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

And Then They Came for Me: Remembering the World of Anne Frank New Conservatory Theatre Center, 25 Van Ness; 861-8972. $5-10. Opens Tues/23, 10:15 and 11:45am. Runs Mon-Fri, 10:15am (also Tues, Thurs, 11:45am); Oct 4, 8pm; Oct 5, 2pm. Through Oct 5. New Conservatory Theatre Center's YouthAware Program presents its third Holocaust memorial production of the James Still play. Survivor and former Anne Frank neighbor Eva Schloss answers questions after each performance.

From Tel Aviv to Ramallah Spanganga, 3376 19th St; 821-1102, www.spanganga.com. $8-15. Opens Fri/19, 8pm. Runs Sat/20, Sept 25-28, Oct 3-5, 9-12, and 16-19, 8pm. Through Oct 19. See 8 Days a Week.

The King of Kinds and Rain Check Theatre Rhinoceros, 2926 16th St; 861-5079. $15 (Thurs, pay what you can). Previews Thurs/18, 8:30pm. Opens Fri/19, 8:30pm. Runs Thurs-Sat, 8:30pm; Sun, 7:30pm. Through Oct 12. Expression Theatre performs a world premiere work about a carnivorous man who clashes with his vegetarian wife (The King of Kinds) and a second one-act about erotic desires (Rain Check).

Strange Travel Suggestions Marsh, 1062 Valencia; 826-5750. $12-22. Previews Thurs/18, 8pm. Opens Fri/19, 8pm. Runs Thurs-Sat, 8pm (no show Sept 26); Sept 28, 2pm. Through Oct 4. See 8 Days a Week.

This World Is Not My Home Venue 9, 252 Ninth St; 289-2000, www.venue9.com. $12-20. Opens Thurs/18, 8pm. Runs Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Through Sept 27. Paducah Mining Company performs its new play, based on the book documenting poor Southern farmers, Let Us Now Praise Famous Men, by James Agee and Walker Evans.

Bay Area

Othello Central Park Amphitheater, 12501 Alcosta, San Ramon; (510) 420-0813, www.womanswill.org. $12-25. Opens Sat/20, 4pm. Runs Sun/21, 4pm. (Sept 26-Oct 18, runs Fri-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2pm, Phoenix Theatre, 414 Mason, Ste 601, S.F.) Continues at Bay Area venues through Oct 26. All-female Shakespeare company Woman's Will presents the classic tragedy.

The Water Principle Eighth Street Studio, 2525 Eighth St, Berk; (510) 704-8210. $12-20 (previews, pay what you can). Previews Thurs/18-Fri/19, 8pm. Opens Sat/20, 8pm. Runs Fri-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 7pm. Through Oct 19. Shotgun Players performs Eliza Anderson's allegorical black comedy about property development.

Ongoing

Ain't It So and The Hundred Years War Shelton Theatre, 533 Sutter; 364-3073. $20. Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Through Sept 27. CJ Productions presents two one-acts: the first the tale of a friendship between two elderly African American couples, the second about a black man encouraged to vote for the first time in 1965.

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

'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 Sept 28); Oakland Playhouse Improv Troupe (Fri/19-Sat/20 and Sept 26-27, 10pm).

The Complete Condensed History of the Bay Area: Seafarers to Silicon Valley Aboard the Balclutha, Fisherman's Wharf, Hyde St. Pier; 561-6662, ext 11. $10-15. Sat/20, 8pm. Michael and Renee Oakes of Live Oakes Educational Theatre lead a fast-paced historical journey "from Ohlone to dot commers."

Devil in the Deck Climate Theater, 285 Ninth St; 364-1411. $15-25. Extended run: Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Through Sept 27. 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)

42nd Street Golden Gate Theatre, One Taylor; 512-7770. $34-77. Tues-Sat, 8pm (also Wed, Sat, 2pm); Sun, 2pm. Through Sept 28. Best of Broadway presents the Tony Award-winning musical comedy about a naive young dancer (Catherine Wreford) who joins a depression-era Broadway show helmed by a legendary but embattled director (Daren Kelly). Troubled times then and now provide the perfect excuse for unapologetic escapism in this big, romantic, tap-dancing extravaganza, based on the current Broadway revival of the 1980 Tony-winner. Director Mark Bramble's huge cast, tricked out in Roger Kirk's glamorous period costumes, pounds the boards with a flurry of fancy and furious footwork, while belting out favorites like "Lullaby of Broadway" and "We're in the Money," in addition to the jazzy title number. For all its genuine pleasure, though, this larger-than-life production looks a tad cramped on the Golden Gate's stage, while a certain restraint in some of the performances contributes to a show that sometimes falls short of the exuberance it demands. (Avila)

Kilt New Conservatory Theatre Center, 25 Van Ness; 861-8972, www.nctcsf.org. $18-38. Wed-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2pm. Through Oct 12. Jonathan Wilson's romantic comedy reconciles a mother and son through their mutual acceptance of the past. Esther (Cheryl Smith), a stern Scottish dance instructor and Canadian immigrant, drags her culturally Canadian son, Tom (Colin Stuart), away from his job as a kilt-clad table dancer at a gay nightclub, to the Glasgow funeral of his grandfather, a war hero he never knew. There are few real surprises under Kilt's colorful but predictable patterns. Moreover, the relationships don't always feel credible, and the second act sprawls a bit. But director Stephen Rupsch gets a lot from the snappy dialogue thanks to five sharp, sympathetic performances, especially Smith's proud but well-meaning Esther. (Avila)

Les liaisons dangereuses Geary Theater, 415 Geary; 749-2228, www.act-sf.org. $11-68. Opens Wed/17, 8pm. Runs Thurs/18-Sat/20, Sept 24-27, Sept 30-Oct 4, and Oct 7-11, 8pm (also Sat/20, Sept 24, 27, Oct 4, 8, and 11, 2pm); Sun/21, Sept 28, Oct 5, 12, 2pm (also Sept 21, 7pm); Sept 23, 7pm. Through Oct 12. American Conservatory Theater performs director Giles Havergal's adaptation of Laclos's novel.

Love's Labour's Lost Golden Gate Park, West of the Conservatory of Flowers; www.sfshakes.org. Free. Sat/20-Sun/21, 1:30pm. (Sept 27-Oct 5: runs Sat-Sun, 4pm, Duck Pond Meadow, Lakeside Park, Lake Merritt, Oakl.) Love's Labour's Lost isn't Shakespeare's wittiest or most intriguing work. Its "battle of the sexes" framework feels tired and doesn't translate well for a contemporary audience, and director Kenneth Kelleher's decision to transport the work to 1960s Italy doesn't help. One can only feel perplexed during the opening scene as to why this group of men in expensive suits (16th-century nobility turned 20th-century Mafia?) would give up drinking, food, and sex in order to devote themselves to scholarship. With many pelvic thrusts to accentuate suggestive lines, this production certainly goes for the easy laughs, but the cast succeeds in winning our affection, and for what it is, it's an enjoyable enough afternoon in the park. (Shalson)

My Gypsy Cowell Theater, Fort Mason Center, Marina at Laguna; (650) 960-3536. $20-25. Fri/19 and Sept 27, 8pm; Sat/20-Sun/21 and Sept 26, 2pm. Continues at various Bay Area venues through Oct 26. A young Roma woman struggles with accepting her upcoming arranged marriage.

Performing Objects Stationed in the Sub World Lab, 2948 16th St; 864-8855. $10-20. Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Through Sept 27. These days it seems that "experimental theater" describes not so much those performances that defy our expectations as those that conform to the conventions that have come to define the genre. Carla Harryman's collaboratively produced play certainly qualifies with its rejection of narrative, mixing of art forms (poetry, blues tunes, and hula-hooping brought together in a single work), stylized performances, and setting that looks more like a gallery installation than a theater. It's not that no story emerges: in one scene, four people play a game of poker, only instead of the usual bets, they repeat a selection of phrases – "parents, martini, prison guard, underclass" – suggesting a story we're not being told. It's like a game of Fanny Dooley for the uninitiated; you know that underlying all the nonsense is a meaning, if only you could find it. But while the actors say they're leaving a trail of bread crumbs containing the narrative elements left out of the play, their path is so circuitous we're bound to wind up lost in the woods. (Shalson)

Scabaret! (Scab in the Family) Xenodrome, 1320 Potrero; 285-9366. $10-15. Fri-Sat, 9pm. Through Sept 27. The performance troupe presents their eponymous "shock-rock opera," an exploration of the dark side of America.

*Sleeping with Straight Men Theatre Rhinoceros, 2926 16th St; 861-5079. $20-30. Extended run: Wed-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 7pm (also Sun, 3pm). Through Oct 4. Playwright-director Ronnie Larsen's intelligent, sexy, funny, disquieting, and all-American romp through the transformative power of daytime television bases itself on the infamous Jenny Jones case, involving an openly gay guest on the "secret crush" episode (Octavio Saez De Ibarra) later murdered by the heterosexual man (Jeffrey Lippold) lured onto national TV to meet whom he assumed would be a woman. This time, however, we the studio audience, in order to inform ourselves of this less-than-perfect union, watch the back story as well as the aftermath. Returning to the Rhino's main stage after a stint in New York, the show runs like a well-oiled machine – and in at least one highly erotic tableau, even looks like it. It is borne along by a contagious current of confident energy from an altogether fine cast, with deft comic performances from Allison Smith as the Jenny Jones stand-in, and Patricia Rose and Dan Renzi as her irrepressible production assistants. (Avila)

Thirst Thick House, 1695 18th St; 401-8081, www.thickdescription.org. $15-25. Thurs/18-Sun/21, 8pm. Thick Description presents the world premiere of Neena Beber's time-traveling story of unrequited love. Woven through with strands of literary romanticism from early Henry James to Sleeping Beauty, the play takes the intimate but conflicted relationship between the historical James (Stephen Jacob) and his beautiful but frail cousin Mary Temple (Dena Martinez) and transposes it onto their reincarnated 21st-century counterparts Stuart and Caroline, an art collector and model, respectively. Director Tony Kelly and his capable cast nicely capture the play's spectral mood, its mix of listless entitlement, desperation, and an unquenchable thirst for connection and meaning. (Avila)

*3 For All Bayfront Theater, Fort Mason Center, Bldg B, third fl, Marina at Laguna; 474-8935. $12-20. Fri-Sat, 8pm. Through Sept 27. The thought of finding yourself onstage before a sold-out house on opening night, without the least idea of what you will be doing for the next two hours, is normally the stuff of nightmares for actors. For improv champs Rafe Chase, Stephen Kearin, and Tim Orr, better known as 3 for All, it's just another gig. Watching this trio – formed in 1996 to pursue a variety of improvisational comedy that pushes the limits of the form – rather brings to mind a masterful band of jazz musicians, sustained by quick wits, mutual chemistry, and some fancy footwork. (Avila)

A Thunderbird Night of Terror Phoenix Theatre, 414 Mason, Ste 601; 289-6766, www.ticketweb.com. $17. Thurs/18-Sat/20, 8pm. Thunderbird Theatre Company's Night of Terror lives up to its name. During six shorts, the cast machetes its way through a variety of gory themes that would make any B-Movie aficionado foam at the mouth. By staging – with liberal dashings of fake blood and fright masks – the ritual sacrifice of virgins, drill-wielding homicidal maniacs running amok, and Satan sodomizing unsuspecting Satanists, very little is left to the imagination. The actors, as if obeying a constant stage direction to "ham it up and shout a lot," rush madly around, yelling their over-labored lines as if performing before an audience of 500 rather than 50. About as subtle as a severed ear swimming about in a vat of blood (and considerably less amusing), the performance, though misguided and ill-conceived, makes plain the violent strain in our hysterical, gore-mongering society. (Veltman)

*Yohen Zeum Theater, Fourth St at Howard; 749-2228, www.act-sfbay.org. $11-24. Wed-Thurs, 7pm (also Wed/17, 1pm); Fri-Sat, 8pm (also Sat, 2pm); Sun, 2pm. Through Sept 27. American Conservatory Theater inaugurates its New Work series with renowned playwright Philip Kan Gotanda's portrait of an interracial marriage entering its later years. James (Steven Anthony Jones), a retired African American military careerist and World War II veteran, finds himself forced to court his Japanese American wife Sumi (Dian Kobayashi), a secretary and amateur potter, after more than 30 years of marriage. Sumi's demand stems partly from a desire to reignite a romance that has settled into stifling routine. But as this gently humorous, quietly moving drama unfolds, the interplay of cultural backgrounds and racialized social pressures become a prominent part of their mutual and separate searches for fulfillment. The exquisite naturalism of David Ledsinger's scenic design and Alexander V. Nichols's lighting is surpassed only by two graceful and utterly captivating performances from Jones and Kobayashi, directed by Seret Scott. The title refers to the aesthetically pleasing but accidental coloring that results from the kiln firing of ceramic pottery – an apt metaphor for James and Sumi's troubled but loving relationship, an intimate human order made over by the chaotic forces of its environment. It also suggests Gotanda's knack for deceptively straightforward dialogue and characterization that, in capable hands, can free up the most unexpected subtleties. (Avila)

Bay Area

'Impact Briefs 6: Shock and Awe' La Val's Subterranean, 1834 Euclid, Berk; (510) 464-4468. $10-15. Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Through Sept 27. Impact Theatre presents an evening of ultrashort comedic plays.

Me and My Girl Marin Theatre Company, 397 Miller, Mill Valley; (415) 388-5208. $28-45 (Tues, except opening night, pay what you can). Tues, Thurs-Sat, 8pm (also Thurs/18, 1pm; Oct 4, 2pm); Wed, 7:30pm; Sun, 2 and 7pm. Through Oct 5. Marin Theatre Company and Allegro Theatre Company perform the musical about a Cockney lad who unexpectedly becomes an earl.

The Miser Shakespeare at Stinson, Hwy One at Calle del Mar, Stinson Beach; (415) 868-1115, www.shakespeareatstinson.org. $16-23. Fri, 7pm; Sat-Sun, 6pm. Through Oct 12. Shakespeare at Stinson performs an outdoor version of Molière's farce.

Much Ado about Nothing Bruns Memorial Amphitheater, off Hwy 24 at Shakespeare Festival Wy/Gateway Exit, Orinda; (510) 548-9666, www.calshakes.org. $13-49. Tues-Thurs, 7:30pm; Fri-Sat, 8pm (also Sat, 2pm); Sun, 4pm. Through Oct 5. California Shakespeare Theater performs the romantic comedy.

Nickel and Dimed Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro, Mountain View; (650) 903-6000, www.theatreworks.org. $20-48. Tues, 7:30pm; Wed-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2pm. Through Sept 28. (Also, Brava Theater Center, 2789 24th St, SF; 415-647-2822. $18-32. Previews Oct 8-10, 8pm. Opens Oct 11, 8pm. Runs Wed-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 3pm. Through Nov 9.) See "Hard Times."

The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci Berkeley Rep's Roda Theatre, 2015 Addison, Berk; (510) 647-2949, www.berkeleyrep.org. $10-55. Tues, Thurs-Sat, 8pm (also Sat/20, Sept 27, and Oct 11, 2pm); Wed and Sun, 7pm (also Sun, 2pm). Through Oct 19. Berkeley Rep performs director Mary Zimmerman's adaptation of the Renaissance genius' notes on mathematics, philosophy, and other topics.

The Old Neighborhood Aurora Theatre, 2081 Addison, Berk; (510) 843-4822, www.auroratheatre.org. $28-40. Previews Wed/17, 8pm. Opens Thurs/18, 8pm. Runs Wed-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2 and 7pm. Through Oct 19. Aurora Theatre Company performs David Mamet's three linked playlets about a man who returns to his childhood Chicago neighborhood.

dance

Akram Khan Company Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theatre, 700 Howard; 978-2787, www.yerbabuenaarts.org. Thurs, 8pm. $18-25. The company, which combines classical Indian Kathak and contemporary dance, performs Kaash as part of the San Francisco International Arts Festival.

Chitresh Das Dance Company ODC Theater, 3153 17th St; 863-9834, www.odctheater.org. Thurs-Sat, 8pm. $18-22. (Also benefit performance and reception Sun, 4pm, Mexican Heritage Theater, 1700 Alum Rock, San Jose. $35-50). North Indian Kathak master Chitresh Das presents a world premiere, Tarang, performed by his full company and guest musicians from India.

Compagnie Salia nï Seydou Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theatre, 700 Howard; 978-2787, www.yerbabuenaarts.org. Fri, 8pm. $18-25. See 8 Days a Week.

Facing East Dance and Music McKenna Theater, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway; 338-2467. Sat, 8pm; Sun, 7pm. $18-22. The company performs Held So Close ... remembering the poets of Angel Island, a tribute to early-20th-century Chinese immigrants who were held for extended periods at the "Ellis Island of the West."

'Landscapes: A Dance for Camera Event' 848 Community Space, 848 Divisadero; 309-2969. Fri-Sat, 8pm. $8 (no one turned away for lack of funds). Local video dance artists Elizabeth M. Frye, Carrie Noel, Leslie Seiters, and visiting guests Jared Cardon, Amber Ellison, and Eric Handman present their works.

Quasar Dance Company Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theatre, 700 Howard; 978-2787, www.yerbabuenaarts.org. Wed, 8pm. $18-25. The company performs Lend Me Your Eyes as part of the San Francisco International Arts Festival.

Paige Sorvillo Noh Space, 2840 Mariposa; (510) 601-7494. Thurs-Sat, 8pm. $15. The Butoh performer presents Third Skin, a soul thief's dream of being, a solo piece in collaboration with video artist Andrew Lyndon, composer Matthew Waldron, and lighting designer Allen Willner.

toms orthopedic dance media Dance Mission Theater, 3316 24th St; 273-4633. Fri-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 6pm. $15. The experimental dance theater company performs Threshold, Under the Veil, an earth moment, and buddha's laundry.

'Women's Work' Venue 9, 252 Ninth St; 289-2000, www.venue9.com. Tues, 8pm. Through Sept 30. $8-10. This week in the ongoing multimedia performance series is "All Dance Night": Crawford, Landini, and Perkins perform Score; Vicki Gunter and Carla Service perform Keys; and ensemble NATya performs Shakti (Energy Entity).

Bay Area

'Alaap: A Magical Evening of Indian Classical Music and Dance' Cubberley Theater, 4000 Middlefield, Palo Alto; (510) 412-2294, (415) 974-4313. Fri, 7pm. $15-50. (Also Sat, 7pm, Veteran's Memorial Theater, 203 East 14th St, Davis; Sun, 4pm, Julia Morgan Theater, 2640 College, Berk). Odissi dancer Jyoti Rout performs, with music by Pandit Habib Khan on sitar and Mohini Mohan Pattnaik on flute and santoor.

performance

'Being on the Outside' Jon Sims Center for the Arts, 1519 Mission; 776-7427. Sat-Sun, 8pm. Through Sept 28. $12-15. Director and choreographer Alice Shikina presents her new show, a collection of stories about "being on the outside looking in" written by a diverse group of playwrights.

Sandra Bernhard Brava Theater, 2789 24th St; 1-866-468-3399. Wed-Sun, 8:30pm. $25-30. The irrepressible comedian performs her latest "cabaret-eque" show.

'Chick Night #4 R!' Spanganga, 3376 19th St; 821-1102. Fri, 10pm. $7-10 (no one turned away for lack of funds). The latest version in this series of poetry, fiction, storytelling, music, and performance shows features Kitten on the Keys, Lisa Geduldig, Charlie Anders, Sherilyn Connelly, Lauren Wheeler, and Tarin Towers.

'Circo Zero: A Cabaret of Danger and Compassion' Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 701 Mission; 978-2787, www.yerbabuenaarts.org. Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2 and 7pm. $20. The San Francisco International Arts Festival presents this show, curated by Keith Hennessy and incorporating elements of circus, music, drag, and performance.

'Graham Norton: Red-Handed' Alcazar Theater, 650 Geary; 441-4042, www.tickets.com, www.cityboxoffice.com. Wed-Sat, 8pm. $40. The star of BBC America's So Graham Norton performs his solo comedy.

'In Bed with Fairy Butch for Women, Transfolks, and Their Pals' Club Galia, 2565 Mission; www.fairybutch.com. Sat, 9:30pm. $10-15. Karlyn Lotney hosts a queer erotic cabaret.

'Science on Stage 2003' Exploratorium, 3601 Lyon; EXP-LORE, www.exploratorium.edu. Sun, 3pm (also Sept 24, 7pm). Free with admission ($8-12). This week's workshop production is Zachariah Mosely's Neon Blues by Neena Beber; Sept 24, Luminescence Dating by Carey Perloff.

Bay Area

Lucky Dog Theatre Wildcat Studio, 2525 Eighth St, Berk; (415) 564-4115. Sat, 8pm. $12. The improv theater company performs, with special guests Oui Be Negroes.

'Mastering Sex and Tortillas' La Peña Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck, Berk; (510) 849-2568. Thurs, 8pm. $10-12. Adelina Anthony and Coral Lopez Marcelo perform a comedy about sexuality, race, gender, and immigration from a queer Latina perspective.

'Medea' Greek Theatre, Gayley Rd at Stadium Rim Wy, Berk; (510) 642-9988, www.calperfs.berkeley.edu. Sat, 8pm; Sun, 7pm. $32-62. See Critic's Choice.

'Radical Bed Death: An Evening of Drag Kings, Boy Bands, Burlesque, and Beyond' Oakland Metro, 201 Broadway, Oakl; www.oaklandmetro.org. Fri, 8pm. $8 (no one turned away for lack of funds). The Transformers and East Bay Pride host this evening of music and performance.

comedy

Bazaar Cafe 5927 California; 831-5620. Tues, 8pm: "Doug Ferrari and Friends," stand-up comedy, free.

Blue Bear Theater Fort Mason, Bldg B, Marina at Laguna; info@plethoracomedy.com. Fri, 8:30pm: "Plethora: Te Ama Las Llamas," with Plethora Comedy Troupe, $10.

'Blue Blanket Improv' Check Web site for times and locations. www.blueblanketimprov.com. Blue Blanket Improv presents a free workshop and improv show. Ongoing.

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

Java Beach 1396 La Playa; 665-5282. Wed, 8pm: "Doug Ferrari and Friends," stand-up comedy, free.

Java Source 343 Clement; 387-8025. Fri, 10:30pm, and Sat, 10pm: Comedy open mic hosted by Tony Sparks, free.

Luggage Store Gallery 1007 Market; 255-5971. Tues, 8pm: Comedy workshop with Tony Sparks, $3.

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, S.F.; (415) 440-5530. "Spoken Word Salon," with host Diamond Dave Whitaker, 8pm, free. Canvas Cafe 1200 Ninth Ave, S.F.; (415) 504-0060, mike@westcoastvideo.net. "Open Mic Talent Showcase," 7:30pm, free. Il Piccolo Cafe 1219 Broadway, Burlingame; (650) 631-5732. "Il Piccolo/Saturday Poets Reading Series," with Amy MacLennan, 7pm, free.

Thursday: Coppa D'Oro Cafe 3166 24th St, S.F.; (415) 826-8003. "Poetry on the Patio," spoken word and acoustic music open mic with host Charlie Getter, 6:30pm, free. Mediterranean Cafe 2475 Telegraph, Berk; (510) 549-1128. "Word Beat Reading Series," with featured readers David Gollub and Sparrow 13, 7pm, free. Poetry Center San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway, S.F.; (415) 338-3401, www.sfsu.edu/~poetry. Peter Orner and Nona Caspers read, 7:30pm, free.

Saturday: Caffe Sempione 641 Vallejo, S.F.; (415) 362-6317. "Caffe Sempione Reading Series," with featured reader Kristine Brown, followed by open mic, 7pm, free.

Sunday: Cody's Books 2454 Telegraph, Berk; (510) 845-7852. "Thicket Press Reading," contributors read from new group chapbook Tangle Vine, 7:30pm, $2. Barnes and Noble Booksellers Jack London Square, 98 Broadway, Oakl; (510) 272-0120. "Fireback! Poetry on the Waterfront," with featured reader Chokwadi, plus open mic, 3pm, free. Hyena Playhouse 2390 Mission, Ste 304, S.F.; (415) 541-5610. "Hubbub: Queer Spoken Word," with featured reader Jamez Smith and open mic hosted by Larry-bob, 3pm, $3 (no one turned away for lack of funds).

Monday: Perry's Joint 1661 Fillmore, S.F.; (415) 931-5260. "Celebration of the Word," open mic hosted by Jeanne Powell with featured reader Thomas Hill, 7pm, free. Priya Restaurant 2072 San Pablo, Berk; berkeleypoetryexpress@yahoo.com. "Poetry Express," open mic hosted by Mark States and featured reader Paradise, 7pm, free.