22, show runs Fri-Sat, 8:30pm (no shows Nov 29-30), Exit Cafe, 156 Eddy, S.F. Through Dec 14.) Impact Theatre presents Trevor Allen's solo comedy about working at Disneyland.

dance

Lily Cai Chinese Dance Company Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 701 Mission; 978-2787. Fri-Sat, 8pm. $18-32. The company, which blends contemporary dance with classical Chinese dance, presents the premiere of She, as well as an encore performance of Bamboo.

Maxine Moerman Dancetheatre, Megan Nicely and Company, Funsch Dance Experience Dance Mission Theater, 3316 24th St; 668-9006. Fri-Sat and Nov 21, 8pm. Through Nov 23. $12-15. The three companies perform new works.

'ODC/Unplugged: Aurora' ODC Theater, 3153 17th St; 863-9834. Mon, 7pm. $15. Choreographer KT Nelson presents a new work in progress.

Smuin Ballet Cowell Theatre, Fort Mason Center, Marina at Laguna; (415) 345-7575 or (415) 495-2234. Wed/13-Sat/16 and Nov 19-23, 8 pm (also Sat, 2pm); Sun, 2pm. Through Nov 24. $35-55. Choreographer Michael Smuin presents world premieres Come Dance Me a Song, to songs by Elton John (played live by John Bayless), and Stabat Mater, to Anton Dvorak's choral work. The evening also offers the 1981 Bouquet, from Smuin's San Francisco Ballet days.

Spinning Yarns Dance Collective ODC Theater, 3153 17th St; 863-9834. Fri-Sat, 8pm. $15. The company performs "Getting There: Maps and Legends," an evening of works by Susan Donham and Marisa Pugliano.

Bay Area

Alexandra and the Near Eastern Dance Company Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo, Berk; (510) 658-8590. Sun, 7pm. $7. The company performs "A Night at the Casbah," a program of belly and folk dance from the Near and Middle East.

Mills College Repertory Dance Company Mills College, Haas Pavilion, 5000 MacArthur, Oakl; (510) 430-3258. Thurs-Sat, 8pm. $12. The company performs Paul Taylor's Aureole.

The Shanghai Ballet Marin Center, 10 Avenue of the Flags, San Rafael; (415) 512-7770. Sun, 3pm. $18-45. See 8 Days a Week, page 56.

Theatre Flamenco Dean Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic, Walnut Creek; (925) 943-7469. Fri, 8pm. (Also Nov 22, 8pm, Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro, Mtn View; 650-903-6000. Nov 29-30, 8pm and Dec 1, 2pm, Cowell Theater, Fort Mason Center, Marina at Laguna, S.F. 415-345-7575). $25-27 (gala performance Nov 30, $25-50). The company, now in its 36th season, performs "Ritmo Flamenco," an evening of flamenco works.

'Works in the Works' Eighth Street Studio, 2525 Eighth St, Berk; (510) 644-1788, ext 2. Sat-Sun, 7:30pm. Through Nov 24. $8. See 8 Days a Week, page 56.

performance

BATS Improv Bayfront Theater, Fort Mason Center, Marina at Laguna; www.batsimprov.com. Thurs-Sun, 8pm. $6-12. This week's shows: "Romantic Interludes" (Thurs); "Gorilla Theatre" (Fri); "A Fist Full of Improv" (Sat); "Theatresports" (Sun).

The brOTHERS Jon Sims Center for the Arts, 1519 Mission; 554-0402. Fri, 8pm. $5-10. The performance ensemble of female born-male identified artists of color presents a work that incorporates poetry, theater, movement, and more.

'EROShambo Surreal Robotic Cabaret' OmniCircus, 550 Natoma; 701-0686. Sat, 9:30pm. Ongoing. $10-15. A cast of musicians, performance artists, and robots appears in this original cabaret show.

'Hansel and Gretel' Legion of Honor, Florence Gould Theatre, 34th Ave at Clement; 392-4400. Sun/17, Nov 24, 30, and Dec 8, 2pm. $15-30. Golden Gate Opera performs a colorful, family-friendly version of the storybook classic.

'Jogos 2002 International Capoeira Competition' ABADÁ Capoeira, 3221 22nd St; 206-0650. Fri, 6pm; Sat, 3pm. $6-10. Capoeira artists compete to be on the 2003 International Games team.

'Jones and His Wives' Luna Sea, 2940 16th St; 864-6123. Fri-Sat, 8pm. $10-15 (sliding scale). Vile Jelly Theatre presents an original, short puppet opera with live music.

Kaspar Hauser Spanganga, 3376 19th St; 826-1202. Fri, 10pm. Through Nov 22. $10. Anyone who has difficulty in imagining what light entertainment might have been like in 15th-century Europe could do worse than sit through an hour of Kaspar Hauser's sketch comedy. Capering about Spangangas's small stage dressed in their signature Pierrot clown suits, this quartet of comedians take us back to the days of court jesters and pantomime with their jokes about bears, selection of silly voices, and gentle pratfalls. Kaspar Hauser's offbeat sense of humor is unusual, yet it remains singularly baffling. The group delights in making fun of improvised comedy, yet the fact that almost every sketch fails to deliver a punch line makes watching Kaspar Hauser feel like sitting through the most flaccid reruns of Whose Line Is It Anyway? If the cutesy clown shtick is meant to be a profound metaphor for the state of the human soul, then it's lost on me. (Veltman)

'The Madwoman of the Castro' Randall Museum Theatre, 199 Museum Wy; 337-4713. Fri-Sat, 7:30pm (also Sat, 2pm); Sun, 2pm. Free. San Francisco Free Civic Theatre performs a localized adaptation of The Madwoman of Chaillot.

'Orbiting Saturn' Theatre Rhinoceros, 2926 16th St; 841-1262. Mon, 8pm. $7. First Seen presents a staged reading of Cary Pepper's dramatic comedy.

Playbill staged readings Blue Bear School of Music, Fort Mason Center, Bldg B, Marina at Laguna; 626-4603. Fri, 7:30pm. Through Nov 22. $5-10. This week's play in a series of works by new writers is Cheaters, by John McMullen.

'San Francisco's Magic Parlor' Sweetie's Cafe and Pub, 475 Francisco; 771-6066. Tues, 8pm. Through Dec 31. Magicians Walt Anthony and James Hamilton "spin tales and weave enchantment" at this new ongoing performance.

'Sorya! Everythings'll Be Good with Happy :)' Noh Space, 2840 Mariposa; 621-7978. Fri-Sat, 8pm (also Sat, 3pm); Sun, 3pm. $15-18. Theatre of Yugen presents three Japanese Kyogen comedies.

'Soulful Sundown' First Unitarian Universalist Society, 1187 Franklin; 776-4580, ext 31. Sun, 5pm. Free. Spoken word, music, and dance comprise this nondenominational celebration of spirituality.

Talking with Angels Spanganga, 3376 19th St; 389-8975. Sat, 8pm; Sun, 5pm. $20-25. In Nazi-occupied Hungary, four friends held weekly philosophical discussions where, according to their manuscripts, they were visited by forces that they came to know as angels. Shelley Mitchell's virtuosic solo performance presents this story from the perspective of the lone survivor: elderly, decidedly nonreligious, and likably cynical Gitta Mallasz. Whether one believes in angels or is more inclined to find another explanation, this is a remarkable story. (Shalson)

'Til Friday' Club Rendez-Vous, 1312 Polk; 309-CLUB. Fri, 10:30pm and midnight. Free. A cast of drag performers – including Cockatelia, Gypsy Calabrese, Sonfondaboyz, Manley Lennox, and Karen Kill – takes the stage; this week's theme is "Heavy Metal."

'Under the Leaves (Shuberta's Fall) New College of California Theater, 777 Valencia; 437-3487. Fri-Sun, 8pm. Through Nov 24. $12-15. Krista DeNio, cLOWnFACE productions, and the Experimental Performance Institute present this original "mythical performance fairytale."

'Women's Work' Venue 9, 252 Ninth St; 289-2000. Tues, 8pm. Through Nov 26. $8-10 (sliding scale). This week's performers in Venue 9's ongoing series include Barbara Brewer, Sara Kraft, Lisa Cohen, and Felicia Soloman.

'Zero Point Field' Xenodrome, 1320 Potrero; 285-XENO, www.xenodrome.com. Thurs-Sat, 9pm. Through Dec 14. Call for price. Xeno performs a show that combines classical dance with circus arts, pyrotechnics, and more.

Bay Area

International Taiko Festival Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley, near Bancroft and Telegraph, Berk; (415) 92-TAIKO, (510) 642-9988. Sat, 8:15pm; Sun, 4:30pm. $20-32. See 8 Days a Week, page 56.

'The Land Is Our Gold' Peralta Hacienda Park, 2465 34th Ave, Oakl; (510) 532-9142. Fri, 3-6pm. Through Nov 22. Free. Aimed at schoolkids, this performance and activity series spotlights 150 years of Oakland history. This week: Juana Briones Comes to Life!, a performance about the early California healer and landowner.

'Who Moved My Vagina?' La Peña Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck, Berk; (510) 654-6346. Fri-Sat, 8pm. $14-18. Marga Gomez performs her latest comedy show.

comedy

BrainWash Café 1122 Folsom; 861-3663. Thurs, 8pm: Comedy open mic hosted by Tony Sparks, free.

The Field 524 Union; 377-1662. Wed, 8pm: "Comedy Club," with host Ian Jensen, $5.

Java Source 343 Clement; 387-8025. Fri, 10:30pm and Sat, 10pm: Comedy open mic hosted by Tony Sparks, free.

Luggage Store 1007 Market; 255-5971. Tues, 8pm: Comedy workshop with Tony Sparks, $3.

New Pisa 550 Green; 207-0285, www.northbeachimprov.com. Fri, 9pm: "North Beach Improv," with host Uncle Vinny Rizzo, $10.

Palace of Fine Arts Theatre 3301 Lyon; 885-7354. Sat, 8pm: "Rx Laughter" benefit for UCSF National Center of Excellence in Women's Health, starring Rene Hicks, Will Durse, Johnny Steele, and others, $25-60.

San Francisco LGBT Community Center 1800 Market; 865-5633. Mon, 8pm: "Monday Night Gay Comedy," hosted by Janis Lipton, $8-15 (no one turned away for lack of funds).

Spanganga 3376 19th St; 826-1202. Thurs-Fri, 8pm: Comedy troupe Drunken Monkey (formerly known as Johnnykats) performs "The Full Monkey," $10.

Sweetie's Bar and Grill 474 Francisco; 820-3237. Sat, 8pm: "Too Many Larrys!" improv comedy, free. Through Nov 30.

Bay Area

Black Box 1928 Telegraph, Oakl; (510) 595-5597. Thurs, 8pm: The Oakland Playhouse improv troupe performs improv comedy, $5.

spoken word

Open mics take place almost every night in cafés throughout the Bay Area. If you want to perform, show up about half an hour before start time to put your name on the list. A day-by-day guide to word events and featured readers:

Wednesday: BrainWash Café 1122 Folsom; 440-5530. "Spoken Word Salon," open mic with host Diamond Dave Whitaker, 8pm, free. Starry Plough 3101 Shattuck, Berk; (510) 841-2082. "The Berkeley Slam!" poetry slam, 8pm, $7. Cody's Books 2454 Telegraph, Berk; (510) 845-7852. "Poetry Flash," with Aliki Barnstone and Willis Barnstone, 7:30pm, $2.

Thursday: Coppa D'Oro Cafe 3164 24th St; 821-1618. "Poetry on the Patio," spoken word and acoustic music open mic with host Barbara Bennett, 6:30pm, free.

Sunday: Cody's Books 2454 Telegraph, Berk; (510) 845-7852. "Poetry Flash," with editors and contributors from the anthology Dorothy Parker's Elbow: Tattoos on Writers, Writers on Tattoos, 7:30pm, $2.

Monday: Perry's Joint 1661 Fillmore; 931-5260. "Celebration of the Word," with featured reader Jehanah Wedgwood, plus open mic, 7pm, free.