October 2, 2002

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

As If in Sleep Exit Stage Left, 156 Eddy; 346-6040. $10-12. Opens Fri/4, 8pm. Runs Fri-Sat, 8pm. Through Nov 2. The Hub at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco presents Tim Barsky's solo show that transposes a fairy tale onto an urban American landscape.

Doing Judy! Alcazar Theatre, 650 Geary; 441-4042. $25-43. Previews Fri/4-Sat/5 and Mon/7, 8pm. Opens Tues/8, 8pm. Runs Wed-Fri, 8pm; Sat, 5 and 8pm; Sun, 3pm. Through Nov 17. A detective tries to uncover who's been offing local Judy Garland impersonators in this comedic whodunit.

The Fear Project The Next Stage, 1620 Gough; 673-0304. $15-20. Opens Thurs/3, 8pm. Runs Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Through Nov 2. Combined Art Form Entertainment (CAFE) presents three tales, including one taken from a Ray Bradbury story, that explore different aspects of fear.

Icarus's Mother and The Unseen Hand Actors Theatre of San Francisco, 533 Sutter; 296-9179, www.actorstheatresf.org. $5-20. Previews Wed/2-Thurs/3, 8pm. Opens Fri/4, 8pm. Runs Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 7pm. Through Nov 23. Actors Theatre of San Francisco performs two experimental works by Sam Shepard.

Shocktoberfest!! Odeon Bar, 3223 Mission; www.thrillpeddlers.com. $5. Opens Thurs/3, 9pm and midnight. Runs Thurs-Sat, 9pm and midnight. Through Nov 9. The Thrillpeddlers return with their annual Grand Guignol-inspired production of short plays.

Snake in the Basement: The Prosecution of Rev. Bill Pruitt and Brace Yourself Exit on Taylor, 277 Taylor; 673-3847. Call for price. Opens Fri/4, 8pm. Snake runs Fri, 8pm; Brace runs Sat, 8pm. Through Nov 2. Lunatique Fantastique remount their acclaimed, mature-content puppet plays.

Some Like it Hot Golden Gate Theatre, 1 Taylor; 512-7770. $34-77. Opens Tues/8, 8pm. Runs Wed-Sat, 8pm (also Wed, Sat, 2pm); Sun, 2pm. Through Nov 3. Tony Curtis stars (though not in the same role he made famous in the movie) in the new musical comedy.

Soup of the Day The Marsh, 1062 Valencia; 826-5750. $15-25. Opens Wed/2, 8pm. Runs Wed-Thurs, 8pm; Sat, 7 and 9:30pm. Through Oct 12. Charlie Varon brings back his solo show, a mix of political satire, stand-up comedy, character monologues, and more.

Spike Rhee's Get on the Bus Noh Space, 2840 Mariposa; 440-5545. $12-15. Previews Thurs/3, 8pm. Opens Fri/4, 8pm. Runs Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 7pm. Through Oct 27. Asian American comedy troupe 18 Mighty Mountain Warriors performs its latest show.

The Train Play or the Reckless Ruthless Brutal Charge of It Exit Theatre, 156 Eddy; 675-5995. $10-25. Previews Fri/4, 8pm. Opens Sat/5, 8pm. Runs Fri-Sat, 8pm. Through Nov 10. Crowded Fire Theatre Company present Liz Duffy Adams's comedy set on a train journey to the end of the world.

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.

Brand Potrero Hill Playhouse, 935 De Haro; (510) 845-2687. $12-20. Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 7pm. Through Oct 20. See "Let There Be Light," page 52.

Dreams of the Salthorse Thick House, 1695 18th St; 821-4849. $15-20. Wed-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 5pm. Through Oct 20. Encore Theater presents the premiere of Adam Rapp's apocalyptic dreamscape about a 10-year-old boy's search for peace after the trauma of losing his father. The setting, colored by the dark purgatory of the boy's tortured imagination, resembles a childhood home transformed into hell: a shabby, windblown farmhouse-turned-brothel amid salt-encrusted fields where children are abandoned to deadly "joke trees" and love is a capital (decapitating) offense, punished by a harmonious trio of rapacious rappers, the dastardly doo-wopping Black Hats. The boy, now a headless man (Rick Eldredge), returns home after years of limbo, encountering an odd family made up of a foul-mouthed madam (Kimberly Richards), a Chicana prostitute (Vanessa Aspillaga), and a mute young savage who powers the generator bike (Matt Roe). The dialogue reflects Rapp's singular way with words – poetically earthy, eloquently domestic. By contrast, the strained poetry of the opening monologue is jarring. As in last year's Nocturne, Rapp explores with dramatic precision the long, anguished journey of grief toward reconciliation. But while his gifts as a storyteller (together with a terrific cast directed by Sturgis Warner) keeps us intellectually engaged, the conceit here feels familiar and lacking in emotional weight. (Avila)

Eight X Tenn Eureka Theatre Company, 215 Jackson; (510) 434-0734. $12-20. Tues-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 3pm. Through Oct 20. Eastenders Repertory Company performs eight one-act plays by Tennessee Williams.

Far from Springer Call for location info: 789-7617. $10-20. Sat-Sun, 8pm. Through Oct 13. A private home hosts In Home Theater Productions' presentation of Craig Fox's play about two queer best friends.

'Feast of One-Page Plays' ODC Theater, 3153 17th St; 863-9834. $15-18. Thurs/3-Sun/6, 8pm. ABYDOS/The Directors Theater presents their second annual festival of very short plays.

F***cking Handicapped Guy Shelton Theater, 533 Sutter; 282-8721. $15. Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Through Oct 12. Steve Parks stars in his solo show, a comedic and poignant look at his struggles with MS.

The Full Monty Orpheum Theatre, 1192 Market; 512-7770. $41-81. Tues-Sat, 8pm (also Wed and Sat, 2pm); Sun, 2pm. Through Oct 13. Best of Broadway presents the based-on-the-film musical comedy about working-class blokes who hit on an inventive scheme to make money.

Hairstory Theatre Rhinoceros, 2926 16th St; 861-5079. $15-25. Wed/2-Sat/5, 8pm. Theatre Rhinoceros opens its 25th season with a musical review about hair. Based on interviews conducted by coauthors Johari Jabir and Doug Holsclaw, the show explores the role that hair plays in our sexual, gender, and ethnic identities. The original score by Jabir covers a range of musical genres including gospel, soul, jazz, and pop as well as some clever homages. The piece suffers a bit from an underdeveloped plot, but there are several humorous and insightful individual moments. (Shalson)

Night and Day Geary Theater, 415 Geary; 749-2228, www.act-sfbay.org. $11-61. Thurs/3-Sat/5, Tues/8, Oct 9-12, 15-19, 8pm (also Sat/5, Oct 9, 12, 16, 19, 2pm); Sun/6, Oct 13, 20, 2pm. Through Oct 20. See "Let There Be Light," page 52.

PINS Walker Theatre, New Conservatory Theatre Center, 25 Van Ness; 861-8972. $18-38. Wed-Sat, 8pm. Through Oct 13. One of the more insidious things about homophobia is that it's not always obvious who the homophobe is. Sometimes it's a gay kid whose internalized self-hatred makes him lash out at other queers. Without perpetuating the stereotype that gay-bashers are usually gay bashers (because if it's believed that only queers attack other queers – and this is certainly not the case – it's much too easy to dismiss it as a "gay problem"), Jim Provenzano (who writes the Sports Complex column in the Bay Area Reporter) explores the nuances of this phenomenon in his sensitive work on the unlikely topic of high school wrestling. Joey Nicci (Nick Tagas) is in love with a fellow wrestler but still participates in the ostracizing of another openly gay teammate, with tragic results. The treatment of adolescent sexuality and the pressures and pleasures of team sports is perceptive and honest, and offers a unique view of growing up gay. (Shalson)

Romeo and Juliet Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, 620 Sutter; 422-2222. $28-36. Fri-Sat and Oct 10, 8pm (also Sat/5 and Oct 12, 2pm); Sun/6 and Oct 13, 2pm. Through Oct 13. The San Francisco Shakespeare Festival presents the classic love story.

Talking with Angels Spanganga, 3376 19th St; 821-1102. $15-20. Wed-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 5pm. Through Oct 20. 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: an elderly, decidedly nonreligious and likably cynical Gitta Mallasz, as she would have appeared at one of her many lectures in the 1980s. With the aid of Robert Ted Anderson's apt lighting, Mitchell transforms into the younger Hanna, who served as the medium for the angels to bring us their dialogues. Whether one believes in angels or is more inclined to find another explanation, this is a remarkable story. But the angels' words are less inspiring than one might hope for from divine entities. Far more moving is the story of Mallasz's (mostly successful) attempts to save over 100 Jewish women and children by sheltering them in a mock Nazi war factory near the end of the war. (Shalson)

Bay Area

Deep Space Transparent Theater, 1901 Ashby, Berk; (510) 883-0305. $20 (Sun, pay what you can). Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 7pm. Through Oct 20. Transparent Theater presents Alex Johnston's play about two Irish men struggling with their confusion about male identity.

*The House of Blue Leaves Berkeley Rep's Roda Theatre, 2015 Addison, Berk; (510) 647-2949. $10-54. Tues and Thurs-Sat, 8pm (also Thurs/3, Oct 12, 17, and 26, 2pm); Wed and Sun, 7pm (also Sun, 2pm). Through Oct 27. As Berkeley Repertory Theatre's revival of John Guare's 1971 sardonic farce shrewdly demonstrates, for all its built-in nostalgia, this '60s period piece retains a remarkably contemporary charge. The action takes place in 1965, the day the pope came to New York to plead before the United Nations for an end to the Vietnam War. In a cluttered Queens apartment, Artie Shaughnessy (Jarion Monroe) longs to escape his deranged wife, Bananas (Rebecca Wisocky), and flee with Bunny Flingus (Jeri Lynn Cohen). Meanwhile 18-year-old son Ronnie (Adam Ludwig) is AWOL from the Army with a plan to blow up the pontiff. In Guare's America the narcissistic love of a ruthless individualism, symbolized by the obsession of all – except, significantly, Bananas – with fame, meets its counterpart in a despicable foreign war that Ronnie inadvertently brings home. Director Barbara Damashek and a remarkable cast go a long way toward infusing it all with a palpitating immediacy. (Avila)

Julius Caesar LaVal's Subterranean Theatre, 1834 Euclid, Berk; (510) 234-6046. Call for price. Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Through Oct 12. It is commonplace for playwrights to use "exotic" locations to comment on their societies. Along these lines, Shakespeare's play about events in ancient Rome has often been seen as a covert way of criticizing the Elizabethan era's trend toward consolidated monarchal power. Place the play in Mussolini's Italy of the 1930s, as Subterranean Shakespeare has done, and the message is clear. Or is it? While antifascist in its thrust, Julius Caesar is far from offering any simple solutions. And of course, the million-dollar question of the play is how we define honor in a situation rife with self-serving ambition, betrayal, and misconceived plans. Director Alfredo Fidani's spare and straightforward rendering falters slightly in the decision to intercut the two famous funereal speeches given by Brutus and Mark Antony, but the speeches themselves are competently delivered by actors Armand J. Blashi and John Polak. This is a somewhat uneven production, but overall an enjoyable one. (Shalson)

The Music Lesson Marin Theatre Company, 397 Miller, Mill Valley; (415) 388-5208. $24-40 (Tues, pay what you can). Wed/2, 7:30pm; Thurs/3-Sat/5, 8pm; Sun/6, 2 and 7pm. Amy Glazer directs a fine cast in Tammy Ryan's play based on the true story of two Bosnian music teachers who relocate from war-torn Sarajevo to Pittsburgh. But Irena (Lorri Holt) and Ivan (Ron Campbell) find the past difficult to overcome. Irena cannot shake the memory of her favorite pupil, Maja (Atosa Baboff), a precocious girl among the war's many young victims. Soon, however, the couple has two new charges: Eddie (Nicholas Tabor) and Kat (Rosalie Ward), the children of a divorced single mother (Cambron Williamson) bent on seeing them properly cultured. The rest of the rather predictable story centers on Irena's attempt to deal with the damaged American teenager Kat while overcoming her own grief and guilt for the lost Maja. With accompaniment by musicians Skye Atman and Wieslaw Pogorzelski, the characters mime pieces by Antonín Dvorák, Bach, and Aaron Copland, among others. The music thus integrated into the action helps expand somewhat an otherwise formulaic melodrama – likewise, the all too contemporary subject matter, which brings home our collective responsibility to the physical and emotional well-being of children in a troubled world. (Avila)

*The Shape of Things Aurora Theatre, 2081 Addison, Berk; (510) 843-4822. $28-38. Wed-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2 and 7pm. Through Oct 20. Controversial in the film and theater worlds since the potent 1997 indie In the Company of Men, Neil LaBute continues his fascination with manipulation and control in The Shape of Things, making its West Coast debut in a sleek production at the Aurora Theatre. Adam (Craig Marker) works as a security guard for the art gallery at his Midwestern college. There he encounters Evelyn (Stephanie Gularte) hovering provocatively before a sculpture, spray can in hand. In a reversal of the misogynistic dynamic of Men, as well as the biblical relationship echoed in their names, Evelyn will remake the smitten Adam in her own image, sculpting him into the ideal mate. If ultimately less provocative than some of LaBute's past work, the play remains intriguing, not least for its consistently sharp and witty dialogue – a strength director Tom Ross and cast exploit fully with fearless and supple performances. (Avila)

Twelfth Night Highway One at Calle del Mar, Stinson Beach; (415) 868-1115, www.shakespeareatstinson.org. $13-23. Fri/4, 7pm; Sat/5-Sun/6, 5:30pm. Through Oct 6. Shakespeare at Stinson presents Shakespeare's gender-bending comedy.

We Won't Pay! We Won't Pay! Eighth Street Studio, 2525 Eighth St, Berk; (510) 704-8210. $10-25. Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 7pm. Through Oct 19. Italian prankster-playwright Dario Fo made a funny Nobel laureate in 1997. He took the opportunity to do what he does best: tell a joke and the truth. Thus his speech was ebulliently silly but also a serious plea for the importance of laughter, irreverent laughter in the face of authority. Shotgun Players continues its thoughtful response to the timbre of the times with Fo's rollicking comedy about the working poor, We Won't Pay! We Won't Pay! Antonia (Katjah Rivera) joins the neighborhood women in raiding the local supermarket amid increased gouging from all quarters, but she and best friend Margherita (Andrea Day) must hide the results from their conformist husbands, Giovanni (Clive Worsley) and Luigi (Ian Petroni), who meanwhile get downsized at the Fiat plant. Add a couple of cops and an undertaker (Kevin Kelleher) and stir vigorously. The result is revolt à la Fo, an answer to the hunger for dignity. Director Rebecca Novick knows the recipe for the madness Fo uses to make his eminently rational points, and she localizes the story a bit, too. If performances are uneven and the timing not always there, there are magic moments in this worthy production that takes its comedy seriously. (Avila)

The Winter's Tale Bruns Memorial Amphitheater, Gateway Blvd exit off Hwy 24, Orinda; (510) 548-9666, www.calshakes.org. $13-46. Wed/2-Thurs/3, 7:30pm; Fri/4-Sat/5, 8pm (also Sat/5, 2pm); Sun/6, 4pm. The Winter's Tale, mixing ample doses of tragedy and comedy, can be a tough play to get right. Though classified as a romance – love assailed, then redeemed through the mysterious workings of fate – its elements are richer and deeper than that. Director Lisa Peterson closes California Shakespeare Festival's season with an ambitious production that, while making the most of the play's light and shadow, spreads itself a little thin in the process. Still, a fine cast and an impressive production design can't help but make this Winter's Tale an enjoyable experience, even if through all the dazzle we still feel like we're missing something. (Avila)

dance

Ballet Preljocaj Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater, 700 Howard; 392-4400. Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2pm. $24-37. See Critic's Choice.

Chitresh Das Dance Company Cowell Theater, Fort Mason Center, Marina at Laguna; 441-3687. Fri-Sat, 8pm. $18-27. The Kathak dance company presents world premiere Pancha Jati, a piece that weaves North Indian dance with South Indian Carnatic music.

Kathryn Roszak's Anima Mundi Dance Company Magic Theatre, Fort Mason Center, Marina at Laguna; (510) 233-5550. Thurs, 8:30pm. $10. The company performs Mountains and Rivers Without End, a dance-theater piece based on a Gary Snyder poem.

Mary Sano and her Duncan Dancers Mary Sano Studio of Duncan Dancing, 245 Fifth St; 357-1817. Sat, 8pm. Through Oct 12. $15-18. The company performs to benefit their upcoming Hungarian tour; works include an excerpt from Duncan Dance: Zen and Now – Isadora's Legacy.

Na Lei Hulu I Ka Wekiu Palace of Fine Arts Theatre, 3301 Lyon; 392-4400, www.tickets.com. Sat/5, Oct 11-12, 8pm; Sun/6, 4pm; Oct 13, 2pm. $25-30. The company presents The Hula Show 2002: Stories of the Lehua, a work comprised of both traditional and alternative hula dance.

'Ninth Annual Dancing Poetry Festival' Palace of the Legion of Honor, Florence Gould Theater, 100 34th Ave; 681-0618, www.dancingpoetry.org. Sat, noon-4pm. $15. This festival features 14 local and international dance companies performing a wide variety of styles of dance fused with music and poetry.

Brenda Way ODC Theater, 3153 17th St; 863-9834, www.odcdance.org. Mon, 7pm. $15. ODC/unplugged, a series that offers behind-the-scenes looks at new work by ODC choreographers, previews Way's latest, Remnants of Song.

Bay Area

Axis Dance Company Alice Arts Center, 1428 Alice, Oakl; (925) 798-1300, www.ticketweb.com. Thurs-Sat, 8pm. $10-22. The company, which includes artists with and without disabilities, premieres Sonya Delwaide's new work, Sans Instruments, plus Nadia Adame's El Ultimo Adios, Stephen Petronio's Secret Ponies, and a guest performance by dancer Homer Avila.

Ballet Counterpointe Rep Regents Theater, Holy Names College, 3500 Mountain, Oakl; (510) 604-7063. Fri-Sat, 8pm (also Sat, 5pm). $10-12. The newly founded dance company performs In the House of the Butterflies. Also performing are guest artists from Liss Fain Dance and the Berkeley Ballet Theater Youth Ensemble.

Mark Morris Dance Group Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley, Bancroft at Telegraph, Berk; (510) 642-9988, www.calperfs.berkeley.edu. Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 3pm. $36-54. See 8 Days a Week, page 54.

Savage Jazz Dance Company Spreckels Performing Arts Center, 5409 Snyder Ln, Rohnert Park; (707) 588-3400. Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2:30pm. $20-25. The company, accompanied by the Marcus Shelby Quartet, performs Directions in Music, interpretations of works by Miles Davis and John Coltrane.

performance

'Avatars' DNA Lounge, 375 11th St; 1-866-468-3399. Thurs, 8pm. Through Oct 24. $15-18. Fusion performance group Capacitor presents a multimedia, video game-inspired piece.

BATS Improv Bayfront Theater, Fort Mason Center, Marina at Laguna; www.batsimprov.com. Thurs-Sun, 8pm. $6-12. This week's shows: "All-Star Theatresports" (Thurs and Sat); "The Life Game" (Fri).

DramaRama new play readings Blue Bear Theatre, Fort Mason Center, Marina at Laguna; 626-4603. Fri, 7:30pm; Sat/5, Oct 29, call for times. Through Oct 29. $5-10. Playwrights' Center of San Francisco hosts this series highlighting new plays.

'El Cofre de Manuela' Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts, 2868 Mission; 821-1155. Thurs, 7pm; Fri-Sat, 8pm. $15. This Spanish-language play explores the life of Latin American activist Manuela Sáenz Aispuru.

'Desire and Creation: An Anti-Oppressionist Dream of Motherhood' Jon Sims Center for the Arts, 1519 Mission; 554-0402. Fri, 8pm. $5-10 (sliding scale, no one turned away for lack of funds). As part of the Jon Sims Center's Fall 2002 AIRspace artists-in-residence series, Saun-Toy Latifa Trotter performs her new show about motherhood and queer parenting.

'Falling off the Edge' Theatre Rhinoceros, 2926 16th St; 861-5079, www.sfcreatus.com. Thurs-Sat, 8:30pm; Sun, 5:30pm. $12-15. Creatus presents a new play by Adam Sandel about a gay man facing a middle-age crisis.

The Kinsey Sicks Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness; 392-4400. Fri, 8pm. $20-32. "America's favorite dragapella beautyshop quartet" returns home to San Francisco after a successful run of shows in Montreal and on the East Coast.

'Maire: A Woman of Derry' Edinburgh Castle Pub, 950 Geary; 387-9615. Thurs-Sat, 7:30pm. $15. Carmel McCafferty stars in Brian Foster's play about a feisty Irish alcoholic.

'Naked Inquisition' Jon Sims Center for the Arts, 1519 Mission; www.xplicitplayers.com/nakedinquisition. Sat/5, 3pm; Sun/6, 8pm; Oct 13, 19, 20, 26-27, 7:30pm. $20. Naked men star in this "roller coaster ride of emotions."

'3Plus3: A Montreal-San Francisco Performance Exchange' New Langton Arts, 1246 Folsom; 626-5416. Fri, 8pm (performance); Sat, 6pm (discussion). $3-8. Artists from San Francisco and Montreal present a site-specific, multimedia work on Friday; Saturday, the participants gather for a salon discussion.

'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 "The Flora and the Fauna: Don't Mess with Mother Nature!"

'Zachariah Mosley's Neon Blues' McBean Theater, Exploratorium, 3601 Lyon; 441-8822. Wed, 7pm. $6-10. As part of its "Science on Stage" festival of new plays, the Magic Theatre presents a staged reading of Neena Beber's play, which explores three stories about invention.

Bay Area

'First Frickin' Fridays' 21 Grand, 449 B 23rd St, Oakl; (510) 444-7263. Fri, 8:30pm. $5-10 (sliding scale). Tentacle Sessions cocreator mikl-em hosts a night of performance and discussion centered on the topic "The Series in Search of a Demographic."

'Straight Black Folks Guide to Gay Black Folks' Black Box Theater, 1928 Telegraph, Oakl; (510) 594-4335, www.trustlife.net. Wed, 7:30pm. $12. Hanifah Walidah presents her multicharacter solo show.

comedy

Blue Bear Performance Hall Fort Mason Center, Marina at Laguna; 885-5678. Sat, 8:30pm: "Improvalicious Improvisation Theater Troupe," $5-10.

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.

The Mock Café 1074 Valencia; 826-5750. Fri, 9pm: "No Y Chromosome Showcase!" all-female stand-up comedy night with Jane Barbone and friends, $7.

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

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

The Stud 399 Ninth St; 823-5121, stoodupsf@hotmail.com. Wed, 8:30pm: "Stood Up!" stand-up comedy hosted by Pippi Lovestocking and Ronn Vigh, $5.

Warfield 982 Market; 421-TIXS, www.ticketmaster.com. Sat, 8pm and 10pm: "Mr Show Live: Bob and David in 'Hooray for America!'," $27.50-32.50.

Bay Area

Black Box 1928 Telegraph, Oakl; (510) 595-5597. Thurs, 8pm: The Oakland Playhouse improv troupe performs improv comedy, $5. Sat, 2pm: "Zamfoo! Improv Comedy for Kids!," $5 (no one turned away for lack of funds).

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: La Peña Cultural Center La Peña Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck, Berk; (510) 849-2566. "Café Poetry" open mic hosted by members of Youth Speaks, 7:30pm, $2. BrainWash Café 1122 Folsom; 864-3842. "Spoken Word Salon," open mic with host Diamond Dave Whitaker, 8pm, free.

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. Belrose Theatre 1415 Fifth Ave, San Rafael; (415) 454-6422. Open mic for poets and musicians, 8pm, free. Morrison Library Doe Library, UC Berkeley, Berk; (510) 642-0137. "Lunch Poems Reading Series" with Brenda Hillman, 12:10pm, free. Maud Fife Room 315 Wheeler Hall, UC Berkeley, Berk; jscape@socrates.berkeley.edu. "Holloway Poetry Reading Series" with Nathaniel Mackey and Trane Devore, 6pm, free.

Friday: Escape from New York Pizza 333 Bush; http://poetryandpizza.homestead.com. "Poetry and Pizza" with James Meetz and Michelle Murphy; proceeds benefit Avec Books, 7:30pm, $5.

Saturday: Small Press Traffic Literary Arts Center at CCAC, 1111 Eighth St; 551-9278. "New Experiments: Poet K. Silem Mohammad on Lyric Equivalence," reading and discussion, 3:30pm, $5.