stage

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

theater

Opening

The Ken and Andy Show New Conservatory Theatre Center, 25 Van Ness; 861-8972. $15-25. Previews Wed/24-Fri/26, 8pm. Opens Sat/27, 8pm. Runs Wed-Sat, 8pm; Sun/28, Sun/4, and Aug 11, 2pm. Through Aug 11. This two-person "metaphysical comedy" by performers Ken Taylor and Andrew Barrett kicks off the New Conservatory Theatre Center's Twist and Shout Festival.

South Pacific Golden Gate Theatre, 1 Taylor; www.bestofbroadway-sf.com. Opens Wed/24, 2 and 8pm. Runs Wed-Sat, 8pm (also Wed and Sat, 2pm); Sun, 2pm. Through Aug 18. Robert Goulet stars in the classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical.

Ongoing

American Buffalo Shelton Theater, 533 Sutter; 433-7875. $20 (Thurs, pay what you can). Thurs/25-Sat/27, 8pm. Three small-time crooks plan a robbery and philosophize on the nature of friendship in David Mamet's 1977 play. The action (if we can call a prolonged failure to do anything "action") takes place in a junk shop owned by Donny (Charles Brumm), where he and his buddy "Teach" (Richard Harder) plot to steal a valuable coin. Bobby (Joseph Silva), Donny's gofer, wants in on the action, but the two older men exclude him, half suspecting he might be trying to cheat them himself. Mistrust and self-protection clash against the need for approval ("Are you mad at me?" they each ask at least once) in Mamet's classic fractured dialogue. However, much of the emotional nuance is lost in this production because of a rather flat relationship between Donny and Bobby. Harder, on the other hand, is excellent as Teach (move over Dustin Hoffman) and really carries the play. (Shalson)

Augustine (Big Hysteria) Exit on Taylor, 227 Taylor; 999-8870, www.theshee.org. $15-20. Fri-Sat, 8pm (also Mon/29, 8pm). Through Aug 17. See "On Display," page 32.

Beyond Therapy Bulldog Theater, 965 Mission; 778-4050. $12-17. Fri-Sat, 8pm. Through Aug 24. OneHeart Productions presents Christopher Durang's relationship comedy.

The Ghost of Molly Malone Venue 9, 252 Ninth St; 289-2000. $12-15. Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun/28, 2pm. Through Sat/3. Playwright Aoise Stratford adopts elements of the tale of "The Tart with a Cart" for her own purposes in The Ghost of Molly Malone, currently premiering in a coproduction by Three Wise Monkeys Theatre Company and Footloose @ Venue 9. The legendary Irish figure is incarnated variously by Old Molly (Michaela Greeley), who has survived the centuries to become a bag lady in current-day Chicago, by Young Molly (Arwen Anderson) in 17th-century Dublin, and by Lois (Lillian Oglesby), a contemporary troubled teen. Ghost has admirable ambitions, and it's a pleasure to see a small theater tackling a play of this scope. But unfortunately the play doesn't make much of a case for its emotionally isolated main characters, tending to schematize rather than dramatize their plights. The odd result is that the script winds up presenting the women much as the repressive male characters in the play see them: as angry and opaque rather than as whole people. (Rosenstein)

Ladies and Gentlemen ... It's B Movie Night! Exit Theatre, 156 Eddy; 387-3163. $12-15. Fri-Sat, 8pm. Through Aug 17. Ironworkers Local 202 Theater Company presents four short plays inspired by low-budget genre films.

The Last of the Red-Hot Dadas Exit Cafe, 156 Eddy; 673-3847. $10. Fri, 8:30pm. Through Aug 9. Christine Augello performs as "the mother of Dada," Baroness Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven.

Of Mice and Men Actors Theatre of San Francisco, 533 Sutter; 296-9179. $15-20. Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 7pm. Through Aug 31. Actors Theatre of San Francisco presents the John Steinbeck classic.

Ripped from the News Magic Theatre, Fort Mason Center, Marina at Laguna; 441-8822. $10-37. Wed/24-Sat/27, 8pm; Sun/28, 2:30pm. True Fiction Magazine's new improv show is inspired by newspaper headlines and audience suggestions.

Roberto Zucco: A Portrait of a Serial Killer Theatre Rhinoceros, 2926 16th St; 861-5079. $12-20 (previews, pay what you can). Thurs/25-Sun/28, 8pm. Celebrated French playwright Bernard-Marie Koltès's last play before his death in 1989 explores the inherent violence of a human-made world devoid of love or liberty. Inspired by the true tale of Italian murderer Roberto Succo, Koltès's lyrical flight sets up sociopath Roberto Zucco (James S. Craft) as an ambiguous hero for our age: the last free man. Cutting Ball artistic director Rob Melrose's staging and a sinister light and sound design make for some memorable images. Royston Coppenger's translation, however, tends to blunt Koltès's violently incandescent prose, while too-earnest renderings of some scenes mute his nihilistic poeticism and absurdist humor. (Avila)

*'Russell Simmons Def Poetry Jam' Theatre on the Square, 450 Post; 433-9500. $25-40. Wed/24-Thurs/25, 8pm; Fri/26-Sat/27, 7 and 10pm; Sun/28, 5pm. Following on the heels of the HBO series Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry, this evening of performance poetry features nine rising stars of the slam poetry scene. Among them are Steve Colman, with his scathing sociopolitical commentary, and Mayda del Valle, Black Ice, Georgia Me, and Suheir Hammad, who speak eloquently to issues facing Americans of Latin, African American, and Palestinian descent, to name a few. The evening rocks with energy and passionate intensity, and it's inspiring to see young people tackling major social ills with artful, uncompromising language and Whitmanesque fervor. (Rosenstein)

*San Francisco Mime Troupe's 'Mr. Smith Goes to Obscuristan' (415) 285-1717, www.sfmt.org. Free. Sat/27, 2pm, Glen Park, Bosworth and Elk; Sun/28, Yerba Buena Gardens, 700 Howard. Through Sept 2; check Web site for full schedule. Written by Josh Kornbluth (Haiku Tunnel) in collaboration with the troupe, Mr. Smith Goes to Obscuristan is a smart and humorous look at what happens to democratic ideals when profits are at stake. Jeff Smith is a Sept. 11 firefighter who's been sent to supervise a tiny desert nation's first democratic elections. However, it turns out that the elections are fixed ("Only an American could mistake a fixed election for a real one," candidate Ralif Nadir quips) and that the United States is supporting the corrupt government in order to gain control of Obscuristan's oil resources. On opening weekend the performance fell short of the troupe's usual polish, but there are plenty of much needed laughs and at least a few moments (Ed Holmes as Barbara Bush!) approaching brilliance. (Shalson)

Sleeping with Straight Men Theatre Rhinoceros Studio, 2926 16th St; 861-5079. $20-25. Extended run: Fri/26, 8:30pm; Sat/27, 6 and 9pm; Sun/28, 3:30 and 7:30pm. Great Scott Productions presents Ronnie Larsen's new play, based on the true tale of a gay man who is murdered after revealing his crush on a straight man on a television talk show; Mink Stole, Dan Renzi (of MTV's Real World: Miami), and Sister Roma (of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence) star.

The Stone Trilogy A Traveling Jewish Theatre, 470 Florida; 820-1460. $7-20. Fri-Sat, Thurs/1, 8pm; Sun/28, 2pm. Through Sat/3. Three one-acts by local playwright Ian Walker explore oppression and forgiveness. Topics include the conflict in Ireland, apartheid in South Africa, and hate crimes against homosexuals, and the pieces interconnect in their depiction of lives destroyed by racism and hatred. The variety of locales gives the actors the chance to show off their versatility, and those who appear in all three plays rise to the occasion. Walker manages to bring out the complexities of his topics and avoids the overarching generalities that might easily come from lumping such disparate events together. However, the stories tend to be overdrawn, with all three ending in violent tragedy. By the time one of the characters bursts onto the scene, revolver in hand, for the third time, one feels either utterly defeated or apt to call it melodrama. It's a thought-provoking and ambitious work, but at three hours, the evening runs long. (Shalson)

Stories by Tobias Wolff Magic Theatre, Fort Mason Center, Marina at Laguna; 437-6775. $25 (Wed, pay what you can). Previews Wed/24, 8:30pm. Opens Thurs/25, 8:30pm. Runs Tues-Sat, 8:30pm; Sun, 3pm. Through Aug 25. Word for Word stages three Wolff stories: In the Garden of the North American Martyrs, Lady's Dream, and Bullet in the Brain.

'Summer Shorts: Days and Nights' Exit Stage Left, 156 Eddy; 863-7707, www.ticketweb.com. $10-20. Fri-Sat, 8pm. Through Aug 17. Isis Arts Collective presents an evening of short plays, including five world premieres by Bay Area writers and three lesser-known works by Christopher Durang and Wendy Wasserstein.

The Vagina Monologues Geary Theatre, 415 Geary; 433-9500. $20-60. Tues-Thurs, 8pm; Fri-Sat, 8:30pm (also Sat, 3pm); Sun, 3 and 7:30pm. Through Aug 11. Creator and original star Eve Ensler performs her play in San Francisco for the last time.

We're Going down the Pub Edinburgh Castle Pub, 950 Geary; 885-4074. $10. Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Through Sat/3. The Edinburgh Castle Pub hosts a live, multimedia comedy show about pub life.

Bay Area

Be Aggressive Lucie Stern Theatre, 1305 Middlefield, Palo Alto; (650) 903-6000. $20-43. Tues, 7:30pm (no show Aug 13); Wed-Sat, 8pm (also Sat/27 and Sat/3, 2pm); Sun, 2pm (no 2pm show Sun/4; also Sun/28, Sun/4, and Aug 11, 7pm). Through Aug 18. Annie Weisman's play uses high school cheerleading as a window into the soul of a fictional southern California town. When Laura (Daisy Eagan) loses her mother in a hit-and-run accident, she returns to her cheerleading squad with a desperate need to find comfort and control. Teaming up with the hardcore Leslie (Amanda Duarte), she bolts off to an intense professional cheer camp in the South, provoking an odd alliance between their worried parents. Weisman nails the artificiality and shallowness of the southland with spot-on satiric wit, and her finest achievement is the frighteningly precocious Leslie, played with absolute comic brilliance by Duarte. The play itself lurches from the bubbly humor of exploding its easy targets to clunkily attempting to extract more resonant metaphors, and it really sags whenever it attempts to dramatize the inability of a land of absurd overabundance to deal with genuine loss. Director Wendy C. Goldberg is fine whenever the play is moving at sitcom clip but stumbles whenever the script attempts its more serious and dubious turns. (Rosenstein)

Benefactors Aurora Theatre, 2081 Addison, Berk; (510) 843-4822. $26-35. Wed-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2 and 7pm. Through Aug 18. A successful architect and his do-gooder wife dutifully adopt the troubled and less advantaged couple next door. In a series of flashbacks, David (David Arrow) and Jane (Nancy Carlin) take increasing responsibility for Colin (Ron Campbell) and Sheila's (Araxi Djian) welfare, driving a rift between their charges that strains their own marriage. Meanwhile, David gets carried away with a redevelopment scheme whose scale rises beyond all human proportion, and Colin finds new vitality leading a grassroots campaign to scuttle it. British playwright Michael Frayn penned this lightly sardonic comedy at the height of the Thatcher years but aimed his political blowgun at the patronizing if well-intentioned idealism of the liberal bourgeoisie, the architects of a "better world." Set designer J.B. Wilson's blueprint scaffolding, awash in the master builder's scribbles, measurements, and lines, places the action on a suitably abstract plane, where lofty notions of "community" dwarf the atomized souls who are supposed to compose it. Joy Carlin directs a capable cast, though partly owing to Frayn's insistence that his characters declaim at least as much as they converse, their relations feel a little too stolid throughout. (Avila)

A Chorus Line Kofman Auditorium, 2200 Central, Alameda; (510) 864-2256, www.aclo.com. $14-22. Fri/26-Sat/27, 8pm; Sun/28, 2pm. Alameda Civic Light Opera performs the popular musical.

Cloud Nine Roda Theatre, 2015 Addison, Berk; (510) 647-2949. $10-54. Thurs/25-Sat/27, 8pm (also Sat/27, 2pm); Wed/24 and Sun/28, 7pm (also Sun/28, 2pm). You'd think anything by Caryl Churchill – particularly this feast of social satire bridging the British-dominated Africa of 1880 and the London of 1980 – would be a natural for the Berkeley Repertory Theatre's Tony Taccone, who's been on a roll lately. Instead the director plays the evening mostly for laughs, skimming lightly over the piece's lyricism and depth. It's easy – and misguided – to dismiss Cloud Nine as dated. At its premiere 20 years ago, Cloud Nine was a stunning reflection on the personal cost of Britain's imperialism and its hypocritical Victorian morality. The play's fluid vision of unbridled sexuality seemed liberating then, only to mark the script as an apparent period piece in ensuing years. But today what comes through most potently is not the sex or the politics but the hilarious and painful choices the play's parents and children and lovers (and by extension, governments and citizens and generations) make in dealing with one another. (Rosenstein)

The Heidi Chronicles Live Oak Theatre, 1301 Shattuck, Berk; (510) 528-5620. $10. Fri-Sat, 8pm (also Aug 8, 8pm). Through Aug 10. Actors Ensemble of Berkeley completes its 45th season with a performance of Wendy Wasserstein's Pulitzer-winning play.

Macbeth Bruns Memorial Amphitheater, Gateway Blvd exit off Hwy 24, Orinda; (510) 548-9666, www.calshakes.org. $13-46. Wed/24-Thurs/25, 7:30pm; Fri/26-Sat/27, 8pm (also Sat/27, 2pm); Sun/28, 4pm. Kate Whoriskey is one of the country's most highly touted young directors, and her Macbeth at the California Shakespeare Festival marks her Bay Area debut. Whoriskey is particularly noted for visually vibrant takes on the classics, and on that score this production does not disappoint. But visual sophistication is as good as this Macbeth gets. The production overall is stiff and bloodless in every sense – each acting choice seems inspired more by a master's thesis than by a human instinct. (Rosenstein)

Mata Hari Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant, Berk; (510) 558-1381. $8-18. Fri-Sat, 8pm (also Sat, 5pm); Sun, 5pm. Through Aug 24. Central Works and Women in Time present an original work, developed by Central Works, that explores the life of the famous female spy.

Measure for Measure Highway One at Calle del Mar, Stinson Beach; (415) 868-1115, www.shakespeareatstinson.org. $13-23. Fri-Sat, 7pm; Sun, 6pm. Through Aug 18. Shakespeare at Stinson presents Shakespeare's comedy about hypocrisy.

Much Ado about Nothing Forest Meadows Amphitheatre, Grand Ave, Dominican University, San Rafael; (415) 499-4488. $12-22. Sat/27, Fri/2, Aug 4, 9, 11, 17, 23, 25, 8pm; Sun/28, Aug 18, 4pm. Through Aug 25. The Marin Shakespeare Company performs the classic tale of love and mistaken identity.

*Pericles, Prince of Tyre Sat/27, 1pm: Mosswood Park, corner of MacArthur and Broadway, Oakl; Sun/28, 1pm: Dimond Park, 3860 Hanly, Oakl. (415) 567-1758, www.womanswill.org. Free. Through Aug 18; check Web site for full schedule. Of all the Shakespeare plays being offered this season, only one is produced and performed entirely by women, and only one incorporates a new translation of the work into American Sign Language. Woman's Will, the all-female Shakespeare company, brings the Bard's rarely produced romantic Greek epic to a hearing and deaf audience. The all-women cast is a refreshing twist on the practices of Shakespeare's time (all actors were male in those days), but this production succeeds primarily because of its fine acting. Susan-Jane Harrison in the title role is the personification of princely honor and humility. Lizzie Calogero is charming as Pericles' wife but really shines in the comic role of the Bawd of Myteline. The production is not lavish – the actors wear simple monotone costumes and perform against a basic netted backdrop – but if you're looking to see Shakespeare really come to life this summer, head for Pericles in the park. (Shalson)

A Thousand and One Arabian Nights Forest Meadows Amphitheatre, Grand Ave, Dominican University, San Rafael; (415) 499-4488. $12-22. Fri/26, Sun/28, Sat/3-Sun/4, Aug 10-11, 16, 18, 24-25, 8pm (also Sun/4, 11 4pm). Through Aug 25. The Marin Shakespeare Company presents a world premiere adaptation of the classic tale.

Troilus and Cressida John Hinkel Park, Southampton between San Diego and Somerset, Berk; (510) 704-8210. Pay what you can. Opens Sat/27, 5pm. Runs Sat-Sun, 5pm. Through Sept 1. The Shotgun Players present Shakespeare's post-Trojan War tale.

The Winter's Tale Amador Community Park, near Santa Rita and Black, Pleasanton; www.sfshakes.org. Free. Fri-Sun, 7:30pm. At this location through Sun/4. The San Francisco Shakespeare Festival celebrates 20 years of Free Shakespeare in the Park with a performance of the Bard's tale of jealousy and forgiveness.

dance

'Sunday Salon' ODC Theatre, 3153 17th St; 863-9834. Sun, 7:30pm. $8-10. ODC launches a new series designed to allow emerging choreographers to present their work and receive feedback; the inaugural event features Jessica Ingersol-Cope and Mair Culberth, Tamara Joseph, Alisa Michelle, Rebecca Pappas, Jenny Selgrath, and Lise Worthen.

'West Wave Dance Festival 2002' Cowell Theater, Fort Mason Center, Marina at Laguna; 345-7575. This week: Program Five, Thurs-Fri, 8pm; Program Six, Sat-Sun, 8pm. Festival runs through Sun/28; check www.voiceofdance.org for performance schedule. $18-20. See "Too Much," page 34.

Bay Area

Caroline Lugo's Brisas de España Dean Lesher Regional Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic, Walnut Creek; (925) 943-SHOW. Sat-Sun, 8pm. Call for price. The flamenco company performs a "best of" repertory show, with special guest Jesus Montoya of Spain.

Etherealize Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College, Berk; (510) 918-2057. Sun, 2pm. $10. Temescal Arts Center, 511 48th Ave, Oakl. Fri/2-Sat/3, 8pm (same phone and price). Choreographer Leyya Tawil and composer Christopher Keyes present "Useless," a show featuring three premieres that marks the company's fifth season of dance and music collaborations.

performance

'Circus Contraption' Odeon Bar, 3223 Mission; 550-6994. Fri-Mon, 11pm (also Sun-Mon, 9pm). $10 (no one turned away for lack of funds). This Seattle-based circus features a variety of unusual performers, including dancers, jugglers, sideshow acts, a live band, and others. All shows contain "mature content."

'Drinking Again' Eureka Theatre Company, 215 Jackson; www.srk2.com. Mon, 8pm. $15. Stephen Roger Kitts II presents his cabaret show about a man bemoaning a lost relationship; also appearing on the bill are performers Amy Yarbrough and Laura Mayes.

'Fourth Annual DykeDrama Festival: Short Plays by and about Dykes' Luna Sea Theater, 2940 16th St; 863-2989, www.lunasea.org. Part One, Fri/26-Sat/27, 8pm; Part Two, Fri/2-Sat/3 and Aug 9-10, 8pm. $11-14. Part One features Fat Fuck, by Sondra Solovay and Timnah Steinman; My Sister Myself, by Robyn Brooks; KVCH Radio, by Aishe Berger; and Tying the Knot, by Claudia L. Vierra Allen. Part Two features Cherry Blue by Shirleen Holmes; Sex In the City by Karen X; and Pussy Envy and Butterfly by Trish Cole.

'Inter-actions' ODC Theater, 3153 17th St; 863-9834. Fri-Sat, 8pm. $7-10. See 8 Days a Week, page 44.

'Ladyfest Bay Area Kick-off Party' San Francisco LGBT Community Center, 1800 Market; www.ladyfestbayarea.org. Wed, 8pm-1am. $10. MCs Tara Jepsen, Lynn Breedlove, and Paul Wanka; music by Mirah, Jody Bleyle and Kate Schellenbach, Tartufi, Cotton Candy, DJ Pam the Funkstress, and others; spoken word by Alix Olson and Penny Arcade, burlesque and synchronized dance by the Cantankerous Lollies, Simone de la Getto, and the Devil-Ettes; comedy by Heather Gold; and a dance party with DJs Lambchop and CP. See "Ladies Get Busy," page 36.

Ladyfest Bay Area presents 'Loose Limbs' New College Theater, 777 Valencia; www.ladyfestbayarea.org. Sat, 2pm. $5-7 sliding scale. This multidisciplinary show features music, dance, and performance art by Sharon Cheslow, Janet Pants Dans Theeatre, Faye Driscoll, Sean Dorsey, Monique Jenkinson, Machiko Saito, Jibz Cameron, and Sandy Rodriguez.

Ladyfest Bay Area presents 'My Sister, My Sister' New College Theater, 777 Valencia; www.ladyfestbayarea.org. Sat, 5pm. $5-7 sliding scale. The Sisters Project presents a multimedia performance depicting the lives of homeless women.

Ladyfest Bay Area presents 'Penny Arcade: Live! at Ladyfest' Victoria Theatre, 2961 16th St; www.ladyfestbayarea.org. Thurs, 6-7pm. $5-7 sliding scale. Penny Arcade performs a one-woman show.

Ladyfest Bay Area presents 'Postcards from the Welfare Line' New College Theater, 777 Valencia; www.ladyfestbayarea.org. Sat, 6:30pm. $5-7 sliding scale. Erika Lopez performs new work, with Amy Simpson.

Rita Moreno Plush Room, York Hotel, 940 Sutter; 885-2800. Opens Tues/30. Runs Tues-Sat, 8pm (also Sat, 10:30pm); Sun, 3pm. Through Aug 11. $35 (plus two-drink minimum). The award-winning singer and actor performs cabaret favorites.

'Mr./Miss Golden Gate 2002-2003 Official Kick-Off Party' Club Rendez-Vous, 1312 Polk; 309-CLUB. Fri, 9pm. Free. See 8 Days a Week, page 44.

'The Rape Poems' Eureka Theatre, 215 Jackson; 440-4913. Sun, 2 and 7pm. $15-25. Ambit Theatre Company performs Marilee Talkington and Tom Juarez's stage adaptation of Frances Driscoll's tale of a woman attempting to put her life back together after she is assaulted.

'Sight Unseen' Locus 1640, 1640 Post; www.locusarts.org. Wed, 8pm. $5. See 8 Days a Week, page 44.

'The Sun Rises in the East' Mary Sano School of Duncan Dancing, 245 Fifth St, Ste 314; 647-2133. Fri, 8:30pm. $10-15. Cultureworks presents Brian Shapiro's new performance art piece inspired by the aftermath of Sept. 11.

'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?' SomArts Cultural Center, 934 Brannan; 1-866-468-3399. Fri-Sat, 7:30pm. $15-30. This benefit performance of Edward Albee's play is presented by the Caring-A-Ton Fundraisers and the National Association for Transplants.

'Xeno' Xenodrome, 1320 Potrero; 282-XENO. Thurs, 8pm; Fri-Sat, 9pm. $3-25. This performance combines theater, aerial dance, acrobatics, video, and sound.

Bay Area

'Health and Fitness Show' James Moore Theater, Oakland Museum, 1000 Oak, Oakl; (510) 985-2783. Sun, 3pm. $5-15. This performance features martial arts, tai chi, dancing, drumming, and music.

'The Mikado' St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, 66 St. Stephens, Orinda; (925) 254-3770. Wed-Sat, 7:30pm. $10-20. The church hosts a performance of the Gilbert and Sullivan musical.

comedy

Blue Bear Theater Fort Mason Center, Marina at Laguna; 885-5678. Sat, 8:30pm: "Flash Family," improv comedy, $7-14. Through Aug 10.

Caffe Sapore 790 Lombard; 474-1222. Fri, 8pm: comedy with host Melissa Gans and Mike Holley, Ryan Makinson, Brian Pierce, and John Brotzman, $10.

Double Play 2401 16th St; 440-4309. Fri, 8pm: "Funny Filthy Women," comedy show, $8.

San Francisco LGBT Community Center 1800 Market; 865-5633. Mon, 8pm: "Monday Night Gay Comedy," with host Karen Ripley, $8-15.

Sweetie's Café and Bar 475 Francisco; 820-3237. Sat, 8pm: "Too Many Larrys!," sketch comedy, free. Through Sat/27.

Venue 9 252 Ninth St; 820-3947. Sun, 8pm: "Seven Sins," comedy and solo performance, $10-15. Through Sun/4.

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: Cody's Books 2454 Telegraph, Berk; (510) 845-7852. "Poetry Flash," with Juvenal Acosta and Elmaz Abinader, with musician Tony Khalife, 7:30pm, $2. La Peña Cultural Center La Peña Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck, Berk; (510) 849-2566. Café Poetry with host Paradise and featuring Ten Qweens and a Mic, 7:30pm, $2. Mama Bears Women's Bookstore 6536 Telegraph, Oakl; (510) 506-3717. "SheSpeaks," open mic night for women 18 and over, 7:30pm, $5. Starry Plough 3101 Shattuck, Berk; (510) 841-2082. "The Berkeley Slam!," with hosts Charles Ellik and dani eurynome, 8pm, $7. BrainWash Cafe 1122 Folsom; 864-3842. "Spoken Word Salon," open mic with host Diamond Dave Whitaker, 8pm, free.

Thursday: Café 1428 1428 Alice, Oakl; (510) 239-2239, ext 2899. "Poet Skool," open mic with host Paradise, 7pm, donations accepted. Pond 214 Valencia; pondpeople@mucketymuck.org. "Siege Machines: Readings by Experimental Women Writers," with Dodie Bellamy and Sarah Anne Cox, 8pm, free.

Friday: AK Press Warehouse 674-A 23rd St, Oakl; (510) 208-1700. CD-release party and reading with spoken word artist Ward Churchill, 7pm, free.

Saturday: Berkeley Art Center 1275 Walnut, Berk; (510) 527-9753. "Rhythm and Muse," with Maxine Hong Kingston's Veterans writing class, 7pm, free. Oliver's Books 645 San Anselmo, San Anselmo; (415) 454-4421. "Marin Poetry Center Summer Traveling Show 2002," with host Kate Peper, 7pm, free. Bird and Beckett Books and Records 2788 Diamond; 586-3733. Francis Driscoll and Christine Rodgers read from The Rape Poems (see Performance, above, for information on a staged performance adapted from this work), 7:30pm, free. Mission Creek Café 968 Valencia; www.ladyfestbayarea.org. Ladyfest Bay Area presents "are we there yet," spoken word by Tara Jepsen and Beth Lisick, Summi Kaipa, kari edwards, Camille Roy, Cassie Peterson, Kirthi Nath, and Masha Gutkin, 7pm, $6. See "Ladies Get Busy," page 44.

Sunday: New College Cultural Center 766 Valencia; www.ladyfestbayarea.org. Ladyfest Bay Area presents "ElectricEclectica," spoken word by Carol Queen, Ida Acton, Stefani Barber, Max Cohen, Amanda Davidson, Reid Gómez, Melissa Hung, Miriam Sachs Martín, and Seely Quest, 2pm, $6; open mic dedicated to June Jordan, 4pm, free.

Monday: Perry's Joint 1661 Fillmore; 931-5260. "Celebration of the Word," with Erren Kelly and host Jeanne Powell, 7pm, free. Rasselas Jazz 1534 Fillmore; 346-8696. Open mic for instrumentalists, singers, and poets, featuring the Dee Spencer Trio, 8pm, free.