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

Little Mary Sunshine Goat Hall, 400 Missouri; www.openstage.org. $10-20. Opens Sat/21, 7pm. Runs Thurs-Sat, 7pm; Sun, 2pm. Through July 13. OpenStage Repertory Theater performs a musical spoof that pays tribute to classic movie musicals and 1920s operettas.

Love and Taxes Magic Theatre, Bldg D, Fort Mason; 437-6775, www.zspace.org. $25-27. Previews Fri/20-Sat/21, June 25-26, 8:30pm. Opens June 27, 8:30pm. Runs Wed-Sat, 8:30pm; Sun, 2:30 and 7:30. Through July 13. The Z Space Studio presents the world premiere of Josh Kornbluth's latest monologue.

Nora (A Doll's House) Phoenix Theatre, 414 Mason; 820-1460. $10-20. Opens Fri/20, 8pm. Runs Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2pm. Through July 19. Second Wind Productions presents Ingmar Bergman's modern adaptation of the Ibsen classic.

Over Nine Waves Exit on Taylor, 277 Taylor; 673-3847, www.sffringe.org. $10-20. Opens Thurs/19, 8pm. Runs Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Through June 28. See 8 Days a Week.

Urinetown: The Musical Geary Theater, 415 Geary; 749-2228. $16-66. Previews June 24-25, 26-28, 30, 8pm (also June 28, 2pm). Opens July 1, 8pm. Runs July 2-5, 9-12, 15-19, 22-26, 29-31, Aug 1-2, 5-9, and 12-16, 8pm (also July 5, 9, 12, 16, 19, 23, 26, 30, Aug 2, 6, 9, 13, 16, 2pm); July 6 and 8, 7pm (also July 6, 2pm); July 13, 20, 27, Aug 3, 10, 17, 2pm. Through Aug 17. American Conservatory Theater performs Mark Hollmann and Greg Kotis's parody of and tribute to musical theater, about a town suffering through a severe water shortage.

Bay Area

The Bacchae John Hinkel Park, Southampton between San Diego and Somerset, Berk; (510) 525-1620. Free. Opens Sat/21, 5:30pm. Runs Sat-Sun, 5:30pm. Through July 6. Actors Ensemble of Berkeley bring Euripides' classic tragedy to John Hinkel Park.

Proof Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro, Mountain View; (650) 903-6000. $20-48. Previews Wed/18-Sat/20, 8pm. Opens Sat/21, 8pm. Runs Tues, 7:30pm; Wed-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2pm. Through July 13. TheatreWorks presents David Auburn's Pulitzer Prize-winning play about a brilliant but unstable mathematician and his daughter.

Thérèse Raquin Aurora Theatre, 2081 Addison, Berk; (510) 843-4822. $28-38. Previews Fri/20-Sat/21, June 25, 8pm; Sun/22, 2 and 7pm. Opens June 26, 8pm. Runs Wed-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2 and 7pm. Through July 27. The Aurora Theatre Company presents Émile Zola's theatrical adaptation of his novel – "a whirlwind of lust, murder, and revenge" set in 19th-century France.

Ongoing

*Apocalypse: The Book of Revelation The Marsh, 1062 Valencia; 826-5750. $12-17 (Thurs, pay what you can). Thurs-Sat, 8pm (no show June 27). Through June 28. Solo performer Eliot Fintushel's entrancing word-for-word recitation of the Book of Revelation – that darkly mysterious and fiercely poetical work of the New Testament supposedly delivered by Jesus to the Apostle John while the latter sat in a Roman penal colony – is time well spent whether or not you're of an eschatological bent. In a passionately dramatic performance employing handmade masks and a smattering of ancient songs played on sundry instruments, Fintushel brings forth a gamut of colors and moods in conjuring up the great characters named and unnamed in this simultaneously opaque and effulgent text, the mother of all revenge tales. The shifts in tone come fast and furious, and over the course of the nearly 12,000 words that make up Apocalypse can begin to feel repetitive, but Fintushel's impressive command of the material and his craft humanizes the text, making it poignantly apt and, ironically, far more besetting than any cheap horror-flick rehash of biblical prophesy and end times could hope to be. (Avila)

Are We Almost There? Shelton Theatre, 533 Sutter; 345-7575. $20-22. Fri-Sat and Thurs/19, 8pm. Open-ended. Travel is the theme of this musical comedy revue.

'The Best of PlayGround: Seventh Annual Emerging Playwrights Festival' A Traveling Jewish Theatre, 470 Florida; 987-2787, www.playground-sf.org. $12.50-35 (Thurs, pay what you can). Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2 and 7pm. Through June 29. Seven short plays by emerging playwrights – culled from a pool of 230 submissions – are performed.

*Black and Blue: A Musical Revue Lorraine Hansberry Theater, 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. The three lead women vocalists – with Bay Area favorite Faye Carol headlining – 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." (Shalson)

Cocksucker: A Love Story Theatre Rhinoceros, 2926 16th St; 861-5079. $20-30. Wed-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 3 and 7pm (no 3pm show June 29). Through June 29. 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).

*Cowboy Mouth Theatre Rhinoceros, 2926 16th St; 861-5079. $10-15. Thurs/19-Sat/21, 8:30pm; Sun/22, 3:30pm. For a short time in 1971, playwright Sam Shepard and his lover, rocker Patti Smith, holed up in New York's Chelsea Hotel and wrote a play together. The product was Cowboy Mouth, an unhinged, somewhat autobiographical tale of two wandering souls stumbling about in a make-believe landscape where calling up room service on a broken telephone is about as close as one comes to reality and music is the only true means of escape. Mostly Grounded Theater Company's enthralling production not only luridly recalls a time when Mick Jagger was revered as a god but also makes us wonder, in an absence of such a "saint with a cowboy mouth," where today's myths lie. From the rough aesthetic to the perfectly paced performances by John Pirruccello, Amanda Korpitz, and Mark Routhier (who, doubling as the show's director, makes music out of its most discordant moments), Cowboy Mouth is both baffling and beautiful. (Veltman)

Devil in the Deck Climate Theater, 285 Ninth St; 364-1411. $15-25. Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Through June 28. Paul Nathan stars in his one-person show about a con artist named Jack Swindle who travels the world performing magic and cheating at cards. Combining card tricks with stories, Nathan weaves the tale of a life that begins with an inauspicious tarot reading, an experience that instills in its protagonist an obsession with cards and the determination to cheat them (and life) at every turn. The fusion of mysticism, magic, and straight-up duplicity is pleasing, and when Nathan shows us exactly how his mesmerizing tricks are done, we are reminded that just because it's artful deception, doesn't mean it's not magic. However, Nathan's storytelling is less beguiling than his card manipulations and Swindle's character remains as two-dimensional as the Jack of Spades that slips between his fingers, while his studied smarminess turns the women who fill his stories into little more than paper dolls. (Shalson)

The Glass Menagerie El Teatro de la Esperanza, 2940 16th St, Second Flr; 255-2320. $12. Fri-Sat, 8pm (also June 28, 3pm). Through June 28. El Teatro de La Esperanza puts a Latino spin on the Tennessee Williams classic.

The Hollywood Chronicles: Stories, Songs, and Gossip Exit Theatre, 156 Eddy; 296-0412. $15. Fri-Sat, 8:30pm. Through June 28. Stephen Clay performs his solo musical.

Howard Crabtree's When Pigs Fly New Conservatory Theatre Center, 25 Van Ness; 861-8972. $18-38. Extended run: Wed-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2pm (no show June 29). Through July 13. 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. 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. (Shalson)

Let's Pretend I'm Not Your Mother Climate Theatre, 285 Ninth St; 364-1411. $20. Extended run: Thurs-Sat, 9:30pm. Through July 26. 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)

The Lonesome West Magic Theatre (Northside), Bldg D, Fort Mason Center, Marina at Laguna; 441-8822. $17-37 (benefit performance Tues/24, $55). Previews Wed/18-Thurs/19, 8pm. Opens Fri/20, 8pm. Runs Wed-Sat and Tues/24, 8pm (no show July 4); Sun, 2:30pm (also Thurs/19 and July 6, 7:30pm). Through July 6. The Magic Theatre performs Martin McDonagh's third play in his Leenane trilogy (The Beauty Queen of Leenane, The Skull of Connemara), a "deadly comedy" about a pair of brothers who guard a dark secret.

Love Missile New Langton Arts, 1246 Folsom; (510) 986-9194. $18. Thurs/19-Sat/21, 8:30pm; Sun/22, 7:30pm. Golden Thread Productions performs an original antiwar musical.

The Male Intellect: An Oxymoron? Marines Memorial Theatre, 609 Sutter; 1-877-771-6900. $25-45. Tues-Sat, 8pm (also Sat, 5pm); Sun, 3 and 6pm. Through June 29. Comedian Robert Dubac's medium-funny show pursues the ancient and bewhiskered question "What do women want" in a 90-minute one-act that has alter ego Bobby desperately trying to salvage his relationship with his miffed girlfriend. Traversing a stage done up to represent the left and right hemispheres of his brain (corresponding to his male and female sides, respectively), Bobby dredges for answers in the shallow depths of his relentlessly white, middle-class, Corona-swigging, heterosexual male mind. Five male archetypes surface (all played with varying degrees of success by Dubac) and offer their two cents as time ticks down to an anticipated last-chance phone call from Bobby's girlfriend. Thus, as dissected by Dubac, the male intellect is in fact a poly-moron, one guy with five ludicrous sides to him, all more or less cliché. But despite the stale nature of much of the material (a litany of "ladies versus guys" comparisons more familiar than fresh), Dubac shows real skill in selling it all. (Avila)

Married to Music New Conservatory Theatre Center, 25 Van Ness; 861-8972. $15-25. Fri/20-Sat/21, 8pm; Sun/22, 3pm. The New Conservatory Theatre Center presents Meg Mackay and Billy Philadelphia in a cabaret revue inspired by their 11-year marriage.

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. 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 (July 2, pay what you can). Extended run: Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2pm. Ongoing. 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)

Silent Movie Exit Stage Left, 156 Eddy; 289-6808. $10-25. 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. Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 7pm. Through June 28. Keith Phillips's new play is typical Actors Theatre of San Francisco stuff: involving the story of white, middle-class, mostly middle-aged people. Set in 1959 in the wake of the McCarthy era, a single mother, Amanda, and various hangers-on retreat to Amanda's Block Island summer house to celebrate her teenage son Michael's birthday. A traditional game of croquet serves as the gauzy backdrop to spiraling familial upheavals. Although Phillips's play, with its constant references to booze and infidelity, feels at times like watered down O'Neill or Albee, the snappy rhythm keeps us in the game. Add Steve Coleman's cozy cottage set and a blazing performance by young cast member Kris Palm as the disconsolate Michael, and you've got the makings of a competent, if not quite championship night out at the theater. (Veltman)

Stripped The Next Stage, 1620 Gough; 673-0304, ext 3. $10-12. Fri-Sat, 8pm. Through June 28. Combined Art Form Entertainment 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.

*Thwak Post Street Theatre, 450 Post; 321-2900. $25-45. Wed/18-Sat/21, 8pm (also Sat/21, 2pm); Sun/22, 2pm. Australian duo the Umbilical Brothers (David Collins and Shane Dundas) 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. Philip Wm. McKinley directs this flawless, high-powered, and consistently funny set of aural and physical acrobatics. (Avila)

Wedding Singer Blues Shelton Theater, 533 Sutter; (510) 527-7813. $15-20. Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Through June 28. Carla Zilbersmith performs her original, solo musical (formerly titled Six Songs in Search of a Story).

Wicked Curran Theatre, 445 Geary; www.bestofbroadway-sf.com. $30-85. Tues-Sat, 8pm (also Sat, Wed/18-Thurs/19, and June 25, 2pm); Sun, 2pm. Through June 29. The back stories 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/21, June 26, 2pm; July 5, show at 2pm only; no show July 4); Wed and Sun, 7pm (also Sun, 2pm). Through July 6. Casts include Linda Purl and Joe 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 9/11, 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. Wed/18-Thurs/19, 7:30pm; Fri/20-Sat/21, 8pm (also Sat/21, 2pm); Sun/22, 4pm. In Cal Shakes's first season offering, a paralleling of ancient Rome and the world's latest empire permeates the production design. The actors, too, strike decidedly American poses. As the play opens, Caesar (L. Peter Callender) and the Roman masses are basking in the former's recent military triumph, while a group of conspirators ultimately led by Marcus Brutus (Charles Shaw Robinson) plots to murder the man whose unprecedented power threatens to destroy the republic. Who is the play's real hero? If director Jonathan Moscone knows, he's not telling, which fits the moment and the play to a T. (Avila)

A Map of the World Ehmann Hall, Oakland YWCA, 1515 Webster, Oakl; (510) 436-5085. $16-19. Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 3pm. Through June 29. TheatreFIRST performs David Hare's play, set at a United Nations conference on poverty.

*The Odd Couple San Jose Repertory Theatre, 101 Paseo de San Antonio, San Jose; (408) 367-7255. $20-48. Wed/18-Sat/21, 8pm (also Sat/21, 3pm); Sun/22, 2 and 7pm. Not only a repeated Broadway smash, a classic film, and a memorable TV series, but the archetype of uncountable sitcoms since, Neil Simon's very funny and well-crafted 1965 comedy has in some sense become a victim of its own success. There's something altogether too familiar about the capers cut by mismatched roommates and fellow divorcés Oscar Madison (Peter Van Norden) and Felix Unger (David Pichette). Still, the seemingly endless reincarnations of the play, in new and original forms, speak to its enduring appeal. And San Jose Rep's faithful rendering proves it needn't be updated at all to revel in that appeal. Artistic director Timothy Near helms an altogether marvelous cast of SJR veterans, headed with great skill and charm by Pichette and Van Norden, in a flawless and fun production whose (not entirely) anachronistic "guys and gals" humor comes over as a light-hearted and entirely welcome nostalgia ride. (Avila)

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.

*Under Milk Wood Eighth St. Studio, 2525 Eighth St, Berk; (510) 704-8210. $10-20. Extended run: Thurs/19-Sat/21 and June 27-28, 8pm; Sun/22 and June 29, 7pm. 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). 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 16 feet into an enraptured embodiment of the play's action and images. (Avila)

The Wyrd Sisters Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant, Berk; (510) 558-1381. $8-20 (Thurs/19, June 26, and July 31, pay what you can). Thurs-Sat, 8pm (no show July 4); Sun, 5pm. Through July 13. (free preview July 24, runs July 25-Aug 10: Thick House, 1695 18th St, S.F. Phone, price, and schedule same.) Central Works performs a new play by Gary Graves that draws on familiar Shakespearean characters.

dance

Company Mecanique Dance Theater Dance Mission Theater, 3316 24th St; 282-4765. Fri-Sun, 8pm. $15-20. The company performs The Mechanics of Flying, with works by Sara Shelton Mann, Manuelito Biag, and Motion Lab's Kathleen Hermesdorf and Albert Mathias.

Joe Goode Performance Group Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 700 Howard; 978-ARTS. Thurs-Sun, 8pm. Through June 29. $20-35. See 8 Days a Week.

*Kendra Kimbrough Dance Ensemble Buriel Clay Memorial Theater, African American Art and Culture Complex, 762 Fulton; (510) 801-4523. Sat, 8pm. $15-28. It's tempting to think of choreographer Kendra Kimbrough Barnes as part of that California disease, the much mocked New Age mysticism. But the spirituality of her dances are not simply adopted as a fashion statement; they are grounded in individual conviction and experience. Maybe that's why she has been able to attract such a diverse group of female dancers, some of whom are superb performers, foremost among them the radiant Shelley Davis. The two works on her current program, Vision (2001) and the new Rarity of Me, parts of which have been workshopped around for a while, gently probe complex ideas of womanhood. The fact that stylistically Kimbrough's choreography is as inclusive as the choice of her dancers should be no surprise. As a choreographer she works in a stream of consciousness that sometimes is overly loose yet nevertheless pulls you into her vision. (Felciano)

'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. This week: Ballet Folklorico de Carlos Moreno, Lily Cai Chinese Dance Company, Chuna McIntyre and the Nu'namta Yu'pik Dancers, Fua Dia Congo, Gamelan Sekar Jaya, Lowiczanie Polish Folk Ensemble, Fat Chance Belly Dance, and San Francisco Taiko Dojo.

Bay Area

Mikhail Baryshnikov Zellerbach Playhouse, Bancroft at Dana Ct, UC Berkeley, Berk; (510) 642-9988. Fri-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 3pm. $60-86. The dance legend performs a program of solos, with accompaniment by pianist Koji Attwood.

Joffrey Ballet of Chicago Flint Center, 21250 Stevens Creek, Cupertino; (408) 998-8497, (415) 421-8497. Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2pm. $35-75. See 8 Days a Week.

Noche Flamenca Zellerbach Playhouse, Bancroft at Dana Ct, UC Berkeley, Berk; (510) 642-9988. June 24-28, July 1-3, and 5, 8pm; Sun/29 and July 6, 7pm. $30-42. Noche Flamenca performs flamenco music and dance.

performance

BATS Improv Bayfront Theater, Fort Mason Center, Marina at Laguna; www.batsimprov.com. $8-12. The company launches "Summer of Laughter" with "The Summer Games" (Fri-Sat, 8pm); "Yellow Man Group" (Fri, 10:30pm); and "Theatresports" with the Sunday Players (Sun, 8pm).

'Behind the Make-Up: Drag Kings and One Faux Queen' SF LGBT Center, 1800 Market; 865-5633, www.harveymilk.org. Wed, 8pm. $10-15. Fudgie Frottage, Arty Fishal, Rusty Hips, Howie Weenis, and Cricket Bardot participate in this performance-talk show hosted by Kevin Schaub.

'Bird on a Stick' Exit Theater, 156 Eddy; 868-2409. Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Through June 28. $15-25 (sliding scale). Sha Sha Higby performs her latest work utilizing elaborate, sculptural costumes, dance, and puppetry.

The Center for Variety Arts grand opening Center for Variety Arts, 608 Taraval; 242-4433. Sat, 2pm. $3-10. The new venue opens with an art exhibit, a variety show (all-ages at 7pm; adults-only at 9pm), a black-light theater show, and a dance party.

'Colorfast: Third Annual B/GLAM Arts Festival' SF LGBT Center, Ceremonial Rm, 1800 Market; 334-0722. Thurs, 6:30pm; Fri-Sat, 8pm. $7-12 (Thurs art opening, free). This celebration of black gay men includes an art opening by Michael Ross (Thurs), a concert with Andre Dos Santos Morgan (Fri), and a spoken word event (Sat). Part of the National Queer Arts Festival.

'Desire and Creation: An Anti-Oppressionist Dream of Motherhood' Jon Sims Center for the Arts, 1519 Mission; 554-0402. Fri-Sun, 8pm. $7-12. Saun-Toy Latifa Trotter explores queer parenting in her solo show. Part of the National Queer Arts Festival.

'The Fischhouse Salon' Desousa Hughes Showroom, San Francisco Design Center, 2 Henry Adams, No. 220; 561-7025, www.fischhouse.com. Sat, 8pm. $20. This performance salon features the work of furniture designers, baroque musicians, actors, and modern dancers.

'Fresh Meat 2003: A Trans and Queer Cabaret Extravaganza' ODC Theater, 3153 17th St; 863-9834. Fri-Sun, 8pm. $12-15. Transgendered and queer performers rock the cabaret stage. Part of the National Queer Arts Festival.

'If I Holler ...' Noh Space, 2840 Mariposa; (510) 601-5234. Fri-Sun, 8pm. $10-15. Victoria McNichol Kelly performs her multicharacter, solo theater performance piece, a deconstruction of power though humor.

'The Ladies Who ... the Wit of Ruth Draper' Theatre Tableau Vivant, 574 Natoma; llemana@aol.com. Fri-Sat, 7:30 and 10pm. $15. Veronica Klaus performs monologues by the late comedian.

'The Marsh Mitzvah' Marsh, 1062 Valencia; 826-5750, 641-0235. Sun, 6-9pm. $35. See Critic's Choice.

'Mediums Collide/Artists Combined' SomArts, 934 Brannan; 334-0722, www.queerculturalcenter.org. Fri-Sat, 8pm. $8-15. Performance poet Sini Anderson, sound artist Elise Baldwin, and musician Veda Hille perform in this multimedia show. Part of the National Queer Arts Festival.

'The New Expression' Spanganga, 3376 19th St; 821-1102. Fri-Sat, 7pm. $5-10 (sliding scale). This multimedia show features music with Transcendence, fashion by Oaktown Stichdown, live comedy with the Lunchboxing comics, videos, and more.

'QueLACo's Hank Tavera Performance Festival' SF LGBT Center, Rainbow Rm, 1800 Market; 334-0722. Fri-Sat, 6pm (reception), 7pm (performance). $7-12. The Queer Latino/a Artists Coalition presents this performance fest of song, fashion, music, and dance, including the world premiere of Requiem to Gwen Araujo. Part of the National Queer Arts Festival.

'Rococo Risque, Lunatique!' Odeon Bar, 3223 Mission; 902-4151. Fri-Sat, 9pm. $10. Cabaret-burlesque-musical group Rococo Risque performs a new show featuring original music and guest performers.

'Rope' Presentation Theater, 2350 Turk; 566-9498. Thurs-Sat, 8pm. $5. The Empty Pocket Players perform Patrick Hamilton's play about a failed attempt at committing the perfect murder.

'Straight Black Folks' Guide to Gay Black Folks' Brava Theater Center, 2789 24th St; 647-2822. Thurs-Sun, 8pm. $20-22. Hanifah Walidah performs her solo show. Part of the National Queer Arts Festival.

'Trannyshack' The Stud, 399 Harrison; www.heklina.com. Tues, 10pm-3am. $8. Manhattan "drag monster" Lady Bunny is the guest star of this special pre-Pride show.

comedy

Blue Bear Theater Fort Mason Center, Marina at Laguna; 885-5678, www.improvworks.org. Fri, 8:30pm: "Improvalicious" improv theater, $8-10. Through June 27.

San Francisco LGBT Community Center 1800 Market; 865-5633. Mon, 8pm: "Q Comedy: San Francisco Monsters of Gay Comedy" with host Maureen Brownsey, $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. La Peña Cultural Center 3105 Shattuck, Berk; (510) 849-2568. "Cafe Poetry," open mic with the Brown Fist Collective, 7:30pm, 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.

Saturday: Caffe Sempione 641 Vallejo; 362-6317. "Caffe Sempione Reading Series," with featured reader Brian Morrisey, followed by open mic, 7pm, free. Hank Hyena Comedy Institute 2390 Mission, Ste 10; 647-1015. "Basement Reading Series" with Stephen Ratcliffe, Jan Richman, and Mukta Sambrani, 7:30pm. $2/

Sunday: Cody's Books 2454 Telegraph, Berk; (510) 845-7852. "Poetry Flash!," with Miriam Sagan and Gary Young, 7:30pm, $2. Peralta Community Garden Peralta between Hopkins and Gilman, Berk; (510) 231-5912. "Summer Solstice Gathering of Poets," open mic and featured readers Adam David Miller, Rita Flores Bogaert, and mroe, 2pm, free.

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; berkeleypoetryexpress@yahoo.com. "Poetry Express," open mic hosted by Mark States and featuring Tim Nuveen, 7pm, free. Perry's Joint 1661 Fillmore; 931-5260. "Celebration of the Word," open mic hosted by Jeanne Powell and featuring Don Altadena, 7pm, free.