January 22, 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

The Blue Room Exit on Taylor, 277 Taylor; 789-8221. $15-25. Opens Fri/24, 8pm. Runs Thurs-Sat and Mon/27, 8pm (no show Jan 30). Through Feb 15. David Hare's drama about intimacy gets its San Francisco premiere with the Actor's Collective.

A Feast of Fools Marines Memorial Theatre, 609 Sutter; 1-877-771-6900. $25-45. Previews Wed/22-Thurs/23, Sat/25-Sun/26, 8pm. Opens Mon/27, 8pm. Runs Wed-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 3 and 7pm. Through Feb 16. Geoff Hoyle performs his solo comedy, a mix of acrobatics, juggling, mime, and music.

The Madwoman of the Castro Mission Recreation Center Auditorium, 745 Treat; 337-4713. Free. Opens Thurs/23, 7:30pm. Runs Thurs-Sat, 7:30pm. Through Feb 1. San Francisco Free Civic Theatre preforms its adaptation of The Madwoman of Chaillot.

Nothing Left but the Smell Theatre Rhinoceros, 2926 16th St; 861-5079. $12-16. Opens Thurs/23, 8:30pm. Runs Thurs-Sat, 8:30pm. Through Feb 8. Erika Lopez presents her solo show, a "theatrical postcard from the welfare line."

Seven Guitars Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, 620 Sutter; 474-8800, www.lorrainehansberrytheatre.com. $25-32. Opens Thurs/23, 8pm. Runs Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2pm. Through Feb 23. See 8 Days a Week

Bay Area

Princess Ida Dean Lesher Regional Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic, Walnut Creek; (925) 943-7469. $20-38. Opens Thurs/23, 8pm. Runs Fri/23-Sat/25, 8pm (also Sat/25, 2pm). Feb 7-16: Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 700 Howard, S.F.; (415) 978-2787. Same price (Feb 12, pay what you can). Previews Feb 7, 8pm. Opens Feb 8, 8pm. Runs Feb 9, 16, 2pm; Feb 12-15, 8pm (also Feb 15, 2pm. The Lamplighters perform Gilbert and Sullivan's comic opera.

Via Dolorosa Islamic Cultural Center of Northern California, 1433 Madison, Oakl; (510) 436-5085. $5-19 (Jan 30, pay what you can). Previews Thurs/23, 8pm. Opens Fri/24, 8pm. Runs Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 3pm. Through Feb 1. Feb 2-16: Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center, 1414 Walnut, Berk. Feb 21-23: A Traveling Jewish Theatre, 470 Florida, S.F. Same phone, price, and schedule, except Sunday shows at 3:30pm at BRJCC. TheatreFIRST presents David Hare's monologue (performed here by Simon Vance) about the current state of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Ongoing

American Buffalo Geary Theater, 415 Geary; 749-2228, www.act-sf.org. $11-61. Wed-Sat, Tues/28, Feb 4, 8pm (also Wed/22, Feb 5, Sat, 2pm); Sun, 2pm (also Feb 2, 7pm). Through Feb 9. See "Taking Care of Business,"

Amnesia Theatre Rhinoceros, 2926 16th St; 861-5079. $15-25. Wed-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 7pm (also Sun/26, Feb 2, 9, 3pm). Through Feb 15. Theatre Rhinoceros presents John Fisher's new play about a gay soldier who loses his memory after being injured in the Battle of the Bulge.

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.

Blue Jelly Plush Room, Hotel York, 940 Sutter; 885-2800. $15-20. Opens Mon/27, 8pm. Runs Mon, 8pm. Through Feb 17. Vocalist Lesley Hamilton performs a standards-filled "cabaret monologue," based on the novel by Debby Bull, about a woman's comedic search for her self-worth.

Body Familiar Magic Theatre, Fort Mason Center, Marina at Laguna; 441-8822, www.magictheatre.org. $17-37. Tues-Sat, 8pm (also Feb 1, 2:30pm; no shows Wed/22-Sat/25); Sun, 2:30 and 7:30pm (no show Sun/26). Through Feb 9. Magic Theatre presents the world premiere of acclaimed choreographer Joe Goode's "play with movement." Visual artist Leonard (Liam Vincent), roped off in his studio behind material made to look like intestines, introduces us to six emotionally scarred characters (five living, one dead) whose relation to one another is in a phase of disturbing transition. Leonard's painfully chipper patron Kitty (Celia Shuman) is a wealthy socialite in a loveless marriage to her stormy alcoholic husband Bull (Mark Rafael Truitt). Bull pines for the dead Simone (Marit Brook-Kothlow), who continues to visit both him and Leonard, while Bull's pugnacious, closeted sister Katherine (Elizabeth Burritt) dissolves into mental illness, and Leonard re-encounters a long lost lover, Ricardo (Felipe Barrueto-Cabello), who sends him into a spiral of insecurity. Writer-director Goode's trademark blurring of the lines between dance and theater has evolved some ingenious effects, and the stylized movements woven throughout act as an intriguing if inconsistent register of emotional and psychic states. Some of the more effective sequences offer a wonderful parody of the formalities that make up the social dance. Not all the characters sustain interest, however, despite some skillful performances, and the script suffers from some all too familiar plotting and dialogue. (Avila)

Chicken: A 1-Ho Show The Marsh, 1062 Valencia; 826-5750. $10-15. Previews Jan 23-31: Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Opens Feb 1, 8pm. Runs Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Through March 1. David Henry Sterry performs his solo show about a 1970s teen who becomes a gigolo in Beverly Hills.

The Chosen A Traveling Jewish Theatre, 470 Florida; 399-1809. $12.50-25 (Thurs, pay what you can). Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2, 7pm. Through Feb 16. Feb 20-March 2: Julia Morgan Theatre, 2640 College, Berk. Same phone, price, and schedule. Two baseball-loving Jewish teenagers grapple with their futures (and their fathers) in 1940s Brooklyn in this adaptation of Chaim Potok's novel.

Closer than Ever New Conservatory Theatre Center, 25 Van Ness; 861-8972. $15-35. Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun/26, Feb 9, 16, 23, 2pm. Through Feb 23. The New Conservatory Theatre Center kicks off its "In Concert" season with this musical revue of songs by David Shire and Richard Maltby, Jr.

The Colossus of Rhodes Zeum Theater, Yerba Buena Gardens, Fourth St at Howard; 749-2228, www.act-sfbay.org. $14-24. Tues-Thurs, 7pm (also Thurs/16, Jan 30, 1pm); Fri-Sat, 8pm (also Sat/18, Jan 25, 2pm; Feb 1, show at 2pm only); Sun, 2pm. Through Feb 1. Cecil Rhodes – the personification of British imperialism – cornered the South African diamond market, wrested control of much of its gold, and out of his immense personal fortune and successful political career, built a whole country in his name, Rhodesia (today Zimbabwe). In taking on the sickly vicar's son turned "colossus" as the subject of her playwriting debut, American Conservatory Theater artistic director Carey Perloff is thinking pretty big herself. But while her semifictional story touches on many of the grand historical themes that were part of his adult life – colonialism, the global expansion of corporate power, racism, and the foundations of apartheid, to name a few – The Colossus of Rhodes is shrewdly confined to Rhodes's early years around the Kimberley diamond mines, exploring the relationships that shaped Rhodes (Allyn Burrows) in this crucial period. Though Colussus doesn't quite succeed in pinpointing what makes Rhodes tick, the play can't help but come up with a few gems that make it a fascinatingly human portrait of the multiple legacies of imperialism. (Avila)

The Dreamstealers Exit Theatre, 156 Eddy; 1-866-GOT-FURY, www.ticketweb.com. $15-25 (Thursdays in Jan, pay what you can). Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Through Feb 15. FoolsFury wraps up a very respectable season with the premiere of associate artistic director Stephen Jacob's quirky but committed "science fable." Sort of Pinocchio meets Frankenstein meets Doctor Who (in verse!), the story revolves around a slightly mad intergalactic corporate CEO named Head Greek (Jacob) who, with the assistance of two scheming Harpies with engineering degrees (Cat Thompson and Jessica Jelliffe), has manufactured a son, a "new post-human man" named Dreamboy (Ian Scott McGregor Jursco). This largely comedic two-act has a wistful strand running through it as A.I. guy naturally outgrows his original design, reaching for all things human, including a bit of fluff in the form of a hijacked somnambulator named, well, Sleepwalker (Lindsay Anderson). The Harpies are far from alone in scheming, for various reasons, to derail project Dreamboy, and I should add that the whole thing is terribly upsetting to Mother Nature (Naomi Stein), who seems on the verge of rebellion or collapse. Director Ben Yalom cast well and gets strong performances all around, with especially impressive work from Anderson and Jursco. At nearly three hours, though, the play could stand some trimming. (Avila)

Eye Exit Stage Left, 156 Eddy; 626-4603. $12-20. Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Through Feb 1. The Playwrights' Center of San Francisco presents the winner of its "Produce My Play" contest, a drama by Jay Levin about a journalist drawn to war-torn Afghanistan despite having a family back home.

Grease Orpheum Theatre, 1192 Market; 512-7770, www.ticketmaster.com. $40-75. Wed/22-Sat/25, 8pm (also Wed/22, Sat/25, 2pm); Sun/26, 2pm. Frankie Avalon reprises his role from the movie (the "Beauty School Dropout"-singing angel) in this production of the popular musical.

*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)

Mammoth under the Bathmat Next Stage, 1620 Gough; 541-5678, www.ripetreats.com. $15-20. Thurs/23-Sat/25, 8pm. There's no better place to share a secret than on the stage. From Romeo and Juliet's pact with Friar Lawrence to standup-era Woody Allan telling stories about his sexual misfortunes, theater's intimacy gives the hush-hush unparalleled oomph. In Mammoth under the Bathmat, Ripe Theater's edgy exploration of the things we choose to reveal about ourselves and the assumptions we make about other people, secrets escape like dangerous diseases from Pandora's box. Tight, dark, and abounding with absurdist wit, Ripe Theater combines video and theater in a series of short scenarios inspired by the way the media revealed and withheld various "secrets" in 2002. From a dopey housewife's verbal diarrhea at the hair salon to an executive's uncomfortable meeting with a bike messenger, little slivers of everyday life morph into larger truths. If anything lets Mammoth under the Bathmat down, it's the quality of the videography. With shaky images and sloppy sound, one can't help wishing the characters on film would keep their secrets to themselves. (Veltman)

Mother's Milk The Marsh, 1074 Valencia; 826-5750. $10-15. Fri-Sat, 7:45pm. Through Feb 22. Wayne Harris performs his solo show, a reflection on his mother's death from breast cancer.

Never in My Lifetime Exit Theatre Cafe, 156 Eddy; 721-9682. $15. Thurs-Sat, 8:30pm. Through Feb 8. La Luna Theatre Collective presents Shirley Gee's love story set amid the violence in Northern Ireland.

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)

7 Sins Shelton Theatre, 533 Sutter; 820-3947. $20-25. Extended run: Sun/26, 5 and 8pm. A revolving cast of seven performs comedy monologues drawn from real-life experiences; this week's special guest is Teri Garr.

Thief River New Conservatory Theatre Center, 25 Van Ness; 861-8972. $18-38. Wed-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2pm. Through Mar 9. If you're tired of gay love stories where shame wins out over romance, where gay bashing drives the plot, and where all of the characters are either gay or homophobic (or a combination of the two), you'll probably expect to hate Lee Blessing's Thief River. But you might be surprised. Quick pacing and a nonlinear plot structure help keep this play interesting, despite its clichés. One has to wonder, watching this story of a 53-years-long, mostly unrequited love affair between two men from a small farming town in the Midwest, whether any unfulfilled attachment could possibly be worth holding onto for that much time. But, somehow, there are enough wryly humorous lines and touching moments to keep one engaged, even after one has long stopped rooting for the star-crossed lovers' reunion. (Shalson)

'Women on the Way Festival' (WOW III) Venue 9, 252 Ninth St; 289-2000, www.venue9.com. $12-15 (sliding scale). Fri-Sun, 8pm. Through Feb 2. This week: Woods for the Trees, by Sara Kraft and Ed Purver, and Piece of You, by Sue Peters (Thurs/23); Woods for the Trees and Oh My Goddess, by Sherry Glaser (Fri/24); Oh My Goddess, Woods for the Trees, Walking Still, by Nora Chipaumire, and In Memoriam and Drown, by Kate Corby and Dancers (Sat/25-Sun/26). Footloose's third annual showcase of new work by up-and-coming and established women artists offers a rotating program of dance, drama, and comedy. Among several new dance works is Huckabay McAllister Dance Company's inventive and appealing 1, 2, 3, 4 ..., a quartet of highly theatrical vignettes on the themes of love, jealousy, and betrayal. Choreographer Kate Corby also presents two haunting and memorable works, Drown and In Memoriam. Highly worthwhile pieces adroitly choreographed and performed, they take on a unique immediacy in Venue 9's intimate environment. On the dramatic front, Piece of You, Sue Peters's new two-act play, envisions a chance meeting between a not yet famous James Dean (Matthew Stang) and the much older Barbara Hutton (Linda-Ruth Cardozo), the notorious Woolworth heiress, socialite, and serial bride (their semifictionalized fling, based on a true story, takes place somewhere between husbands five and six). While the play is a bit long and predictable in its outline, the dialogue frequently snaps. The performances, directed by Felecia Faulkner, were a bit muted opening night but appealingly nuanced. (Avila)

X Spanganga, 3376 19th St; 826-1202. $12. Fri-Sat, 8pm. Through Feb 15. African American sketch and improv comedy group Oui Be Negroes present their tenth anniversary show.

Bay Area

Book of Days Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, Castro at Mercy, Mountain View; (650) 903-6000. $20-43. Tues, 7:30pm (no show Feb 4); Wed-Sat, 8pm (also Feb 1, 8, 2pm); Sun, 2pm (also Sun/26, Feb 2, 7pm). Through Feb 9. TheatreWorks performs Lanford Wilson's new play, a tale of deceit, murder, and a community-theater production of Saint Joan in a sparsely populated Midwestern town.

The Fugitive Kind Marin Theatre Company, 397 Miller, Mill Valley; (415) 388-5208. $25-43. Tues, Thurs-Sat, 8pm (also Thurs/23, 1pm; Feb 1, 8, 2pm); Wed, 7:30pm; Sun, 2 and 7pm. Through Feb 9. Marin Theatre Company performs a rare early Tennessee Williams play (written in 1937, and not performed since) that follows the colorful occupants of a transient hotel in St. Louis.

dance

Kim Epifano Cowell Theater, Fort Mason Center, Marina at Laguna; 345-7575. Thurs-Sun, 8pm. $12-20. In Kim Epifano's hands the abstract becomes personal and the intellectual, physical. Her dance theater pieces don't always cohere, but the passion – which sometimes approaches ecstasy – with which Epifano translates ideas onto the stage sets her works soaring. With Einstein's Daughters, Epifano explores the relationship between Albert Einstein and his mathematician wife, Mileva Maric. It was a relationship fueled by the excitement of scientific discovery, but you have to take Epifano's word for it; the text – from letters – betrays not geniuses but rather bourgeois minds. With her fellow dancers Sri Louise and the remarkably gifted Fredrika Keefer, Epifano does at least partially convince us that space and time can be physically and exhilaratingly experienced. (Felciano)

Brenda Way ODC Theater, 3153 17th St; 863-9834. Mon, 7pm. $15. The choreographer presents Investigating Grace as part of the ODC/unplugged series.

Bay Area

Motivity Aerial Dance Alice Arts Center, 1428 Alice, Oakl; (415) 786-9024. Fri-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2pm. $15-18. The company, directed by Terry Sendgraff, performs "Vital Red: An Aerial Trilogy," works about womanhood that incorporate aerial dance with music, poetry, and visual effects.

Pilobolus Dance Theatre Marin Veterans' Memorial Auditorium, Avenue of the Flags at Civic Center Dr, San Rafael; (415) 499-6800. Sun, 7pm. $18-35. The company – known for its innovative style of creating "living sculptures" onstage – performs Monkey and the White Bone Demon (2001), Pseudopodia (1974), The Four Humours (2002), Ben's Admonition (2002), and Untitled (1975).

performance

'BATS Improv: The Winter Games' Bayfront Theater, Bldg B, Fort Mason Center, Marina at Laguna; 474-8935. Fri-Sat, 8pm. $12. Improv teams face off, with comedic and dramatic results.

'Big Stuff: Nice – Don't Cut it' Jon Sims Center for the Arts, 1519 Mission; 554-0402. Sat, 8pm. $7-12. Marcus Rene Van curates an evening of dance, hip hop, and spoken word, featuring Exodus, Mamaz, JB Rap (of Deep Dickollective), Amron, Akua, and HearthRhythms.

'EROShambo Surreal Robotic Cabaret' OmniCircus, 550 Natoma; 701-0686. Sat, 9:30pm. Through Feb 8. $10-15. A cast of musicians, performance artists, and robots appears in this original cabaret show.

'Fauxgirls!' Marlena's, 488 Hayes; 864-6672. Fri, 10pm. Free. Victoria Secret and Anjelica Devarox host a drag cabaret.

'Love Can Build a Bridge' Small Press Traffic, 1111 Eighth St; 551-9278. Fri-Sat, 7:30pm. $10. Small Press Traffic's "Poets' Theater Jamboree 2003" kicks off with this play by Karla Milosevich and Kevin Killian; the event also includes a short video, "Kevin and Cedar," by Cecilia Dougherty.

'The Murder of Isaac' Zeum, 221 Fourth St; 439-2446. Sun, 7pm. Free (reservations recommended). American Conservatory Theatre grad students present a staged reading of Motti Lerner's play about the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin.

'Raw Plays: Faith at Stake' The Commonwealth Club, 595 Market; 441-8822. Mon, 7pm. $10. The Magic Theater presents a series of readings of new plays in progress; this week: Corpus Delecti by Talila Baron.

'Rococo Risqué, Menagerie!' Odeon Bar, 3223 Mission; www.rococorisque.com. Fri-Sat, 9pm. $7-10. Cabaret, vaudeville, and burlesque elements contribute to this performance.

'Shylock' A Traveling Jewish Theatre, 470 Florida; 399-1809. Mon, 8pm. $12.50-25. Ron Campbell performs Mark Leiren-Young's solo show that explores the Merchant of Venice character, Shakespeare, and anti-semitism.

'Test Tube: Squeaky Wheel' New Langton Arts, 1246 Folsom; 626-5416. Sat, 8pm. $5-10. This event features performances by experimental artists Saiman Li, Seth Myers and Jackie Summel, Madeline Minx, Eamon Oré-Grion and Gina Osterloh, and Brian Storts.

'Triptych: Three Stories of South Asian Women' Noh Space, 2840 Mariposa; 864-6740. Fri-Sat, gallery 7:30pm, play 8pm. $5-10 (no one turned away for lack of funds). See 8 Days a Week

'Weaving' Club Galia, 2565 Mission; 933-9528, www.ilanlaks.com. Fri, 7pm. Free (after 9pm, $8). San Francisco Art Institute students Ilan Laks, Krescent Carasso, and Caleb Duarte exhibit works, followed by performances by Birdsaw, Mark Growden's Electric Piñata, the Shee Theater Company, poet Diamond Dave, and more.

Bay Area

'West Coast Live' Freight and Salvage Coffee House, 1111 Addison, Berk; (415) 664-9500, www.wcl.org. $9-14. This live radio show broadcast includes guests folk musicians Lou and Peter Berryman, author Brian Hall, and more.

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.

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 troup 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.

*'SF Sketchfest: The Second Annual San Francisco Sketch Comedy Festival' Eureka Theatre, 215 Jackson; 1-866-468-3399 (tickets), 487-6443 (info). Jan 2-26. This week: Hoskins and Breen and Troop! (Wed, 8pm, $15); the Infinite Monkeys and Totally False People (Thurs, 8pm, $15); Totally False People and the Vestibules (Fri, 8pm, $17); the Infinite Monkeys and the Vestibules (Fri, 10:30pm, $17); the Third Floor – L.A. and the Vestibules (Sat, 8 and 10:30pm, $17); "Closing Night Cabaret" with Kapser Hauser, Killing My Lobster, the Meehan Brothers, the Third Floor – L.A., Totally False People, White Noise Radio Theatre, and host Kevin Avery (Sun, 8pm, $15). For the month of January, the Eureka Theatre has transformed itself into a vaguely policed laugh riot, an almost nightly showcase of group comedic talent from across North America, as well as a meeting ground where aspiring comedians and comedy writers visibly lurk, rubbing elbows with the pros, the semipros, or merely with the help. On Thurs/2, the second annual SF Sketchfest kicked off a month's worth of eclectic sketch comedy with master of ceremonies Joe Klocek and four local favorites from last year: the Meehan Brothers, White Noise Radio Theatre, Kasper Hauser, and Totally False People (who with Thomas Sawyer produced the festival). They were joined the next night by the weekend headliners: New York-based improv champs the Upright Citizens Brigade. In an ambitious expansion of last year's six-act inaugural, the festival will feature 19 sketch groups in all, at least one from as far away as Montreal, and including no less than Fred Willard and his Hollywood Players. Happily, all this forward-looking hasn't diminished the laid-back feel of the event, which offers a great opportunity to watch the group mind at work. (Avila)

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

Spanganga 3376 19th St; 341-1604, ext 2, www.uphillbothways.com. Sat/25 and Fri/31-Sat/1, 10:30pm: Uphill Both Ways performs sketch comedy in their new show, "Too Late for Old People," $10.

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 spoken word events and featured readers:

Wednesday: BrainWash Café 1122 Folsom; 440-5530. "Spoken Word Salon," open mic and featured reader Beth Lifson, 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.

Saturday: Berkeley Art Center 1274 Walnut, Berk; (510) 527-9753. "Rhythm and Muse" with featured reader Kira Allen and open mic, 7pm, free.

Sunday: Cody's Books 2454 Telegraph, Berk; (510) 845-7852. "Poetry Flash" with Cole Swensen and Alice Jones, 7:30pm, $2. KUSF 90.3FM www.kusf.edu. "The Pomo Literati" poetry-spoken word radio program with featured guests Beth Lisick, Anna Wilson, adn Becca Costello, 2-4pm, free.

Monday: Rasselas Jazz (Fillmore) 1534 Fillmore; 346-8696. Open mic for instrumentalists, singers, and poets, featuring the Dee Spencer Trio, 8pm, free. Perry's Joint 1661 Fillmore; 931-5260. "Celebration of the Word" with featured reader Stephen Kopel and open mic, 7pm, free.