8 Days a Week

Aug. 7-14, 2002

HERE'S SOMETHING YOU don't see every day: gymnastics performed on the back of a moving horse. See the best challenge the best at the National Vaulting Championships, taking place this year just across the bay in Livermore. A "longeur" stands in the center of the ring, guiding the horse in a circle, as the performer or performers execute compulsory and freestyle routines. Though vaulting is an officially recognized discipline in the equestrian world (along with events such as dressage and jumping) and dates back to early Roman days, it is still a pretty obscure pursuit in the United States. The athletes must posses an exceptional combination of skill, talent, and fearlessness – how many of us can do a back bend on solid ground, much less attempt one on a Thoroughbred in motion? This year's locale has special meaning, as a number of the participants have Bay Area ties. Grab the kids or your favorite horse fan and take advantage of this unique opportunity to see this unusual sport in action. Aug. 14-17, 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m., Robertson Park Equestrian Center, 3200 Robertson Park, Livermore. Free. www.americanvaulting.org. (Cheryl Eddy)

Aug. 7

Wednesday

Storytelling Years of reparative heterosexual therapy, futile attempts to resist same-sex attraction, divorce, and excommunication from the Mormon church are hardly likely fodder for a comic play, especially one described by writer and actor Steven Fales as "a Valentine to Mormonism and my kids." Yet Fales, in his solo show 'Confessions of a Mormon Boy,' transforms his experience living as a gay Mormon into a performance of complexity and humor. Portraying his thorny struggle to come to terms with his background, Fales tells a story that promises to resonate with audiences of all stripes. Confessions, here in a pre-off Broadway engagement, opens for previews tonight as the first production in the New Conservatory Theatre Center's eighth Pride Season. Through Aug. 25. Previews tonight-Fri/9, 8 p.m. Opens Sat/10, 8 p.m. Runs Wed.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun/11, Sun/18, and Aug. 25, 2 p.m., New Conservatory Theatre Center, 25 Van Ness, S.F. $18-$38. (415) 861-8972. (Elizabeth Lobsenz)

Aug. 8

Thursday

Home base A summer's worth of work is unveiled tonight at two events held in conjunction with Southern Exposure's Mission Voices Summer, an educational program that matches youth with local artists and provides studio and meeting space for eight weeks. Other organizations involved include Casa de los Jóvenes, Horizons Unlimited, and Youth in Action, and the professional artists participating in the 2002 program are Sara Carlson, Victor Cartagena, and Jaime Knight. This year's theme, "Building Ourselves," touches on ideas of home and community, and personal and cultural identity, and is interpreted through the teen artists' creative efforts in performance, video, photography, painting, sculpture, and other media. Tonight, Mission Voices Summer culminates with "Grito de la Mission," a performance and celebration organized in conjunction with Youth Speaks. After the show head to the opening reception for the "Building Ourselves" exhibit, which will occupy Southern Exposure through Aug. 24. Performance 5-7 p.m., Youth Speaks Center, 2169 Folsom, S.F.; reception 7-9 p.m., Southern Exposure, 401 Alabama, S.F. Both events free. (415) 863-2141, www.soex.org. (Eddy)

Daily delirium Local producing playwrights' collective First Seen unleash another promising world premiere, 'Unhampered by Sanity.' The self-proclaimed "punk-rock-meets-Dada comedic drama" is set in a hotel room in gay Paree, where a surreal clash of subcultures is exhibited through two women who refuse to follow the code set for female behavior: a self-destructive, contemporary widow and real-life Dada icon Baroness Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven. With these characters, playwright Kerry Reid aims to explore "traditional gender roles within so-called 'bohemian' communities." Through Aug. 31. Previews tonight, 8 p.m. Opens Fri/9, 8 p.m. Runs Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m., Phoenix Theatre, 414 Mason, S.F. $15 (Thurs., pay what you can). (415) 841-1262. (Angie Edwards)

Aug. 9

Friday

Blue hole Elmore James probably would have been surprised to find out that someday the world's best slide guitar player would hail not from Chicago but from Perth, Australia. The guitarist in question would be, for those who haven't been paying attention, Dave Hole. He holds his guitar in an odd way, and if he's from the hood, it's a long way from any you or I have ever heard of – but the man can make his axe sing, cry, weep, and wail, which is all that matters. 9 p.m., Biscuits and Blues, 401 Mason, S.F. $15. (415) 292-2583. (J.H. Tompkins)

Recollection electric Ah, the '80s – sometimes you just gotta miss the big hair, skinny ties, dark dispositions, and bright makeup. It was a time when all we could do was the obvious: act really, really cool. Now the future is here, and it just isn't as exciting as the Liquid Sky crowd expected. Lucky for us, we've got Condor to bring back the black-eyeliner glory days. This bird of prey is a synth-heavy new wave band in the vein of Gary Numan. The threesome clanks out choppy, robotic bass and repetitive electronic riffs perfect to dance to atop a giant Rubik's Cube. Tonight, Condor celebrates its new, eponymous, self-released CD, on which you'll find '80s-nostalgic song titles such as "Goth World" and "New Wave Dance Party." Local band Nam and Counterfeit Monsters also play. 10 p.m., Hemlock Tavern, 1131 Polk, S.F. $5. (415) 923-0923. (Edwards)

Aug. 10

Saturday

On the way Support a brand-new arts group and slide your cash into the pockets of a worthy cause tonight when h e l p: human elemental laboratory of performance presents its first event, a free dance program that aims to entertain and to raise donations for Huckleberry Youth Programs. The show features contributions by three of h e l p's core members: artistic director Jim Saliba's jesus and the myth of care, a movement theater-performance art piece with visual design by Mary Armentrout; Christy Funsch's 2001 solo Pilgrim, inspired by Faulkner character Flem Snopes; and Jennifer Gwirtz's 2001 Sundial, an improvised, audience-influenced work. Look for h e l p – a dedicated group that aims to form a connection between audiences, performers, and the community – to present similar performance-fundraisers in the future. Through Sun/11, 2 p.m. (also Wed/14-Thurs/15, 7 p.m.), New College Theater, 777 Valencia, S.F. Free (donations accepted). (415) 387-4812. (Eddy)

Lab report Premier Bay Area film, sound, and performance artists come together to uncover new terrain in live media experimentation at 'Graft Work.' Multiplicator, Optic Nerd, John Reily, and members of seminal microcinema performance group Wetgate variously collaborate in performances such as Nonet Firing Patterns: Experiments in Cell Grafting, featuring nine Super 8 projectors and nine portable record players; Multiplicator Plus Optic Nerd, in which a trumpet meets contact-miked 16mm film projectors; and Deadly Mantis, a live soundtrack to a '50s insect horror movie. Filmmaker Kerry Laitala uses optically printed found footage in Breathing for Others, and furry-footed accordionist Bunnyphonic also performs. If all nation building looked like this, we could throw out our iodine pills. 9 p.m., 21 Grand, 449B 23rd St., Oakl. $5-$10. (510) 444-7263. (Lobsenz)

Aug. 11

Sunday

Coffin pickin' The Music Store continues its "American Roots Music Show" series with tonight's performance featuring Bluegrass Lugosi. Like country bands of olden days, Lugosi are a husband and wife duo that play at home in their living room after the working day is done. Elaine and Alan Bond use guitar, mandolin, and sometimes ukulele in their traditional bluegrass and parlor music. Sounding somewhat like a not-so-pious version of the Carter Family, the twosome play old standards by greats such as Woody Guthrie, cowboy tunes, and their own ditties inspired by nature and the devil. Free Peoples also play. 3-6 p.m., Music Store, 66 West Portal, S.F. Free. (415) 664-2044. (Edwards)

Aug. 12

Monday

Top of the world Relentless commitment to authenticity and creativity in cross-cultural collaboration has brought Bay Area saxophonist George Brooks to new a pinnacle in his musical career. Rightfully, he calls his new quintet Summit, as it stakes out a previously uncharted peak of global fusion based on African American jazz and north Indian raga idioms and features virtuoso players who are hard to top on their instruments – tabla genius Zakir Hussain, powerhouse drummer Steve Smith (who has long since transcended his Journey credentials in bands with Larry Coryell, Henry Kaiser, and others), eclectic Pakistani Chilean guitarist Fareed Haque, and former John McLaughlin bassist Kai Eckhardt (who plays with Haque in the flashy jam band Garaj Mahal). Through Tues/13. 8 and 10 p.m., Yoshi's, 510 Embarcadero West, Jack London Square, Oakl. $20. (510) 238-9200. (Richardson)

Aug. 13

Tuesday

Words' worth A passel of talented writers storm Mission District favorite Adobe Bookshop tonight to mark the third issue of 6500, a local magazine featuring new fiction, poetry, essays, and illustrations by Bay Area scribes. Heading up the roster is Camille Roy, a multitalented writer and performer whose résumé includes plays, fiction, and poetry and who has racked up praise comparing her to the likes of William S. Burroughs. Also on the bill are noted poet Chris Stroffolino; 1994 Walt Whitman Award winner Jan Richman; and novelist Chaim Bertman. Each of the participants is worth checking out individually, so by catching them together you're getting quite a bang for your literary buck – not to mention lending support to the local scene. 7:30 p.m., Adobe Bookshop, 3166 16th St., S.F. Free. (415) 864-3936. (Eddy)

Aug. 14

Wednesday

Play it again The Rafael Film Center celebrates the Mill Valley Film Festival's 25th anniversary by revisiting the films that have made the fest an international success, as well as some of the forgotten darlings that have fallen by the wayside. Included in this screening series (which runs through September) is Down by Law, independent guru Jim Jarmusch's oddball 1986 black comedy starring Roberto Benigni in his first American big-screen appearance. Also returning is Les Blank's 1980 Garlic Is As Good As Ten Mothers, a tribute to the mouth-watering (and breath-altering) bulb, preceded by the 1980 short "Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe," a chronicle of Herzog following through on a promise to eat his shoe – literally – if friend Errol Morris ever finally made a movie. Several filmmakers, including Blank and David Rathod (1988's West Is West), will be making appearances at their respective screenings. Tonight, "Imogen Cunningham: Three Views," a program of shorts about the photographer by Ann Hershey, Fred Padula, and John Korty (all appearing in person), kicks off the series. 7 p.m., Rafael Film Center, 1118 Fourth St., San Rafael. $5.50-$8.50. (415) 454-1222. (Adam Wadenius)