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

Apocalypse: The Book of Revelation The Marsh, 1062 Valencia; 826-5750. $12-17 (Thurs, pay what you can). Opens Thurs/5, 8pm. Runs Thurs-Sat, 8pm (no show June 27). Through June 28. Performer Eliot Fintushel uses masks and ancient songs to illuminate his word-for-word rendition of the final book of the Bible.

Love Missile New Langton Arts, 1246 Folsom; (510) 986-9194. $18. Previews Fri/6-Sat/7, 8:30pm. Opens June 12, 8:30pm. Runs Thurs-Sat, 8:30pm; Sun, 7:30pm. Through June 22. Golden Thread Productions performs an original antiwar musical.

The Male Intellect: An Oxymoron? Marines Memorial Theatre, 609 Sutter; 1-877-771-6900. $25-45. Opens Tues/10, 8pm. Runs Tues-Sat, 8pm (also Sat, 5pm); Sun, 3 and 6pm. Through June 29. Robert Dubac performs his solo comedy about a guy who seeks the help of his five misguided alter egos after he's dumped by his fianc‚e.

Married to Music New Conservatory Theatre Center, 25 Van Ness; 861-8972. $15-25. Previews Fri/6, 8pm. Opens Sat/7, 8pm. Runs Fri-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 3pm. Through June 22. The New Conservatory Theatre Center presents Meg Mackay and Billy Philadelphia in a cabaret revue inspired by their 11-year marriage.

Silent Movie Exit Stage Left, 156 Eddy; 289-6808. $10-25. Opens Fri/5, 8pm. Runs Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Through June 28. Kinetic Theory Experimental Theatre performs a mimed play that recreates the style of silent films.

Snapshots from the World Croquet Championship of 1959 Actors Theatre of San Francisco, 533 Sutter; 296-9179. $5-20. Previews Wed/4-Thurs/5, 8pm. Opens Fri/6, 8pm. Runs Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 7pm. Through June 28. Actors Theatre of San Francisco performs Keith Phillips's family drama, set on Block Island during the late summer of 1959.

Stripped The Next Stage, 1620 Gough; 673-0304, ext 3. $10-12. Opens Fri/6, 8pm. Runs Fri-Sat, 8pm. Through June 28. Combined Art Form Entertainment (CAFE) presents Tilted Frame Improv in a multimedia dramatic-comedic improv show that uses live video, music, and sound to take on the concept of reality itself.

Wedding Singer Blues Shelton Theater, 533 Sutter; (510) 527-7813. $15-20. Opens Thurs/5, 8pm. Runs Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Through June 18. Carla Zilbersmith performs her original, solo musical (formerly titled Six Songs in Search of a Story).

Bay Area

A Map of the World Ehmann Hall, Oakland YWCA, 1515 Webster, Oakl; (510) 436-5085. $16-19 (preview $5). Previews Thurs/5, 8pm. Opens Fri/6, 8pm. Runs Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 3pm. Through June 29. See 8 Days a Week.

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. 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.

Les Belles Soeurs New venue: Randall Museum Theatre, 199 Museum Wy; 337-4713. Free. Wed/4-Sat/7, 7:30pm; Sun/8, 2pm. San Francisco Free Civic Theatre performs Michel Tremblay's play about a group of women who gather together when one of them wins a million trading stamps and asks for help pasting them into booklets.

*Black and Blue: A Musical Revue Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, 620 Sutter; 474-8800. $15-32. Extended run: Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2pm. Through June 29. A modified version of the Black and Blue that opened on Broadway in 1989, this rousing musical revue presents 18 blues and jazz numbers, mostly from the '20s and '30s, but ranging from W.C. Handy's 1914 "St. Louis Blues" to Bob Dylan's 1979 "Gotta Serve Somebody." A competent four-piece band, six dynamic dancers, and a trio of male backup singers – who shine in a barbershop version of "I'm Confessing (That I Love You)" – help bring the music to life. But it's the three lead women vocalists – with Bay Area favorite Faye Carol headlining – who are this musical revue's raison d'être: Clara McDaniel shimmers with a silky, jazz-time "Am I Blue." Ella Jamerson-Haynes raises the roof with an inspired gospel rendition of "Serve Somebody." And Carol shows off her versatility with a coy "If I Can't Sell It, I'll Keep Sittin' on It," a righteous "T'ain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do" (with Jamerson-Haynes), and a heart-wrenching "Body and Soul." Even the most reserved theatergoers will find themselves dancing in their seats. (Shalson)

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); Kaspar Hauser comedy troupe (Fri-Sat, 10pm; Sun, 8:30pm; through June 15).

*Cooking with Elvis Phoenix Theatre, 414 Mason; 989-0023. $20 (Thurs, pay what you can). Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Through June 14. Featuring five electrifying numbers from an Elvis impersonator and boasting the histrionic talents of an Afghan tortoise, Phoenix Arts Association's Cooking with Elvis (by Lee Hall, writer of Billy Elliot) is a comic pie of surprising contents. When an accident renders Elvis impersonator Dad (Lol Levy) into an epileptic "cabbage," fourteen-year-old Gillian (played by the protean Lauren Grace) copes by retreating into a world increasingly disturbing gastronomy. Meanwhile, Mam (Linda Ayres-Frederick), a woman so tawdry and tippling she would provoke censure in New Orleans, procures a lover in the hapless Stewart (the fearless David Austin-Groen, again displaying his gift for playing total chumps). Stoutly refusing the chances for easy bathos, director Robert Hamm makes the play swing instantly from hilarity to hopelessness, from scenes of weeping to scenes of wanking, while the actors bounce to the next extreme indomitable and ready. And in the end, it's folly to deny to sheer power of the King. (Amir Baghdachi)

Cowboy Mouth Theatre Rhinoceros, 2926 16th St; 861-5079. $10-15. Thurs-Sat, 8:30pm; Sun, 3:30pm. Through June 22. Mostly Grounded Theatre Company performs Sam Shepard's play

inspired by his relationship with Patti Smith.

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

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 last theatrical extravaganza created by costume-designer extraordinaire Howard Crabtree and his longtime collaborator, lyricist Mark Waldrop, before Crabtree's death in 1996, this zany musical revue depicts Crabtree's dream autobiography. Told by his high school counselor that he'll succeed in the theater "when pigs fly," Crabtree sets out to produce the most over-the-top spectacle he can – despite a limited budget, cranky actors, and other crises. The familiar setup opens on a series of campy sketches, borrowing from a range of musical genres, about finding joy in the face of adversity. The rainbow-colored sensibility feels dated at times, but Waldrop's new pieces written for this production – torch songs for the likes of Dick Cheney and Pat Robertson, performed with eye-fluttering sincerity by Jeff Manabat – are clever and timely. The performers are consistently charming, but it's the costumes that steal this show. Recreations by Van Hedwall and some Crabtree originals include such eye-pleasers as vanity tables that turn into 18th-century ladies' skirts and a gardener's costume complete with blooming flowers. (Shalson)

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. 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)

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. Wed/4-Sat/7, 8pm (also Wed/4 and Sat/7, 2pm); Sun/8, 2pm. As Chekhov's three sisters beat their delicate wings against the bars of a rustic cage in American Conservatory Theater's current production, the nature of work's triumph over leisure is revealed. Bred for better things by their late father, the cultivated Prozorovs – Olga (Lorri Holt), Masha (René Augesen), and Irina (Katharine Powell), along with their brother Andrei (Tommy A. Gomez) – are somewhat comical as big fish in a small Russian pond. Chekhov explores with inimitable humor and compassion the lived moment between the past, with its sense of loss, and the future, with its seemingly necessary fantasies of salvation. In this production, the play's sweetly melancholic, nearly absurdist tone, so worthy of the label "Chekhovian," does not quite blossom as it should. Director Carey Perloff's lavish but fairly lifeless production sacrifices complexity in service of comic or dramatic effects. (Avila)

*Thwak Post Street Theatre, 450 Post; 321-2900. $25-45. Tues-Sat, 8pm (also Sat, 2pm); Sun, 2pm. Through June 22. The Umbilical Brothers give silly a good name – though "Umbilical Brothers," however apt, is admittedly a silly name. All the more appropriate perhaps, since paradox parades the stage as a friend to David Collins and Shane Dundas, the globe-trotting Australian duo, who come across as either human cartoons or the loudest mimes in the business. With little more than a microphone and their limber selves (give or take a hand puppet) they conjure a fantastic assortment of invisible yet visceral characters, including a pair of horses, a fly that won't die, an entire gas-grill menagerie, and a grenade-fetching dog. In the name of relieving the consternation generated by the seeming incarnation of all manner of creatures and Hollywood stunts from thin air, the brothers are not above compounding it, by showing us the whole thing again in slow motion and then pointing to the "tricks" behind the illusion. Philip Wm. McKinley directs this flawless, high-powered, and consistently funny set of aural and physical acrobatics. (Avila)

Tincture Exit Theatre, 156 Eddy; 673-3847. $12-20 (sliding scale). Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Through June 14. In Sean Owens's tantalizing new play, six women repeatedly struggle to put their experiences into words: "It's like licking an impressionist painting and tasting chocolate," says one character. "I see other women smelling good," says another. Telling a twisty tale of the synesthetic relationships between six very different women through their quirky attitudes toward colors, the play is a funny and tender exploration of the widely differing ways people perceive the world around them. While one character is sick of a dull love life in which she seems to date only "taupe" men (who not only wear nondescript clothes but are equally bland in bed), another likes to slather all of her meals in food dye, preferring lilac-tinted milk to the regular white stuff. Despite Sharon Walton's elegantly and minimalistically staged production, the spunky ensemble cast has a tendency to pitch Owens's unctuous and at times garishly purple prose somewhere over the rainbow. If they toned it down a little, Tincture could be a pot of gold. (Veltman)

Wicked Curran Theatre, 445 Geary; www.bestofbroadway-sf.com. $30-85. Tues-Sat and Mon/9, 8pm (also Sat, Wed/4, June 12, 18-19, and 25, 2pm; no show June 11); Sun, 2pm. Through June 29. The backstories of the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch are explored in this Wizard of Oz-inspired musical by Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman, opening here in its pre-Broadway world premiere.

Bay Area

The Guys Berkeley Rep's Roda Theatre, 2015 Addison, Berk; (510) 647-2949. $10-54. Tues, Thurs-Sat, 8pm (also Sat/7, June 12, 21, 26, 2pm; July 5, show at 2pm only; no show July 4); Wed and Sun, 7pm (also Sun, 2pm). Through July 6. Cast includes Lorraine Toussaint and Dan Lauria (May 27-June 8); Sharon Lawrence and Joe Spano (June 10-15); Linda Purl and Spano (June 17-22); and Jimmy Smits and Wanda De Jesus (June 24-July 5). It's not hard to imagine audiences overlooking The Guys' more obvious weaknesses in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks, even the hokey, vaguely self-serving dialogue and tedious construction. This early and unique contribution could be welcomed for what it was: an attempt to offer a community outlet for grief, and a sincere salute to some very brave souls who died serving their city. But as it moves away from New York and the events of Sept. 11, 2001, the play becomes less tenable, not only as theater, but also as an attempt to speak relevantly to audiences who've lived for two years with the savage war on terror unleashed and justified in the name of national security. (Avila)

Julius Caesar Bruns Memorial Amphitheater, Hwy 24 at Shakespeare Festival Way/Gateway Exit, Orinda; (510) 548-9666, www.calshakes.org. $13-49. Tues-Thurs, 7:30pm; Fri-Sat, 8pm (also Sat, 2pm); Sun, 4pm. Through June 22. Cal Shakes opens their 2003 season with Shakespeare's classic tale.

The Odd Couple San Jose Repertory Theatre, 101 Paseo de San Antonio, San Jose; (408) 367-7255. $20-48. Tues-Sat, 8pm (also Sat, 3pm); Sun, 2 and 7pm. Through June 22. San Jose Repertory Theatre performs Neil Simon's classic comedy.

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.

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. Fri/6-Sat/7, 8pm; Sun/8, 2pm. 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). Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 7pm. Through June 22. Shotgun Players present Dylan Thomas's wonderful but rarely produced "play for voices" on the 50th anniversary of its first public performance (an event shortly followed by the poet's untimely death). Wafting through the public and private lives of an assortment of oddball characters in the imaginary Welsh fishing village of Llareggub, Thomas's lyrical, rotating narrative plumbs the depths of consciousness, unearthing the extraordinary in the quotidian, and the madness in the ordinary. Spanning a single day, this local odyssey intentionally suggests a Welsh Ulysses, but Thornton Wilder's Our Town also comes to mind in the timeless truths Thomas wrests from his loving, fearing, jocular, and grieving portrait of particulars. Ingeniously adapting for the stage a play intended for radio, director Gina Pulice, in excellent harmony with movement designer Amy Sass, first calls attention to and then explodes the pretense of a poetry reading, whereupon her lithesome eight-member ensemble-cast leaps with all sixteen feet into an enraptured embodiment of the play's action and images. Choice accents by set-lighting designer Jeremy Katz and music designer Aaron Krasner further complement an at times transportingly lovely and altogether unique production. (Avila)

Virginia Woolf's Night and Day Transparent Theater, 1901 Ashby, Berk; (510) 883-0305. $20 (Sun, pay what you can). Thurs/5-Sat/7, 8pm; Sun/8, 7pm. 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. 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. Wed/4, 7:30pm; Thurs/5-Sat/7, 8pm (also Sat/7, 2pm); Sun/8, 2 and 7pm. Marin Theatre Company performs Martin Duberman's beat generation drama.

dance

Mary Armentrout, Merlin Coleman The Lab, 2948 16th St; 864-8855, www.thelab.org. Fri-Sat, 9pm. Through June 14. $10-20 (sliding scale). The Lab presents the longtime collaborators in "Dreaming Out Loud Again," an evening of new dance theater works.

Kate Corby and Dancers 848 Community Space, 848 Divisadero; 642-0122. Wed-Thurs, 7pm. $10-12 (no one turned away for lack of funds). The company presents "Rough Drafts," works in progress by Ann Berman, Kate Corby and Dancers, Zoe Maas Fyfe, Huckabay McAllister Dance, Elly Karl/Foot and Meter Performance Works, and Peck Peck Dance Ensemble.

'East as Center' ODC Theater, 3153 17th St; 499-1601, www.ticketweb.com. Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Kathak dancer Chitresh Das collaborates with Balinese dancer Ni Ketut Arini and Kathakali master Guru Govindan Kutty for this performance. See "New Classicism."

Lawrence Pech Dance Company Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 701 Mission; 978-ARTS. Wed, 8pm. $15-25. The company performs "Works in the Works."

Moscow Stanislavsky Ballet Orpheum Theater, 1192 Market; 512-7770. Swan Lake: Wed/4-Sat/7, June 10-11, 8pm (also Sat/7, 2pm); Sun/8, 2pm. Giselle: June 13-14, 8pm (also June 14, 2pm); June 15, 2pm. $45-85. See 8 Days a Week.

'San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival' Palace of Fine Arts, 3301 Lyon; 392-4400, www.ethnicdancefestival.org. Sat-Sun, 2pm (also Sat, 8pm). Through June 22. $22-36. See 8 Days a Week.

Stephen Pelton Dance Theater Dance Mission Theater, 3316 24th St; 273-4633. Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 7pm. $15. See Critic's Choice.

Bay Area

Nina Haft and Company Ellen Webb Dance Studio, 2822A Union, Oakl; (510) 595-8388. Fri-Sun, 8pm. $12-15. The company performs Mit a Bing, Mit a Boom! A Klezmer Dance, a full-length original dance theater piece about the daughter of a Jewish gangster.

Project Bandaloop Warehouse, 1919 Market, Oakl; (510) 451-5667. Thurs-Sat, 9pm; Sun, 8:30pm. $10-15. The gravity-defying company performs Crossing: Stories of Gravity and Transformation, a new aerial dance work inspired by mountain climbing.

Smuin Ballet Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, Castro at Mercy, Mtn View; (650) 903-6000. Fri-Sat, 8pm (also Sat, 2pm); Sun, 2pm. $35-40. The company performs Come Dance Me a Song, set to classic ballads by Elton John; Bouquet, set to Shostakovitch; and Stabat Mater, a commemoration of Sept. 11.

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."

'Dyke Nights and Gaze' 848 Community Space, 848 Divisadero; 922-2385. Fri-Sat, 8:30pm. $12-15. Queer women take the stage with dance, spoken word, and music in a performance curated by Tara Brandel and Jessica Robinson. Part of the National Queer Arts Festival.

'God Complex' Exit Cafe, 156 Eddy; 876-0321. Fri-Sat, 8:30pm. $5-10. Gabriel Diani (with special guest Joe Klocek) performs his 2001 San Francisco Fringe Festival hit, a comedy about "God, religion, and other hilarious and non-divisive subjects."

'Hair-trigger Heart' Spanganga, 3376 19th St; 841-8817. Fri-Sat, 7:30pm. Through June 14. $8-20. See 8 Days a Week.

'Heaven's Radio' Venue 9, 252 Ninth St; 515-1274. Thurs-Sun and June 11, 8pm. Through June 15. $15-20. inkBoat presents Allen Willner's absurdist Butoh play based on All that Fall, a radio play by Samuel Beckett.

'New Voices: Works in Progress by Emerging Jewish Artists' A Traveling Jewish Theater, 470 Florida; 346-6040, www.ticketweb.com. Wed, 8pm. $10-12. Emerging artists perform short works reflecting on the diversity of contemporary Jewish life.

'Revolution! Brake Here: Unplugged Poetry in the City' Jon Sims Center for the Arts, 1519 Mission; 554-0402. Sat, 8pm. $7-12. Queer urban poets Nyati, Juicy, Carol Hill, and Exodus Williams perform. Part of the National Queer Arts Festival.

'The Size of Her Rage' SF LGBT Center, Rainbow Rm, 1800 Market; 3340-QCC, www.queerculturalcenter.org. Fri-Sat, 8pm. $7-12. Queer Latina and mixed-race artists respond to domestic violence through writing, performance, and video. Part of the National Queer Arts Festival.

'The Sor Juana Project' Somarts, 934 Brannan; 3340-QCC. Sun, 2pm. $5. Carla Lucero and Alicia Gaspar de Alba present a sneak preview of their opera in progress. Part of the National Queer Arts Festival.

SXIP, Zero Boy Odeon Bar, 3223 Mission; 550-6994. Fri-Sat, 9pm. $10. Laughing Squid presents circus composer and storyteller SXIP, who performs on "re-imagined instruments"; and performance artist, stand-up comic, and "vocal acrobat" Zero Boy.

'Taking It to the Street' Somarts, 934 Brannan; 3340-QCC, www.queerculturalcenter.org. Sun, 7pm. $7-12. Performance collective brOTHERS – artists of color who range from masculine female to transmen – performs spoken word. Part of the National Queer Arts Festival.

'Torn Paper Tears Easy' and 'Oui de Deux' Somarts, 934 Brannan; 3340-QCC, www.queerculturalcenter.org. Thurs-Sat, 8pm. $12-15. Dominique Zeltzman and the duo of Beth Lisick and Tara Jepsen combine talents for this evening of dance, trapeze, theater, and mixed-media performance art. Part of the National Queer Arts Festival.

'Waking the American Dream' Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 701 Mission; 978-ARTS. 8pm. $12-50. Breakthrough and the Family Violence Prevention Fund present Sarah Jones in her 10-character play that explores immigration issues since Sept. 11, 2001, plus a reading by author Alice Walker, a film screening, and an open discussion on human rights and racial justice.

'Wet' SF LGBT Community Center, Ceremonial Rm, 1800 Market; 3340-QCC. Fri-Sat, 8pm. $10-20. Liquid Fire Productions presents this cabaret performance featuring queer women of color. Part of the National Queer Arts Festival.

Bay Area

'Ninth Annual Pride Comedy Night: A Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Celebration' Luther Burbank Center for the Arts, 50 Mark West Springs Rd, Santa Rosa; (707) 546-3600. Sat, 8pm. $15-25. Vickie Shaw, Scott Silverman, and Amy Boyd perform as part of Sonoma County's Pride celebration.

'A Peep Under the Hood' Black Repertory Group, 3201 Adeline, Berk; (510) 652-2120, (510) 685-7180. Fri-Sat, 8pm (also Sat, 2:30pm); Sun, 2:30 and 5:30pm. $15-17. Black Repertory Group and FogLight Productions perform Bay Area author Bobby Clements's comedy about a family-owned auto dealership.

comedy

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

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.

Mock Cafe 1074 Valencia; 826-5750. Fri, 9-11pm: "No 'Y' Chromosome Comedy Showcase," all-female stand-up comedy show, $7.

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.

San Francisco LGBT Community Center 1800 Market; 865-5633. Mon, 8pm: "Monday Night Gay Comedy" with host Jackie Beat, $10-15 (sliding scale).

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, 8pm, free. Savoy Tivoli 1434 Grant; 362-7023. "Savoy Tivoli Reading Series" with featured reader Eddie Falconer, followed by open mic, 8pm, 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.

Friday: Cody's Books 2454 Telegraph, Berk; (510) 845-7852. "Poetry Flash!," with Melody Lacina and Laura Horn, 7:30pm, $2. Women's Building 3543 18th St; 861-2024, ext 318. "My Words, My Voice, My Strength: Seventh Annual Poets Against Rape," 7:30pm, $5-25.

Saturday: Caffe Sempione 641 Vallejo; 362-6317. "Caffe Sampione Reading Series" with featured reader Tim Donnelly, followed by open mic, 7pm, free. Escape from New York Pizza 333 Bush; http://poetryandpizza.homestead.com. "Poetry and Pizza" with Dan O and Roxane Beth Johnson, 7:30pm, $5. 1527 Virginia (front lawn); Berk; (510) 527-9905. Bay Area Poets Coalition hosts an open poetry reading, 3pm, free.

Sunday: Cody's Books 2454 Telegraph, Berk; (510) 845-7852. "Poetry Flash!," with Clive Matson and Marc Hofstader, 7:30pm, $2.

Monday: Sweetie's Cafe and Bar 474 Francisco; sciaf@yahoo.com. Poetry open mic hosted by Susan Birkeland, 8pm, free. Priya Restaurant 2072 San Pablo, Berk; dreamboogie@yahoo.com. "Poetry Express" open mic, hosted by Mark States, featuring contributors to Farewell to Armaments, 7pm, free. Perry's Joint 1661 Fillmore; 931-5260. "Celebration of the Word" with featured reader Steve Arntson and host Jeanne Powell, 7pm, free.