January 1, 2003

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

Body Familiar Magic Theatre, Fort Mason Center, Marina at Laguna; 441-8822, www.magictheatre.org. $17-37 (opening night, $50). Previews Fri/3-Sat/4, Jan 8-9, 8pm. Opens Jan 10, 8pm. Runs Wed-Sat and Jan 28, 8pm (also Feb 1, 2:30pm; no shows Jan 22-25); Jan 19 and Feb 2, 7:30pm. Through Feb 2. See 8 Days a Week, page 48.

Ongoing

Are We Almost There? Shelton Theatre, 533 Sutter; 345-7575. $15-18. Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Open-ended. Travel is the theme of this musical-comedy revue.

*Attack of the Wrapping Paper Caper Zeum, 221 Fourth St; 820-3353. $10-20. Thurs/2-Sun/5, 1 and 3pm. In this imaginative puppet whodunit by local ensemble Lunatique Fantastique, ordinary objects play extraordinary roles. From such everyday things as discarded wrapping paper, Christmas decorations, old clothes, and an array of kitchen utensils, the ingenious company creates a world where a Pterodactyl whisks a French coquette off to its nest and a super sleuth finds a baby dinosaur in a cardboard box. The ensemble cast of black-clad puppeteers has an acute sense of timing and comedy. In a show with no set, few lighting effects, and barely any words, the actors manage to breathe life into an old coat and hat, a bit of sparkly tinsel, and even a latex glove. Every gesture is legible and many moments are funny. Cheekily directed by Liebe Wetzel, Attack of the Wrapping Paper Caper makes for a fun, family-oriented afternoon at the theater. (Veltman)

The Bombay Trunk New Conservatory Theatre Center, 25 Van Ness; 861-8972. $18-38. Wed/1-Sat/4, 8pm; Sun/5, 2pm. Award-winning novelist Felice Picano's new play begins as an adept murder-mystery farce, set in what appears to be the aftermath of the bizarre murder-suicide of a frustrated mystery writer, Jonathan Cavendish (Christian Heppinstall), at his mountain cabin retreat. The plot takes a series of radical turns, revealing entirely new layers of meaning, until we're nowhere near where we started. Director Clay David's insistence on broadly comic interpretations by the able cast, the logic of which arises partly from the plot, does get a little wearisome, and Picano's darkly humorous ending comes across as disjointed. Still, the inventive plot twists and uninhibited characters keep things fairly lively until then. (Avila)

Circumstance Cowell Theater, Fort Mason Center, Marina at Laguna; 345-7575. $16-26. Wed/1, 2pm. The New Pickle Circus's holiday production evokes the eccentric traveling circuses of the early 20th century with the poetic sensibility of the spectacular "new circus" exemplified by Pickle Family Circus and the Cirque du Soleil–with a dash of Cabaret thrown in for good measure. The fifteen-member troupe produces an array of wonders from chair and hand balancing acts to aerial dance; from the "German wheel" to the genre-crossing music performed live onstage. But the act that dazzles most of all is the trapeze performance by "the twins," real-life sister and brother Ena and Danny Starling. High above the stage, these two engage in a breathtaking display of grace and strength as they support one another's weight through a series of movements that at one point finds Danny hanging by the back of his neck . Some of the less sensational sequences feel a bit like filler, but Joel David as the clown and Krin Haglund as the bald ballerina both stand out for their pleasing and poignant personalities. (Shalson)

*Hedwig and the Angry Inch Victoria Theatre, 2961 16th St; 863-7576. $20-40. Wed-Sun, 8pm (also Sat, 11pm). Open-ended. Kevin Cahoon assumes the title role originated by John Cameron Mitchell in his 1998 Obie-winning glam musical, later a celebrated film, now making its long-anticipated San Francisco debut with a sizable cult following ready and waiting. And while die-hard fans show up prepared to sing along, the show is so instantly contagious that no homework is necessary on the part of the uninitiated. An East Berlin girlie boy named Hansel becomes Hedwig after a sex change – but the operation is botched, leaving Hedwig with just an "angry inch" of her former self. Heart in tatters but spirit intact, she plays out her story as a nightclub act. For all its value as camp, Hedwig is a cabaret act of subtle sophistication; the story, like the best glam rock, has a quiet force that is the undercurrent of its self-conscious banality and cutting humor. (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)

Bay Area

Haroun and the Sea of Stories Berkeley Rep's Roda Theatre, 2015 Addison, Berk; (510) 647-2949. $10-54. Wed/1 and Sun/5, 7pm (also Sun/5, 2pm); Thurs/2-Sat/4, 8pm (also Sat/4, 2pm). Berkeley Rep presents a fantastical tale saluting the imagination, based on Salman Rushdie's novel. Director Dominique Serrand and Luan Schooler adapted the Royal National Theatre version in consultation with Rushdie. Rashid Khalifa (Serrand), world-class storyteller, loses his creative powers after wife and muse, Soraya (Jennifer Baldwin Peden), leaves him. His son, Haroun (Nora El Samahy), discovers the problem may be graver still as an evil genius named Khattam-Shud (Colman Domingo) has stopped up the great oceanic source of all stories. Haroun travels a world of far-out characters and situations to unplug the source, save the day, and reunite his parents. Penned when Rushdie was still in mortal danger as a storyteller, the plot reads more like an allegory of writers' block, given its thin premise, derivative manner, and forced language – not to mention the conspicuous absence of stories in this story about a veritable sea of them. (Avila)

On Golden Pond Lucie Stern Theatre, 1305 Middlefield, Palo Alto; (650) 903-6000. $20-43. Thurs/2-Sat/4, 8pm; Sun/5, 2pm. TheatreWorks presents Ernest Thompson's comedy about an elderly couple.

The Two Gentlemen of Verona San Jose Repertory Theatre, 101 Paseo de San Antonio, San Jose; (408) 367-7255. $20-48. Wed/1-Sat/4 and Jan 7-11, 8pm (also Sat/4 and Jan 11, 3pm); Sun/5 and Jan 12, 2pm (also Sun/5, 7pm). Through Jan 12. San Jose Repertory Theatre sets Shakespeare's comedy in silent film-era Hollywood.

dance

The Foundry Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 701 Mission; 978-ARTS. Fri-Sat, 8pm. $10-12. See 8 Days a Week, page 48.

performance

'Come and Get it!' Peña PachMama, 1630 Powell; 646-0018. Thurs, 7-10pm. $5. Cabaret duo the Kitchenettes perform their monthly musical revue, a show promising "songs of food, love, and lust."

'The Elvis Show: A Rock 'n' Roll Party' Plush Room, York Hotel, 940 Sutter; 905-4433, 885-2800, www.memphiscotton.com. $15-20. See 8 Days a Week, page 48.

Playbill staged readings Exit Theatre, 156 Eddy; 626-4603, www.playwrightscentersf.org. Tues, 7:30pm. Through Jan 28. $5. This week: "Scene Night" with special guest lecturer Jim Klienmann, artistic director of Playground.

'Waiting for the Slow Dance' Cafe Niebaum-Coppola, 916 Kearny; 788-7500, ext 340. Tues, 6:30pm. Free. Zoetrope: Live Story hosts a staged reading of a new one-act play by Eric Lucas.

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

comedy

BrainWash Café 1122 Folsom; 861-3663. Thurs, 8pm: Comedy open mic hosted by Tony Sparks, free. Mon, 8pm: San Francisco Improv Co-Operative presents "Monday Night Improv," free.

Eureka Theatre 215 Jackson; 1-866-468-3399 (tickets), 487-6443 (info). Jan 2-26: "SF Sketchfest: The Second Annual San Francisco Sketch Comedy Festival," $15-25. See 8 Days a Week, page 48.

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

Fort Mason Center Marina at Laguna (check daily events sandwich board to see exact location); 453-9092. Sat, 1-4pm: Improv workshop with Jim Crenna, $10. Ongoing.

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; 820-3237. Fri, 9pm: stand-up comedy with host Tom Smith, followed by improv troupe Too Many Larrys!, $7. Through Jan 31.

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," $8-15 (no one turned away for lack of funds).

Sweetie's Bar and Café 475 Francisco; 820-3237. Sat, 8pm: Too Many Larrys! perform improv comedy, call for price. Through Jan 25.

Bay Area

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

Café Eclectica 1309 Solano, Albany; (510) 527-2344. East Bay Improv performs improvised comedy, stories, and songs, $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 spoken word events and featured readers:

Wednesday: BrainWash Café 1122 Folsom; 440-5530. "Spoken Word Salon," open mic, 8pm, free. Mama Bears Women's Bookstore 6536 Telegraph, Oakl; (510) 506-3717. "SheSpeaks," open mic night for women 18 and up, 7:30pm, $5. Starry Plough 3101 Shattuck, Berk; (510) 841-2082. "The Berkeley Slam!" with hosts Charles Ellik and dani eurynome, 8pm, $7.

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.

Monday: Rasselas Jazz (Fillmore) 1534 Fillmore; 346-8696. Open mic for instrumentalists, singers, and poets, featuring the Dee Spencer Trio, 8pm, free.