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

Killing My Lobster Pop! Theater Artaud, 450 Florida; www.killingmylobster.com. $12-17 (March 3 and Sat, 10pm, pay what you can). Opens Thurs/26, 8pm. Runs Thurs-Fri and March 3, 8pm; Sat, 7:30 and 10pm; March 7, 7pm. Through March 7. The sketch comedy troupe performs its latest show, inspired by celebrity and pop culture.

The Master and Margarita Zeum, Yerba Buena Gardens, 221 Fourth St; 749-2228, www.act-sf.org. $10-15. Previews Thurs/26, 8pm. Opens Fri/27, 8pm. Runs Thurs-Sat, 8pm (also Sat, 2pm); Sun, 2pm. Through March 13. The ACT Master of Fine Arts Program presents Adrian Giurgea's new adaptation of Mikhail Bulgakov's classic fantasy.

Bay Area

The Bright River Transparent Theatre, 1901 Ashby, Berk; (510) 644-2204, www.epicarts.org or www.timbarsky.com. $12-20 (March 4, pay what you can). Opens Thurs/26, 8pm. Runs Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Through March 20. Tim Barsky performs his solo show, a blend of hip-hop, physical theater, and Jewish folklore, with live music by Everyday Theatre.

Ghosts Berkeley Repertory's Roda Theatre, 2025 Addison, Berk; (510) 647-2949, www.berkeleyrep.org. $10-55. Previews Fri/27-Sat/28 and Tues/2, 8pm; Sun/29, 7pm. Opens March 3, 8pm. Runs Tues, Thurs-Fri, 8pm (also March 4, 11, 25, and April 8, 2pm; no show March 12); Wed and Sun, 7pm (also Sun, 2pm); Sat, 2 and 8pm (no 2pm shows March 27 and April 10). Through April 11. Berkeley Rep performs Ibsen's 19th-century classic about a repressive, hypocritical community.

Ongoing

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.

'Bay One-Acts Festival' Eureka Theatre, 215 Jackson; 776-7427, www.threewisemonkeys.org. $15-20. Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 3pm. Through March 14. Three Wise Monkeys Theatre Company presents its third annual showcase of Bay Area theater talent. This year features 13 new short plays, 10 local producing companies, and 52 local actors. The first of four weekly programs began with Scott McMorrow's slight comedy Puppet Therapy, directed by TWM's Alice Shikina, about a disengaged couples therapist (Catherine Fox) who lets her sexually frustrated clients (Dianna Chung and Bryan Goski) sort things out with sock puppets behind the analyst's couch. Lunchroom Alchemy, presented by One-Act Wonders and directed by Alan Goy, offered sharper and funnier fare, thanks to Maria Rokas's witty script and the strong comedic performances behind four distinct female personalities and their aggressive lunchtime banter. Finally, Isis Arts Collective presented Ed Brownson's suburban dystopia, Another Ache. A sardonic take on homeland security, the play wavered between sarcasm and earnest alarm in the story of a neighborhood watch program grown too big for its britches, but it benefited from three solid performances directed by Mike Ward. If quality inevitably varies in a festival like this, the unique opportunity to sample the small-theater scene can also generate a synergistic excitement all its own. (Avila)

'Comedy on the Square' Shelton Theatre, 533 Sutter; 522-8900. Most shows $15. Upcoming performances include "A Celebration of Silliness," with Fred Anderson (Sun, 3 and 7pm, ongoing).

Disney's The Lion King Orpheum Theatre, 1192 Market; 512-7770, 356-LION, www.bestofbroadway-sf.com. $26-82. Tues-Sat, 8pm (also Sat and June 23, 25, 28, and 30, 2pm); Sun, 3pm (starting March 21, Sun show schedule changes to 1pm and 6:30pm; no shows June 27 and July 4). Through Sept 5. See "Wilson World."

Dr. Faustus Magic Theatre, Fort Mason Center, Bldg D, Marina at Laguna; 441-8822, www.magictheatre.org. $25-53. Previews Wed/25-Fri/27, 8:30pm. Opens Sat/28, 8:30pm. Runs Tues-Sat, 8:30pm; Sun, 2:30pm. Through April 4. David Mamet directs his new version of the classic tale, starring Ricky Jay and Colin Stinton.

Eye Exit Theatre, 156 Eddy; 566-1107. $16-20. Thurs/26-Sat/28, 8pm. Dynamic Theatre Company performs Jay Levin's drama about the personal and professional struggles of a war photographer.

Les Fauxlies Fantastique: Showgirls Who Aren't Really Girls at All! Venue 9, 252 Ninth St; 248-1942. $35-40. Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2:30pm. Through March 7. Showgirls take the stage in this Parisian-style drag musical revue.

*The Glory of Living Playhouse, 536 Sutter; 677-9596, reservations@sfplayhouse.org. $30. Wed-Sat, 8pm. Through March 13. The Playhouse presents Rebecca Gilman's grim but engaging tale of a Southern teenager named Lisa (Lauren English) who picks up, and later disposes of, wayward young women for her sadistic ex-con husband, Clint (Michael Janes). In the West Coast premiere of the 1996 play that launched its author's much-lauded career, English turns in a powerful, wonderfully subtle performance as the emotionally shut-down daughter of a trailer prostitute (Linda-Ruth Cardozo) who unquestioningly subsumes her will under that of her husband – her foreclosed childhood finding symbolic expression in a small toy piano given her by her late father. Along with a competent supporting cast and fluid, atmospheric staging (given a cinematic thrust by some slick still and video imaging), director Bill English (Lauren's father) gets an equally bold and committed performance from Janes as the at turns violent and boyishly charismatic Southern ne'er-do-well. There's precedent for Gilman's "trailer trash" characters and their sociopathic spree in a slew of popular literature and film, and the play's social moral remains, as in much of Gilman's work, rooted in the fashionable liberalism of the educated classes. But she animates her subjects with smart, well-honed dialogue, an unsentimental compassion, and a sly humor fully realized here. (Avila)

How We First Met Velvet Lounge, 443 Broadway; 845-4314, www.howwefirstmet.com. $25-35. Fri/27-Sat/28, 8pm. Bring your valentine to this show, a night of improvised sketches and songs drawn from tales of romance shared by real-life couples in the audience.

Howie the Rookie Exit Theatre, 156 Eddy; (510) 532-8420. $18. Thurs-Sat, 8:30pm. Through March 6. Aggro Theatre presents Mark O'Rowe's "epic tale of friendship, betrayal, and retribution."

An Impersonation of Angels or the Enigma of Desire (Impressions of the Life of Salvador Dali) Exit on Taylor, 277 Taylor; 431-8423. $10-20. Thurs-Sat and March 8, 8pm. Through March 13. Kaliyuga Arts presents the premiere of Dan Carbone's reworking of his earlier absurdist play, Salvador Dali Talks to the Animals.

*King Hedley II Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, 620 Sutter; 474-8800, www.ticketweb.com. $25-32. Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2pm. Through March 14. See "Wilson World."

The Last Sunday in June New Conservatory Theatre Center, 25 Van Ness; 861-8972, www.nctcsf.org. $18-28. Wed/25-Sat/28, 8pm; Sun/29, 2pm. For those in the know, the last Sunday in June means one thing: Gay Pride. In Jonathan Tolins's drama, an eclectic group of gay men gather in an apartment on New York City's Christopher Street to watch the festivities below. The Brechtian conceit of having the characters acknowledge that they could be in a "gay play" gives this piece a self-conscious edge, ostentatiously balancing between critique and an earnest attempt to resuscitate the genre with more contemporary concerns. Unfortunately, stereotypes still have a stronghold on the characters' lives, and traces of misogyny and self-hatred seem unwilling to depart the stage. But nice performances by the principle couple, and the more nuanced treatment of their relationship, give this drama its appeal. (Shalson)

Levee James Geary Theater, 415 Geary; 749-2228, www.act-sf.org. $11-68. Wed/25-Sat/28, March 2-6, 9-13, 8pm (also Wed/25, Sat/28, March 6, 10, and 13, 2pm); Sun/29, March 7 and 14, 2pm. Through March 14. American Conservatory Theatre performs S.M. Shephard-Massat's love story, set amid racial tensions and social changes in the 1920s American South.

Mamma Mia! Golden Gate Theatre, One Taylor; 512-7770, www.ticketmaster.com. $40-81. Tues-Sat, April 12, 8pm (also Sat and April 14, 2pm); Sun, 2 and 7pm. Through April 17. ABBA fans rejoice: the Benny Anderson and Björn Ulvaeus musical returns.

Noises Off Marines Memorial Theatre, 609 Sutter; 1-877-771-6900. $40-60. Tues-Sat, 8pm (also Sat, 2pm); Sun, 2 and 7pm. Open-ended. In Michael Frayn's popular comedy, a troupe of third-rate actors rehearse and perform a third-rate play three times. The director's challenge is to go beyond the ostinato of the action and sustain the audience's interest through every repetition. Although immaculately choreographed to milk the script's funniest moments, Richard Seyd's production often flags; the lack of variety in the pace and pitch of the production sacrifices the subtleties of Frayn's work for a hectic melee of frenzied voices, flailing limbs, and flying sardines. (Veltman)

Okra: A Dark Comedy Brava Theater Center, 2789 24th St; 647-2822, www.brava.org. $18-28. Wed-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 3pm. Through March 14. Brava Theater Center presents Anne Galjour's play about a conflicted Cajun family.

Play it Again Sam Shelton Theatre, 533 Sutter; (650) 361-0773. $15-20. Thurs/26-Sat/28, 8pm. Mystic Bison Theatre performs this Casablanca-influenced comedy about a man navigating the dating scene with the help of his imaginary friend – Humphrey Bogart.

Popping the Cherry Actors Theatre of San Francisco, 533 Sutter; 296-9179, www.actorstheatresf.org. $5-20. Thurs-Sat, 8pm (no show March 6); Sun, 7pm. Through March 7. Actors Theatre presents the premiere of San Francisco playwright Karen Macklin's story of two twentysomething sisters reunited after six years of strained silence. Margo (Niki Yapo) lives a reasonably comfortable life in New York City as a software designer having a discreet affair with the CEO of her company, a swanky Brit named Wynona (Linden Young). When her younger sister Lucy (Sarah Engelman), informed of the terminal illness of their mother (Ann Hopkins), shows up from several years of wandering the earth en lieu of college, Margo tries to help her get settled in a normal life only to find her own coming gradually undone with the pressure of an unspoken grievance between them. Lucy tries, meanwhile, to set down her own roots in a budding friendship with local bartender Malcolm (Euclides Pereyra), but it's difficult to grow something when you're perpetually on the run. If the play takes a little while to become satisfactorily engaging, and the generally smart dialogue becomes stilted when pushed too far, director Christian Phillips ensures solid performances that together prevent a disturbing family secret from becoming maudlin. Yapo and Engelman work particularly well together as two mutually damaged but proud personalities simultaneously vying for preeminence and understanding. (Avila)

*Psychos Never Dream Intersection for the Arts, 446 Valencia; 626-3311. $9-15. Extended run: Thurs/26-Sun/29, 8pm. A small town in rural northern Idaho is suffering from population attrition. A mother and her seven children have gone missing, as has a local farmer. Deputy Sarah Dubie (Catherine Castellanos) is having trouble locating the farmer's neighbor, Critter (John Diehl), and the mother's husband, Floyd (Cully Fredricksen). Meanwhile, Red (Alexis Lezin), the mentally deranged wife of the missing farmer, waits for her husband at home in bed. It's all very mysterious and somehow expected, part of the natural balance registered by playwright Denis Johnson, Malthus of America's jaded frontier. Psychos Never Dream, his fourth world premiere with Campo Santo at Intersection for the Arts, continues Johnson's lurid and luminous excavation of the American gothic. The play hitches the stalled dreams of outmoded romantics to a careening comedy of terrors; four fearless performances under Darrell Larson's fine direction ensure the forward motion never slackens either but amounts to a giddy, freaked-out joyride, festering energies and swollen appetites riding shotgun to the nihilist at the wheel. (Avila)

*Riddance Edinburgh Castle Pub, 950 Geary; 608-4338, www.theshee.org. $15-20. Thurs/26-Sat/28, 7:30pm. In Scottish playwright Linda McLean's dark and witty drama, three urban thirtysomethings try to discard the past only to find it boomeranging back to haunt them 20 years later. The Edinburgh Castle Pub's tiny pub-theater stage imbues the play's tight unity of time and place with a compactness bordering on claustrophobia: like the characters, we're gagging to "go for a pint," but somehow we're riveted to our seats. As Kenny, a punctilious vacuum salesperson, Kevin Kelleher brilliantly feeds off this energy, balancing his bone-dry, impotent one-liners against the dreamier quality of Laura Hope's performance as the secretive, moody Clare. Meanwhile, Adam Chipkin's bombastic turn as bad boy Frank feels almost too big for the space. An exploration of how humans are inextricably bound to the people and things they most ardently cast aside, Riddance compellingly illustrates Kenny's theory that "Your litter is your DNA." (Veltman)

'Risk Is This ... The Cutting Ball New Plays Festival' Exit Stage Left, 156 Eddy; 419-3584. Free ($10 suggested donation). Fri-Sat, 8pm. Through March 6. The Cutting Ball Theater presents new plays: Wet, by Liz Duffy Adams (Fri/27-Sat/28); and Infestation, by Payne Ratner (March 5-6).

Rococo Risqué IV Danzhaus, 1275 Connecticut; 970-0222, www.rococorisque.com. $10-15. Fri-Sat, 9pm. Through March 6. The Red Gate Performance Collective presents this evening-length hybrid of sketch comedy, cabaret, and musical theater.

Seduction New Conservatory Theatre Center, 25 Van Ness; 861-8972, www.nctcsf.org. $18-28. Wed-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2pm. Through March 28. The New Conservatory Theatre Center presents the world premiere of Jack Heifner's erotic comedy, an all-gay adaptation of Arthur Schnitzler's La ronde.

Talking with Angels Actors Center of San Francisco, 3012 16th St; 389-8975, www.talkingwithangels.com. $17-25. Extended run: Fri-Sat, 8pm. Through May 8. Shelley Mitchell performs her solo play, drawn from the diaries of four young women living in Nazi-occupied Hungary.

Three Blooms Magic Theatre, Northside, Bldg D, Fort Mason Center, Marina at Laguna; 437-6775, www.zspace.org. $23-27. Tues-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 3pm. Through March 21. Word for Word stages three short stories by Amy Bloom, including Hyacinths, The Sight of You, and Silver Water.

Troijka Spanganga, 3376 19th St; 752-2084. $10. Thurs/26-Sat/28, 8pm. No Nude Men Productions presents Stuart Eugene Bousel's play (based on Jean Genet's The Balcony), set at a brothel caught in the middle of a civil rebellion.

Vita and Virginia Theatre Rhinoceros, 2926 16th St; 861-5079, www.therhino.org. $15-20. Wed-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 7pm (also Sun/29 and March 7, 3pm). Through March 13. Theatre Rhinoceros performs Eileen Atkins's play about the affair between Virginia Woolf and Vita Sackville-West.

Bay Area

The Duel Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant, Berk; (510) 558-1381, www.centralworks.org. $8-20 (Thurs/26 and March 4, pay what you can). Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 5pm. Through March 27. Central Works performs a new play adapted from Chekhov's novella.

The Man of Destiny Aurora Theatre, 2081 Addison, Berk; (510) 843-4822, www.auroratheatre.org. $28-40. Wed-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2 and 7pm. Through March 7. Barbara Oliver directs George Bernard Shaw's "comedy of egos" about Napoleon Bonaparte. Fresh from his first big military success, the man who would be l'empereur finds his carefully controlled world methodically unraveled by a mysterious woman whose cunning and determination is every bit a match for his canon-wielding ascendancy. As dramaturge Jo Perry-Folino explains in the program notes, Napoleon was driven as much by his passion for women as he was by his obsession for world domination. Shaw's one-act playfully exploits this tension, bringing the military mastermind to the brink of mental breakdown over an unread letter that may or may not reveal his wife's infelicity. Written in 1895, Destiny's humor is somewhat quaint, and Shaw's jabs at English politics and manners feel less keen for today's political climate. However, the actors win our affection by the end of this sturdy production: Stacy Ross is charming as the Strange Lady, and even Napoleon (T. Edward Webster) winds up seeming like an OK guy. (Shalson)

*Say You Love Satan La Val's Subterranean Theatre, 1834 Euclid, Berk; (510) 464-4468, www.impacttheatre.com. $10-15. Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Through March 13. Andrew (David Ballog) is a sulky graduate student who spends his Friday nights doing laundry and reading Dostoevsky. Jerrod (Brian Erlich), a medical student who volunteers in his spare time cuddling orphaned babies, would be Andrew's boyfriend if only he'd let him. But Andrew is more attracted to six pack-bearing stranger Jack (Eric Moore), who picks him up at the Laundromat. Jack is gorgeous, and he speaks Russian; his only flaw: he's the son of Satan. Andrew is soon in over his head, and the only question remaining is Can his best friend, Bernadette (Courtney Greenlaw), and the endlessly devoted Jerrod save him? If it sounds like a supernatural TV show, that's because Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa's play, presented by Impact Theater, combines many of the elements of a sitcom package: think Buffy the Vampire Slayer, only less profound. But Say You Love Satan is laugh-out-loud funny at times, and the cast is delightful, playing their parts with such deadpan earnestness that every ridiculous line hits its mark. (Shalson)

*Times like These New venue: Julia Morgan Theatre, 2640 College, Berk; (415) 285-8080, www.atjt.com. $18-30. Thurs/26-Sat/28, 8pm; Sun/29, 2 and 7pm. In John O'Keefe's Times like These, a famous actress finds herself eclipsed by inferior actors, then by the system, and finally, by life itself. Set in 1930s Berlin at the rise of the Third Reich, the play, loosely based on real events, tells the story of Jewish actress Meta Wolf (Laurie O'Brien) and her Aryan actor husband, Oscar Weiss (Norbert Weisser). Peering voyeuristically into the couple's living room, we follow Wolf's expulsion from the stage at the pinnacle of her career and her husband's rise to fame, playing the lead in a Nazi interpretation of Hamlet. The play is as intelligently directed by the playwright as it is written, and its only major misfire is the relentless staccato rhythm of its scenes. O'Brien and Weisser's glowing performances are passionate and perfectly matched. (Veltman)

*Yellowman Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Thrust Stage, 2025 Addison, Berk; (510) 647-2949, www.berkeleyrep.org. $10-55. Extended run: Tues and Thurs-Sat, 8pm (also Sat/28 and March 4, 2pm); Wed and Sun, 7pm (also Sun, 2pm). Through March 14. In the Bay Area premiere of Dael Orlandersmith's involving and wrenching Yellowman, a production of the Berkeley Repertory Theatre in association with the Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, two characters from the Gullah-Geechee region of South Carolina recount the story of their doomed romance. Alma (Deidre N. Henry), a dark-skinned African American woman, and Eugene (Clark Jackson), a light-skinned African American man, talk mainly to the audience in vigorous bursts of biographical detail and confession. Racism in the African American community, if underexamined, is not an entirely new theme, but Orlandersmith sets the psychological impact of it in so intimate a story and mode of presentation that the virulence of the disease comes across in the starkest terms. (Avila)

dance

Alayo Dance Company Dance Mission Theater, 3316 24th St; 273-4633. Fri-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2 and 7pm. $15-18. The company performs Black History Month tribute A Piece of White Cloth, a modern dance work that draws on Cuban and African culture and history.

Fellow Travelers Performance Group Noh Space, 2840 Mariposa; 621-7978. Fri-Sun, 8pm. $10-15. See Critic's Choice.

ODC/San Francisco Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater, 700 Howard; 978-ARTS, www.yerbabuenaarts.org. Program One: Fri, 8pm; Sun, 2pm. Program Two: Thurs and Sat, 8pm. Weekday matinee: Thurs, noon. $10-38. See "Downtown and Up."

'Queer Dance Week' 305-8242, www.sfqueerdancecampexchange.com or www.queerjitterbugs.com. Feb 27-March 5. This series of events includes a queer dance exchange, dance lessons, same-sex dance championships, and more.

San Francisco Ballet War Memorial Opera House, 301 Van Ness; 865-2000, www.sfballet.org. Program Three: Wed/25, 7:30pm; Fri/27, March 4 and 6, 8pm (also March 6, 2pm); Sun/29, 2pm. Program Four: Thurs/26, Sat/28, Tues/2, March 5, 8pm (also Sat/28, 2pm); March 3, 7:30pm; March 7, 2pm. $8-132. Program Three includes Julia Adam's Imaginal Disc, Hans van Manen's Grosse Fugue, and Christopher Wheeldon's Rush. Program Four includes Natalia Makarova's staging of Paquita, a world premiere by Helgi Tomasson, and Alexei Ratmansky's Le carnaval des animaux.

'Underserved' ODC Theater, 3153 17th St; 863-9834, www.odctheater.org. Fri-Sat, 8pm. $12-15. Eleven local choreographers perform short works.

*Zaccho Dance Theatre Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 701 Mission; 978-ARTS, www.yerbabuenaarts.org. Wed-Sun, 11am-5pm (continuous performance). $10 suggested donation. Joanna Haigood and Zaccho Dance Company's newest installation at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Ghost Architecture, is pure poetry – don't miss it. Penumbral, quiet, and evocative not only of a place but also of the people who might have filled its rooms with memories, pain, and snippets of hope, this haunting work takes its designation as "site-specific" literally. Haigood and set designer Wayne Campbell went to old San Francisco maps and built three-story skeletons on the footprints of the buildings that were destroyed when Yerba Buena Center went up. Dancers take turns calling up and paying tribute to the spirits of the people for whom these dilapidated houses were the only home they knew. A camera obscura on the east side of Yerba Buena Center's Forum provides glimpses of life outside; they're as delicate and ephemeral as what goes on inside this place of memory. If you work downtown, there's no better way to spend the lunch hour. If you don't work downtown, give yourself a break and visit these ghosts. (Felciano)

Bay Area

Ballet Flamenco Eva Yerbabuena Marin Veterans' Memorial Auditorium, Avenue of the Flags at Civic Center, San Rafael; (415) 499-6800, www.ticketmaster.com. Fri, 8pm. $18-50. (Also Sat, 8pm; Sun, 7pm, Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley, Bancroft at Telegraph, Berk; 510-642-9988, www.calperfs.berkeley.edu. $26-48). Spanish flamenco star Eva Yerbabuena performs with her company of five dancers and seven musicians.

performance

'All the Great Books (Abridged)' Cowell Theater, Fort Mason Center, Marina at Laguna; 345-7575, www.reducedshakespeare.com. Wed/25-Fri/27, March 4-7, 8pm (also March 6-7, 2pm). $28-32. Reduced Shakespeare Company performs "90 of the world's most notable titles in 90 minutes" in this fast-paced comedy show.

'Artifice, Ruse, and Subterfuge' Climate Theatre, 285 Ninth St; tickets@comedymagic.com. Thurs-Sat, 8pm. $10-15. Magician Eric Masters performs his solo show about legendary cardsharper S.W. Erdnase.

BATS Improv Bayfront Theater, Fort Mason Center, Marina at Laguna; www.batsimprov.com. $12-15. This week: "Improvised Shakespeare" (Fri, 8pm); "Spontaneous Broadway" (Sat, 8pm); "Maestro of Micetro" (Sun, 8pm).

'Big Big Love' Theatre Rhinoceros, 2926 16th St; 861-5079, www.therhino.org or www.bigburlesque.com. Fri-Sat, 8:30pm. $15-20. The Original Fat-Bottom Revue, a size-positive burlesque troupe, performs.

*'Cavalia: A Magical Encounter Between Horse and Man' Giants Parking Lot B, adjacent to SBC Park, 1250 Fourth St; 1-866-999-8111, www.cavalia.net. Wed-Fri, 8pm. $35-73. "Whoa, hold your horses there, partner. I thought Cirque du Soleil was supposed to be sans animaux." Yeah, well, who said this was Cirque du Soleil? OK, the show's creator, Normand Latourelle, cofounded the world-famous Quebec-based cirque. And in many ways this lush multimedia equestrian extravaganza really does look like Cirque du Soleil with horses. But bears on trikes it isn't. These horses are well loved and clearly much happier, generally speaking, than the rest of us. They're also beautiful, with long flowing manes that will have you wondering what conditioner they use. Cavalia stars 33 of these stunning creatures, on an enormous big-top stage, interacting with European horse whisperer Frédéric Pignon and his wife, trainer and rider Magali Delgado, along with 30 or so acrobats, aerialists, trick riders, dancers, and musicians in scenes that range from slow, wistful dance sequences to high-energy feats of intermammalian prowess. The impressive design scheme has a sort of Princess Bride quality to it that, at its most gushingly sentimental, pleasingly brings to mind those garish, vaguely lurid covers of romance-fantasy paperbacks. Surprising and entrancing, this is one American premiere that already has legs. (Avila)

'Electric Muse' Shooting Gallery, 839 Larkin; 931-8035. Tues, 7pm. $3. "Prayerformance artist" Thoth, subject of the 2002 Academy Award-winning short documentary, presents his "solopera," The Festad, as part of this monthly open mic and performance series.

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

'How to Write a Song' Off-Market Theater, 965 Mission; 896-6477. Thurs-Sat, 8pm. $12-20. Off-Market Theater presents the premiere of Ira Marlowe's multimedia comedy.

'Loll-I-Pop II' Make Out Room, 3225 22nd St; 206-9392. Sun, 8pm. $8. Celebrate leap year with burlesque, drag, and music; featured performers include Burlesque-esque, Diamond Daggers, the Transformers, and more.

'Pacific Playback Theatre: Challenges and Triumphs' A Traveling Jewish Theatre, 470 Florida; 282-8558, www.pacificplayback.com. Thurs-Sat, 8pm. $15-20. Pacific Playback Theatre performs improvisational theater by reenacting real-life stories told by audience members.

'Rabbit Causes Dog' Phoenix Theatre, 414 Mason; 789-7610. Thurs-Sat, 8pm (also Fri-Sat, 9:30pm). Through March 6. $5-10. Experimental theater group mugwumpin perform a new work that explores the "gutland" of Gothic Americana.

'The San Francisco Treasure Series: Los Big Names' Marsh, 1062 Valencia; 826-5750, www.themarsh.org. Wed-Sat, 8pm. $25-50. Comedian Marga Gomez workshops her latest performance.

'Seagull Shores' New Langton Arts, 1246 Folsom; 863-7338. Previews Wed, 8pm. Opens Thurs, 8pm. Runs Fri-Sat, 8pm. $5-10 (no one turned away for lack of funds). The Electra Theater Company, an outreach program for disabled and homeless people of all ages, cultures, and genders, performs a "haunted soap opera" with live music.

'Tschaikovsky (and Other Russians)' Geary Theater, 415 Geary; 749-2228, www.act-sf.org. Sun/29, Mon/1, March 7-8, and 14, 8pm. $14-40. See 8 Days a Week.

'Va Va Voom Room' Plush Room, York Hotel, 940 Sutter; 885-2800, www.vavavoomroom.com. Fri, 11pm (starting March 5, shows Fri-Sat, 8 and 11pm). Through April 10. $20-25. The New York City-based ensemble performs a burlesque and vaudeville cabaret.

Bay Area

'Dr. Leopold's Multiform Cabinet' 21 Grand, 449B 23rd St, Oakl; (510) 444-7263. Thurs, 8pm. $5 (no one turned away for lack of funds). This cabaret show features puppets, music, "voodoo vaudeville," and more.

'Full Spectrum Improvisation' Eighth Street Studios, 2525 Eighth St, Berk; (415) 564-4115, www.joyacory.com. Sat/28, March 6, 8pm. $6-12. (Also March 13, 20, and 27, 8pm, Blue Bear Performance Space, Fort Mason Center, Bldg D, Marina at Laguna, SF.) Joya Cory's Lucky Dog Theatre performs unrehearsed tales.

'Street Soldiers: The Play' Berkeley Black Repertory Group Theatre, 3210 Adeline, Berk; 1-800-SOLDIER. Fri-Sun, 8pm (also Sat, 2:30pm; Sun, 3pm). $20. Based on the book Street Soldiers, this play tells stories drawn from real-life participants in the Omega Boys Club, a violence prevention program for youth.

comedy

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

Blackthorn Tavern 834 Irving; 584-9225. Thurs, 8pm: Comedy with Jim Short, Kevin Avery, John Hoogasian, Tessie Chua, and Ryan Stout, hosted by David Kleinberg, $7.

Climate Theatre 285 Ninth St; 863-1076. Mon, 8pm: "Monday Night Improv Jam," presented by the San Francisco Improv Co-Operative, $5.

Cobb's Comedy Club 915 Columbus; 928-4320, www.cobbscomedy.com. Wed, 8pm: "All-Pro Comedy Showcase," $7. Thurs-Sun, 8pm (also Fri-Sat, 10:15pm): Aisha Tyler, Clinton Jackson, and Brian Copeland, $17-20.

Hyena Theater 2390 Mission, Ste 304; 821-3601. Sat, 8pm: "Hyena Homo Comedy Hour," hosted by Lisa Geduldig, $8.

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

Punch Line 444 Battery; www.punchlinecomedyclub.com. Wed-Thurs, 9pm: "Punch Line All Stars," $12. Fri-Sat, 9 and 11pm: Robert Schimmel, $25. March 2-6, 9pm (also March 5-6, 11pm): Jim Short, $12-15.

Uptown 200 Capp; 355-9932. Wed, 8:30pm: "Uptown Comedy Open Mic," with host Eric Peterson, free.

Bay Area

Clem Daniels' End Zone 1466 High St, Oakl; (510) 536-9332. Tues, 9pm: "Dijon's Comedy Corner," $10.

Glenview Performing Arts Center 1318 Glenfield, Oakl; (510) 531-0511, www.theoaklandplayhouse.com. Sat, 8pm: The Oakland Playhouse Improv Troupe performs, $15.

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, SF; (415) 440-5530. "Spoken Word Salon," with host Diamond Dave Whitaker, 8pm, free. Canvas Cafe 1200 Ninth Ave, SF; (415) 504-0060, mike@westcoastvideo.net. "Open Mic Talent Showcase," 7:30pm, free. Jewish Community Library 1835 Ellis; 567-3327, ext 705. Philip Levine reads poetry, 8pm, free.

Thursday: Coppa D'Oro Cafe 3166 24th St, SF; (415) 826-8003. "Poetry on the Patio," spoken word and acoustic music open mic with host Charlie Getter, 6:30pm, free. Hotel Cosmo 761 Post, SF; www.artworksf.com. "Poetry (and More) at the Cosmo," with hosts Jeanne Powell and Philip T. Nails; this week, performance poet Charselle, 6pm, $3. Mediterranean Cafe 2475 Telegraph, Berk; (510) 526-5985. "Word Beat Reading Series," with featured readers Connie Post and Lara Monroe, followed by open mic, 7pm, free. Dalva 3121 16th St, SF; (415) 753-8091. "Poetry Mission" with featured reader Sparlha Swa, with open mic hosted by Elz, 7pm, free. Morning Brew Coffee Co. 713 Linden, Ste A, South San Francisco; www.morningbrewcoffee.com. Poetry and music with Robert Hoppensteadt, Amy Miller, Emmanuel Williams, and others, 7pm, free.

Friday: Youth Speaks 2169 Folsom, #100, SF; (415) 255-9035, www.youthspeaks.org. "Final Fridays," featuring Mark Bamuthi Joseph and Youth Speaks poets, 7pm, free.

Sunday: Cody's Books 2454 Telegraph, Berk; (510) 845-7852. "Poetry Flash," with Luke Breit and Jack Hirschman, 7:30pm, $2. Cafe Prague 584 Pacific, SF; (415) 433-3811. Mark Schwartz hosts featured reader Eddie Falconer, plus open mic, 4pm, free.

Monday: Priya Indian Cuisine 2072 San Pablo, Berk; berkeleypoetryexpress@yahoo.com. "Poetry Express," with open mic hosted by Mark States and featured reader Jim Martin II, 7pm, free.