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

Devil in the Deck Climate Theater, 285 Ninth St; 364-1411. $15-25. Previews Thurs/22-Sat/24, 8pm. Opens May 29, 8pm. Runs Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Through June 28. Magician and comedian Paul Nathan performs his original show about a gambler, showman, con artist, and cheat.

'DIVAfest' Exit Theatreplex, 156 Eddy; 673-3847, www.divafest.org. $5-20 (all-show pass, $55). Opens Thurs/22, 8pm. Runs Thurs-Sat, 8pm (also Sat, 3pm). Through May 31. This week: Toasted by Elisa DeCarlo (Thurs/22, Sat/24, 8pm); Tincture by Sean Owens (Fri/23, 8pm; Sat/24, 3pm); Agroof by Monkeyhouse (Thurs/22-Sat/24, 8pm, also Sat/24, 2pm); Winterkill by Denise B. Flemming (Thurs/22, Sat/24, 8pm); Executive Order 9066 by Lunatique Fantastique (Fri/23, 8pm; Sat/24, 3pm); Cabaret Rebel by Beth Wilmurt (Thurs/22-Sat/24, 10pm); staged reading of Stretch Marks by the Drama Mamas (Sat/24, 6pm). See 8 Days a Week.

Bay Area

The Odd Couple San Jose Repertory Theatre, 101 Paseo de San Antonio, San Jose; (408) 367-7255. $20-48. Previews Sat/24, May 28-29, 8pm (also May 28, noon); Sat/25, 2 and 7pm. Opens May 30, 8pm. Runs Tues-Sat, 8pm (also Sat, 3pm); Sun, 2 and 7pm. Through June 22. San Jose Repertory Theatre performs Neil Simon's classic comedy.

Saint, the Thea Bowman Story Sister Thea Bowman Memorial Theater, Prescott-Joseph Center for Community Enhancement, 920 Peralta, Oakl; (510) 208-5651, (510) 208-1912. $5-15. Opens Fri/23, 8pm. Runs Fri-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2pm. Through June 8. The Lower Bottom Playaz present a play about the Franciscan nun and her battle with breast cancer.

under milk wood Eighth St. Studio, 2525 Eighth St, Berk; (510) 704-8210. $10-20 (previews, pay what you can). Previews Thurs/22-Fri/23, 8pm. Opens Sat/24, 8pm. Runs Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 7pm (no show Sun/25). Through June 22. Shotgun Players perform the Dylan Thomas "play for voices" set in a coastal Welsh town, and featuring more than 50 characters.

Ongoing

*American Buffalo Omnicircus Theatre, 550 Natoma; 701-0686. $10-15. Fri-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 7pm. Through June 15. Subterranean Shakespeare reprises its 1999 production of David Mamet's visceral autopsy of the American dream. Three small-time operators plan a coin heist in a Chicago junk shop, with tragicomic results for themselves and the free enterprise system. The real action courses through Mamet's meaty and muscular dialogue, brimming with his signature flair for the poetry of the back alley. The highly intimate, hole-in-the-wall atmosphere of Omnicircus feels like the ideal setting. In fact, it's hard to say where the set (by Rose Anne Raphael, based on Christo Braun's original design) actually begins – you'll feel like a stowaway, on balcony seating below drainpipes that look out on a crowded room replete with found objects, recycled gewgaws, empty beer cans, twisted humanoid heaps of scrap metal (actually Frank Garvey's robotic sculpture), and a small dog. Director Stanley Spenger draws a solid bead on the play, delivering a taut, focused performance as Teach, while Dick Hillenbrand manages a terrific debut as Bobby, and Geoffrey Pond pules, prattles, and growls as junk shop owner Donny Dubrow. A benefit for SubShakes' new Berkeley digs, this unique production ends up being one of San Francisco's cooler "underground" theater offerings. (Avila)

Are We Almost There? Shelton Theatre, 533 Sutter; 345-7575. $17-22. Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Open-ended. Travel is the theme of this musical comedy revue.

'BATS Improv Long-Form Festival' Bayfront Theater, Fort Mason Center, Bldg B, Marina at Laguna; 474-8935, www.improv.org. $12-15. Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Through May 31. Special improv group guests Underdog (Thurs/22-Sat/24) and 3 For All (Thurs/29-Sat/31) perform.

The Beginning of August Actor's Theatre of San Francisco, 533 Sutter, second fl; 296-9179. $5-20. Thurs/22-Sat/24, 8pm. Actor's Theatre of San Francisco presents Tom Donaghy's play about a single dad who creates a makeshift extended family from the neighbors and friends around him.

Black and Blue: A Musical Revue Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, 620 Sutter; 474-8800. $15-32. Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2pm. Through June 8. The Lorraine Hansberry Theatre presents the Broadway revue that pays tribute to African American legends of jazz and blues, with a cast that includes acclaimed vocalist Faye Carol.

Blue Surge Magic Theatre, Bldg D, Fort Mason Center, Marina at Laguna; 441-8822. $17-37. Extended run: Wed/21-Sat/24, 8pm; Sun/25, 2:30pm. Rebecca Gilman's new play deconstructs an ideal couple against the economics of sex. Curt (John Flanagan), a working-class cop, plans to marry Beth (Corie Henninger), an upper-middle-class artist. They have their future well planned – but things are not as solid as they seem. After a botched raid on a massage parlor, Curt takes an avuncular interest in a young prostitute named Sandy (Kirsten Roeters); their ability to relate to one another rests on their mutual class background. Clearly cowed by his relationship with Beth, Curt not only feels comfortable sharing his dreams with Sandy, but he also seems eager to assume the role of male guardian. Amy Glazer, who directed the Magic Theatre's premiere of Gilman's The American in Me, gets the most from the playwright's vigorous, incisive, frequently witty dialogue while ensuring a lively pace. (Avila)

'The Bruno's Island New Plays Festival' Thick House, 1695 18th St; 558-7721. Wed/21-Thurs/22, 8pm. $15-20. This week: The Conjurer and the Concubine and Four Green Fields (Wed/21); Multiplex and Ode to the Cupcake (Thurs/22). Bruno's Island is an insignificant sandbar in the middle of a western Pennsylvania river. It's biggest claim to fame, apparently, came about when explorer Meriwether Lewis, picnicking on the island one day in 1804, nearly shot a woman in the head while demonstrating his new rifle. As a metaphor for Killing My Lobster's inaugural festival of new short plays, the parallel is pretty apt: three out of the four plays will blow you away. Ode to the Cupcake, Jessie McCormack's poignant tale of an encounter between a jaded traveler and an effusive waitress in a lonely Southern roadside diner, combines tantalizing performances by Emily Helfgot and David Stein with a sharp worldview. Kevin Shay's rambling but astute Conjurer and the Concubine riffs smartly on the nature of illusion through an exposé of the romance between an arrogant celebrity magician and his drawling bit of supermodel fluff. And in Multiplex, which most closely resembles a "traditional" Lobster-style sketch with its motley cast of oddball loons, a movie theater serves as the backdrop for a series of brilliantly executed interpersonal eruptions. Unfortunately for the Lobsters, the Bruno's Island metaphor only goes so far: like Lewis's bullet skimming past the woman's head that happy day in 1804, Elizabeth Creely's contrived Four Green Fields, a jumbled lecture on politics and Irish poetry delivered from the back of a taxi, is a near miss. (Veltman)

'Clitoris Celebration: Thinking Outside the Box' Shelton Theatre, 533 Sutter; 433-7875. $15-20. Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Through May 31. Sia Amma performs her provocative comedy show.

Cocksucker: A Love Story Theatre Rhinoceros, 2926 16th St; 861-5079. $20-30. Wed-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 3 and 7pm. Open-ended. Writer-director Ronnie Larsen presents a tale about marines who act in gay porn videos.

'Comedy on the Square' Shelton Theatre, 533 Sutter; 522-8900. $15. Performances include "A Celebration of Silliness!" with Fred Anderson (Sun, 3 and 7pm; through July 31).

Cooking with Elvis Phoenix Theatre, 414 Mason; 989-0023. $20 (Thurs, pay what you can). Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Through June 14. Phoenix Theatre presents Lee Hall's dark comedy about disability, eating disorders, cooking, and sexual compulsion.

Dead Heads Jon Sims Center for the Arts, 1519 Mission; 554-0402. $10-15. Fri/21-Sun/25, 8pm. Jon Sims Center for the Arts presents Joe Besecker's dark comedy about an ex-porn star driven to acts of desperation and double-crossing.

Finding Claire New venue: Theatre Rhinoceros, 2926 16th St; (510) 534-9529. $12-20. Fri/23-Sat/24, 8pm (also Sat/24, 2pm); Sun/25, 2pm. Oakland Public Theater presents Kim Merrill's play about motherhood.

Howard Crabtree's When Pigs Fly New Conservatory Theatre Center, 25 Van Ness; 861-8972. $18-38. Wed-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2pm. Through June 28. The New Conservatory Theatre Center continues Pride Season 8 with the Bay Area premiere of Howard Crabtree and Mark Waldrop's gay musical revue.

Let's Pretend I'm Not Your Mother Climate Theatre, 285 Ninth St; 364-1411. $20. Thurs-Sat, 9:30pm. Through June 21. Titillation Theatre helps inaugurate Climate Theatre's new venue with writer-director Jennifer Hotcher's cabaret: a smorgasbord of sex in the city that kicks off with a course on how to undress for your lover, conducted by a professional stripper (Hotcher), and pulsates right through 10 more sexy, frequently funny vignettes, coupling among other things a dot-commer (Gaylord Rice) and her generous IPO; a girl (Jenny Jo Richmond) and man's best friend (David Allen); and a boy (Allen) and his bear rug (Richmond). Celebratory in spirit, and taking occasional poetic flights, these pieces good-naturedly and unabashedly explore the polymorphous pleasures, everything from the wacky to the sucky, that make up human sexuality. The show has been bouncing around a number of small venues for the last year (between police raids) and the momentum has paid off. The sketches may be uneven in conception, but the cast is aces and consistently pleases. (Avila)

Mysterious Skin New Conservatory Theatre Center, 25 Van Ness; 861-8972. $18-38. Wed-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2pm. Through June 28. Prince Gomolvilas's Mysterious Skin opens as a UFO expert, against a dark, celestial backdrop, asks his television audience: "Have aliens contacted you?" It's a funny, uncomfortable moment – trouble hangs in the air, and it has nothing to do with the heavens. Skin, adapted from Scott Heim's 1995 novel and receiving its world premiere at the New Conservatory Theatre Center, traces the trajectories of two young men from semirural Kansas who shared a childhood experience that shaped them in a way each is unable to control. Gomolvilas does an impressive job of turning Heim's provocative story into an intriguing piece of theater. Through a combination of direct address and frequent flashback sequences the intertwined story lines and background flow, for the most part, effortlessly. Good chemistry and solid acting from a committed cast, under Arturo Catricala's ever sharp and sportive direction, convey the full range of humor, pain, and compassion in the often excellent dialogue. (Avila)

Norton I (Being the Most Noble Tale of Joshua Abraham Norton, First Emperor of the United States of America and Protector of All Mexico) Noh Space, 2840 Mariposa; 621-7978. $13-20 (Thurs, pay what you can). Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Through May 31. Theatre of Yugen's ensemble performs Yugen joint artistic director Luis Valls's new play about the colorful San Franciscan.

Oh My Goddess! Venue 9, 252 Ninth St; 289-2000. $15-20. Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 7pm. Through May 31. Writer-performer Sherry Glaser's offbeat revision of the Judeo-Christian creation myth had gone through several incarnations before its San Francisco unveiling at January's Women on the Way Festival, but probably never felt more timely or refreshing. In Glaser's rendition, waiter and slacker Miguel de Cervantes discovers his feminine side after a desperate phone call to the Psychic Friends Hotline, becoming the unlikely portal for the return of God's better half, the Jewish earth mother of us all. Ma's awoken from a 5,000-year nap, having left slacker Pa in charge of the kids, and needless to say is not happy about the state of the house or the yard. Ma relates the real story of where we came from, offering up her own set of commandments in the process, a "to-do list" that in its maternal wisdom cleverly blends the comic with the cosmic. After generously fielding their questions, Ma sends her brood out into the world again with, what else, a nice bowl of soup. A skillful performer, Glaser, with support from director Rod Kaats, makes up for the production's minor awkwardnesses with the warmth and intelligence she brings to this nourishing material. (Avila)

R. Buckminster Fuller: The History (and Mystery) of the Universe Project Artaud Theater, 450 Florida; 626-DOME, www.foghouse.com. $25-35. Extended run: Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2pm. Through June 15. 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 D.W. 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, inhabiting Fuller's eccentric soul with physical and verbal intensity. (Veltman)

The Three Sisters Geary Theater, 415 Geary; 749-2228. $11-61. Tues-Sat, 8pm (also Sat, May 28 and June 4, 2pm); Sun, 2pm. Through June 8. See "Halfway House."

White Liars and Black Comedy Next Stage, 1620 Gough; 333-6389. $15-20. Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Through May 31. Multi Ethnic Theater presents two plays on the theme of tricks by Peter Shaffer.

Bay Area

The Guys Berkeley Rep's Roda Theatre, 2015 Addison, Berk; (510) 647-2949. $10-54. Opens Wed/21, 8pm. Runs Tues, Thurs-Sat, 8pm (also Sat/24, May 29, June 7, 12, 21, 26, 28, July 5, show at 2pm only; no show July 4); Wed and Sun, 7pm (also Sun, 2pm). Through July 6. Anne Nelson's 9/11-inspired drama stars Sharon Lawrence (NYPD Blue) and Keith David (Barbershop) through Sun/25. Future casts include Lorraine Toussaint and Dan Lauria (May 27-June 8) and Joe Spano (June 10-22).

Pericles Shakespeare at Stinson, Highway One at Calle Del Mar, Stinson Beach; (415) 868-1115, www.shakespeareatstinson.org. $16-23. Fri-Sat, 7pm; Sun, 6pm. Through June 29. Shakespeare at Stinson kicks off their season with the Bard's romantic tale of loss and redemption.

*Surface Transit Berkeley Rep's Thrust Stage, 2025 Addison, Berk; (510) 647-2949. $38-54. Extended run: Tues and Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Wed and Sun, 7pm (also Sun/25, June 1, 2pm). Through June 1. Playing eight interrelated characters, the charismatic Sarah Jones approaches her subjects with impeccable technique and a rollicking sense of humor, garnering different perspectives on the hateful and violent prejudices separating people who in fact have much more in common than they like to admit. Berkeley Repertory Theatre's dazzling and dexterous production, directed by Tony Taccone, provides a wonderful platform for Jones, though her energy and grace would succeed in any setting. (Avila)

Virginia Woolf's Night and Day Transparent Theater, 1901 Ashby, Berk; (510) 883-0305. $20 (Sun, pay what you can). Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 7pm. Through June 8. Transparent Theatre presents Virginia Woolf's story of four young Edwardians wrestling with passion and propriety at the outset of a still undefined century. Scion of an upper-class literary family, Katherine Hilbery (Lucy Owen) charts a generational divide in keeping her head in the stars and strictly away from books. She's the center of gravity for middle-class lawyer Ralph Denham (Jason Frazier); Ralph's friend, secretly smitten suffragette Mary Datchet (Chloe Bronzan); and pompous but genial poet William Rodney (Noah James Butler). Director Tom Clyde's ambitious stage adaptation hews dialogue shrewdly from Woolf's hefty novel, but fidelity to the text inevitably runs up against certain limitations. In particular, the clearly pragmatic decision to excise the parental world leaves the generational pressures acting on the characters ill defined. Katherine, for instance, comes over as merely cold (and thus inexplicable as the object of Denham and Rodney's adoration) in the absence of her familial setting. The screen in Anne Goldschmidt's set, used to project the characters' extreme self-consciousness, might have better compensated for this. As is, the few images cast run from vaguely suggestive to distracting. Nonetheless, the play's strong performances give weight and nuance to complex feelings and thoughts. (Avila)

Visions of Kerouac Marin Theatre Company, 397 Miller, Mill Valley; (415) 388-5208. $25-43. Tues and Thurs-Sat, 8pm (also Thurs/22, 1pm; May 31 and June 7, 2pm); Wed, 7:30pm; Sun, 2 and 7pm. Through June 8. Marin Theatre Company performs Martin Duberman's beat generation drama.

dance

Element Dance Theater Dance Mission Theater, 3316 24th St; 642-1082. Fri-Sun, 8pm. $15-20. The company performs Full Scale, artistic director Kristin Heavey's investigation into recent world events and their effects on our democracy and civil rights.

'Sixth Annual Dionysian Festival: Celebrating the 126th Anniversary of Isadora Duncan's Birth' Mary Sano Studio of Duncan Dancing, 245 Fifth St, Studio 314; 357-1817. Sat, 8pm; Sun, 5pm. $13-16. The modern dance pioneer is celebrated with performances by Mary Sano and her Duncan Dancers, Junko Sodeyama and Dancers, Ann Swigert, G. Hoffman Soto with cellist Moses Selder and koto player Shoko Hikage, and Harupin-Ha Butoh Dance Theatre.

Bay Area

Smuin Ballet Dean Lesher Regional Center for the Arts, Civic at Locust, Walnut Creek; (925) 943-7469. Sat-Sun, 2pm (also Sat, 8pm). $25-40. The company performs Come Dance Me a Song (set to classic Elton John ballads), plus Bouquet and Stabat Mater.
performance

'Dr. Strangelove' Spanganga, 3376 19th St; www.acteva.com/go/strangelove. Thurs-Sat, 10pm. $11.50-15. Spanganga hosts a stage version of the classic Kubrick film.

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

'The Hybrid Project' Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 701 Mission; 978-2787. Sat, 8pm. $10. Intersection presents the culminating performance of a year-long collaborative project by dancers, performers, musicians, and poets, plus audience input. Participants include members of Felonious: onelovehiphop and choreographer Erika Shuch.

Loco Bloco Drum and Dance Ensemble ODC Theater, 3153 17th St; 626-5222, ext 30. Fri, 8pm. $5-10. The ensemble kicks off San Francisco's Carnaval Weekend with new songs and dance routines.

Mark Kenward, James Judd, Bruce Pachtman Marsh, 1062 Valencia; 826-5750. Wed, 8pm. $10-14 (sliding scale). The solo performers present their latest works: Kenwards' Rice and Beans; Judd's 7 Sins; and Pachtman's VERY Funny Play #2.

'One' Eureka Theater, 215 Jackson; 392-4400. Fri/23-Sun/25, May 30-31, 7:30pm (also Sat/24-Sun/25, May 31, 2pm); June 1, 2pm. $8-15 (May 31, 7:30pm show $20-50). The Event Players (San Francisco school kids, ages 9-14) perform an original musical based on an Isaac Bashevis Singer story.

'Summer's Eve' and 'self: the remix' SomArts Cultural Center, 934 Brannan; 864-4126. Thurs-Sun, 8pm. $15. The Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center presents a double feature with Bindlestiff Pinay Collective's Summer's Eve, which features an all-female cast reflecting on growing up Filipina in America; and robert karimi's self: the remix, which uses storytelling and DJs to explore "sampled consciousness."

'3D: Dyke Drama Days' Theatre Rhinoceros, 2926 16th St; 552-4100, www.therhino.org. Wed-Thurs, 6pm. Free. This staged reading series of works by lesbian playwrights includes a Q&A session after each performance. Plays include Cheat by Julie Jensen (Wed) and Break Up Notebook by Patricia Cotter (Thurs).

'The Troublesome Reign of Edward II' Build Storefront, 483 Guerrero; 752-2084. Thurs-Sat, 8pm. $10. No Nude Men Productions performs director Stuart Bousel's adaptation of Christopher Marlowe's play.

'Women on the Way Festival' Venue 9, 252 Ninth St; 289-2000. Tues, 8pm. $8-10. This week's lineup: Freddie Long's dance theater piece Under Elko; Ann Berman's dance work Escape Velocity; Susan Birkeland's spoken word pieces Spring Eating Shadows and Olde and Young at the Same Time; and Merlin Coleman's compositions Precocious Child and The Sad Star and the Sick Little.

Bay Area

'Over Nine Waves' Epic Arts Center, 1923 Ashby, Berk; (510) 644-2204. Thurs-Sat, 8pm. $10-20 (sliding scale). Traditional Jewish storyteller and musician Tim Barsky performs a re-telling of the Irish tale of Midr and Eideen, with accompaniment by the hip-hop-klezmer-influenced Everyday Ensemble.

comedy

BrainWash Café 1122 Folsom; 861-3663. Thurs, 8pm: Comedy open mic hosted by Tony Sparks, free.

Double Play 2401 16th St; 821-3601. Fri, 8pm: "Hyena Comedy All-Stars," $7.

Edinburgh Castle 950 Geary; 826-1202. Sun, 8pm: The San Francisco Improv Co-Operative and New Humor Group present good/bad dog/boy and the Suicide Kings, $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.

Palace of Fine Arts outside lawn, Richardson at Bay; www.blueblanketimprov.com. Sun, 11am: Blue Blanket Improv presents a free workshop and improv show. Ongoing.

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," with host Diamond Dave Whitaker and featured reader Tom Stolmar, 8pm, free. La Peña Cultural Center 3105 Shattuck, Berk; (510) 849-2568. "Cafe Poetry" open mic with Brown Fist Collective, 7:30pm, free. Presidio Branch San Francisco Public Library, 3150 Sacramento; 292-2155. Poets Stephen Kopel, Elz, Jeanne Powell, Chad Sweeney, and Jennifer Sweeney read, 7pm, free.

Thursday: Coppa D'Oro Cafe 3166 24th St; 826-8003. "Poetry on the Patio," spoken word and acoustic music open mic with host Charlie Getter, 6:30pm, free. Dalva 3121 16th St; 753-8091. "Poetry Mission" with featured reader Barbara Jane Reyes, plus open mic, 7-9pm, free. New College of California Cultural Center 766 Valencia; www.Gg-Re.orG/poetreedpoetree.html. "Performen Anouncemen: Gg Re, Stephen Kopel, and Dave Silverstein," 8pm, free. Socialist Action Bookstore 3425 Cesar Chavez; 821-0459. Spoken word open mic, 7:30pm, free.

Friday: Modern Times Bookstore 888 Valencia; www.youthspeaks.org. Youth Speaks presents a release party and reading in honor of My Words Consume Me, a new anthology of works by Bay Area youth created in conjunction with McSweeney's/826 Valencia, 7-9pm, free.

Saturday: Berkeley Art Center 1275 Walnut, Berk; (510) 527-9753. "Rhythm and Muse" open mic and featured readers Asante and Chaos, 7pm, free.

Sunday: Cody's Books 2454 Telegraph, Berk; (510) 845-7852. "Poetry Flash!," with Fresh Ink Poetry Group, 7:30pm, $2.