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

The Carpetbagger's Children Phoenix Theatre, 414 Mason; 989-0023. $20 (previews and Thurs, pay what you can). Previews Thurs/11-Fri/12, 8pm. Opens Sat/13, 8pm. Runs Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Through April 17. Phoenix Theatre presents Horton Foote's drama about three sisters remembering their father, an ex-Union Army member who amassed an enormous Texas plantation.

A Man of No Importance New Conservatory Theatre Center, 25 Van Ness; 861-8972, www.nctcsf.org. $18-38. Previews Wed/10-Fri/12, 8pm. Opens Sat/13, 8pm. Runs Thurs-Sat, 8pm; March 21, 28, April 4, and 11, 2pm. Through April 11. The New Conservatory Theatre Center presents the West Coast premiere of Terence McNally, Stephen Flaherty, and Lynn Ahrens's musical (based on the 1994 film) about a middle-aged Dublin bus driver determined to stage an Oscar Wilde play with his amateur theatrical group.

Mystery Box House Omnicircus Theatre, 550 Natoma; 701-0686. $10-15. Previews Sat/13, March 20, and 27, 9:30pm. Opens April 2, 9:30pm. Runs Fri-Sat, 9:30pm. Through May 1. Subterranean Shakespeare and Omnicircus present this "erotic robotic junkyard cabaret."

The Underbelly Diaries Exit Stage Left, 156 Eddy; 819-2036. $15. Opens Thurs/11, 8pm. Runs Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Through April 3. Aaron Berg performs his solo comedy, drawn from his experiences working as a gigolo, stripper, and bodybuilder.

Bay Area

My Old Lady Marin Theatre Company, 397 Miller, Mill Valley; (415) 388-5208, www.marintheatre.org. $28-45 (after opening night, Tues, pay what you can). Previews Thurs/11-Sat/13, 8pm; Sun/14, 2 and 7pm. Opens Tues/16, 8pm. Runs Tues, Thurs-Sat, 8pm (also March 25, April 1, 1pm; March 20, April 10, 2pm); Wed, 7:30pm; Sun, 2 and 7pm. Through April 11. Marin Theatre Company performs Isreal Horowitz's comedy about an American writer who inherits an apartment in Paris – only to discover it's already occupied by an elderly woman and her daughter.

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/11-Sat/13, 8pm; Sun/14, 3pm. 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. 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)

*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. $35-73. Extended run: Wed/10-Fri/12, 8pm. The show's creator, Normand Latourelle, cofounded the world-famous Quebec-based Cirque du Soliel. And in many ways this lush multimedia equestrian extravaganza really does look like Cirque du Soleil with horses. Cavalia stars 33 stunning equines, 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. (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); the Oakland Playhouse Improv Troupe (Fri, 10pm, through March 26).

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. Apparently director and designer Julie Taymor didn't win those Tonys for nothing. The Bay Area premiere of her staged interpretation of Disney's The Lion King, courtesy of Best of Broadway, works so well you're liable to forgive the residual Disney that clings to this singular spectacle. The costumes alone, especially the remarkable masks and puppets (designed with Michael Curry), are artful, elegant inventions. With them, actors deftly mimic the grace and bearing of a giraffe or a gazelle or a trick mouse. The plot – a lion cub grows up in exile until he can assume his rightful place on the usurped throne of his late father – must be familiar to nearly everyone by now; the characters are the stock ones recycled by Disney. They're animated, however, by a superb cast. (Avila)

Fall Down Get Up Traveling Jewish Theatre, 470 Florida; 285-8080, www.atjt.com. $18-30. Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2 and 7pm. Through March 21. (Also March 25-27, 8pm; March 28, 2 and 7pm, Julia Morgan Theatre, 2640 College, Berk). Naomi Newman performs her solo show, featuring an array of female characters from different races, classes, and cultures.

Dr. Faustus Magic Theatre, Fort Mason Center, Bldg D, Marina at Laguna; 441-8822, www.magictheatre.org. $25-53. 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.

The Fula from America: An African Journey Marsh, 1062 Valencia; 826-5750, www.themarsh.org. $15-22. Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Through March 27. Carlyle Brown performs his new solo show, a travelogue drawn from his experiences in West Africa.

*The Glory of Living Playhouse, 536 Sutter; 677-9596, reservations@sfplayhouse.org. $30. Wed/10-Sat/13, 8pm. 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 prostitute (Linda-Ruth Cardozo) who unquestioningly subsumes her will under that of her husband. 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)

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/11-Sat/13, 8pm. Kaliyuga Arts presents the premiere of Dan Carbone's reworking of his earlier absurdist play, Salvador Dali Talks to the Animals.

The Island and Sizwe Bansi Is Dead Next Stage, 1620 Gough; 333-6389, www.wehavemet.org. $20. Thurs-Sat, 8pm; April 4, 7pm. Through April 4. Multi Ethnic Theater performs two works by South African playwright Athol Fugard.

*King Hedley II Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, 620 Sutter; 474-8800, www.ticketweb.com. $25-32. Thurs/11-Sat/13, 8pm; Sun/14, 2pm. In a solid and meticulous northern California premiere, the Lorraine Hansberry Theatre presents the eighth installment of August Wilson's magisterial 10-play cycle, his decade-by-decade exploration of the African American experience in the 20th century. L. Peter Callender's choleric, brooding Hedley, reluctant son of Ruby (an irresistible Rhodessa Jones), stalks the stage with an unpredictable energy – the pent-up ambitions of a quintessential American dreamer frustrated by the American system, that invisible web of economic and political forces beyond our ken. Stanley E. Williams directs an excellent six-member cast, whose complex and human portraits carry us easily through two hefty acts. (Avila)

Levee James Geary Theater, 415 Geary; 749-2228, www.act-sf.org. $11-68. Wed/10-Sat/13, 8pm (also Wed/10 and Sat/13, 2pm); Sun/14, 2pm. See "Sacred and Profane."

Mamma Mia! Golden Gate Theatre, 1 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. This surprisingly enduring Broadway musical, a tribute to love (free and otherwise) told through the songs of '70s pop gods ABBA, returns to San Francisco. Set on a Greek isle about 30 years A.D. (after disco), the story such as it is revolves around the upcoming marriage of Sophie (Chilina Kennedy), daughter of a free-spirit-now-proprietor of a small resort. Unfortunately for the curious bride-to-be, Mom (Jeanine Morick) has only a vague idea who Sophie's father might be, so Sophie has secretly invited all three possibilities to the wedding, with predictable consequences. I know people must be buying tickets to this, but there's just something decidedly tepid and amateurish about the whole conceit. The singing – belted out by the characters in sometimes jarringly idiosyncratic fashion against Keith Thompson's nine-piece electric rock orchestra – generally comes across like exceptional karaoke. That's a disappointing substitute for the original versions, especially as the songs tend to come fast and furious with little to bridge them but a few throwaway lines of very silly dialogue, clunky choreography, meager costume and scenic designs, and a rather passé fixation on heterosexual marriage. (Avila)

The Master and Margarita Zeum, Yerba Buena Gardens, 221 Fourth St; 749-2228, www.act-sf.org. $10-15. Thurs/11-Sat/13, 8pm (also Sat/13, 2pm). Many directors have tried to adapt Mikhail Bulgakov's loopy yet lucid novel The Master and Margarita, and most have failed. With the novel's intricate Russian doll structure, supernatural plot, and dense thematic jungle, stage productions of the work generally veer between the oversimplistic and the vastly unwieldy. Romanian director Adrian Giurgea's ambitious production for the American Conservatory Theater master of fine arts program tries to intertwine the novel's complex historical-political allegory of Pontius Pilate with the darkly witty story about Satan's mischief-making antics in 1930s Moscow. Over the course of three hours and 20 minutes, ghoulish characters ping elastically in and out of vertical trap doors, caper about the stage in various states of hysteria and undress, and attempt fairly feeble magic tricks with bits of string. Despite some intriguing performances (in particular the mercurial Jeff Galfer as Satan incarnate, Woland) and well-executed scenic, sound, and lighting effects, Giurgea's long and busy production is mostly memorable for being a flurry of flesh and half-defined themes. (Veltman)

*Noises Off Marines Memorial Theatre, 609 Sutter; 1-877-771-6900. $40-60. Tues-Sat, 8pm (also Sat, 2pm); Sun, 2 and 7pm. Through March 21. It seems no sooner had director Richard Seyd's highly successful remounting of Michael Frayn's glorious farce-within-a-farce ensconced itself in San Francisco's Marines Memorial Theatre, with an open-ended run and a (mostly) new cast, than word came it would soon embark on a national tour. So this is fair warning for those who still haven't seen this gem, which has been going strong since opening last fall at San Jose Repertory Theatre, or would like another crack at it. Frayn's timeless 1982 three-act comedy shrewdly turns a typical sex farce inside out (literally, in the sense that the second act shows us the same play within the play from backstage), involving us in the combustible dynamics among the director and cast of Nothing On from their frazzled dress rehearsal to the last, rapidly disintegrating leg of their tour. It would be hard to beat the chemistry of the original cast, but the current ensemble comes admirably close, ensuring the sublime low humor and meticulously choreographed mayhem of Frayn's ingenious romp remain something to behold. (Avila)

Okra: A Dark Comedy Brava Theater Center, 2789 24th St; 647-2822, www.brava.org. $18-28. Wed/10-Sat/13, 8pm; Sun/14, 3pm. See "Sacred and Profane."

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. Spanning the 1940s to the 1980s, the stories are unrelated, except for a cool, emotional intensity that flows through all of them. In Hyacinths a childhood accident and its later repercussions are recounted with the help of life-size puppet-children. In The Sight of You, an extramarital affair is carried out at the local swimming pool (beautifully crafted using broad strips of blue cloth through which the actors dive in and out). Finally, in Silver Water, an adolescent's schizophrenia tests the durability of one family's love. Affecting performances by the finely tuned ensemble – some dozen actors who transition easily between roles and relationships, sometimes within the same piece – under the nearly choreographic direction of Randall Stuart, as well as the evocative and expressive work of the scenic-, lighting-, costume-design team, unify these three pieces into a multilayered, theatrical treat. (Shalson)

Twilight Zone: The Plays Spanganga, 3376 19th St; www.twilightzonelive.4t.com or www.spanganga.com. $11.50-15. Fri, 8pm; Sat, 10pm. Through March 27. Impossible Productions presents stage adaptations of classic Twilight Zone episodes.

Underneath the Lintel Exit Theatre, 156 Eddy; 267-4876, www.ticketweb.com. $12-18. Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Through April 3. Teatro Shalom presents Glen Berger's comic detective tale about a librarian who receives a book that is more than 100 years overdue.

Vita and Virginia Theatre Rhinoceros, 2926 16th St; 861-5079, www.therhino.org. $15-20. Wed/10-Sat/13, 8pm. Theatre Rhinoceros presents Eileen Atkins's play about the 20-year love affair between Virginia Woolf and Vita Sackville-West, adapted from the two women's correspondence and diaries. In director Gemma Whelan's staging, Virginia (Carolyn Cox) and Vita (Jennifer Grimes) each occupy a "home space" consisting of a writing desk and a few distinct furnishings at opposite ends of the stage, from which the actors orate their letters to one another, only coming together center stage periodically to kiss. The effect is awkward at first, but as the letters build, detailing the passions as well as the mundane moments of these extraordinary lives, a certain rhythm ensues, and the spacing works not only to heighten the isolation of the often ill Virginia from her often traveling paramour, but also to punctuate those moments when the two do come together. Cox and Grimes lend unique charms to their individualized portrayals and, though the play feels a bit too long, they maintain our interest and affection throughout. (Shalson)

Bay Area

The Bright River Transparent Theatre, 1901 Ashby, Berk; (510) 644-2204, www.epicarts.org or www.timbarsky.com. $12-20. 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.

*The Duel Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant, Berk; (510) 558-1381, www.centralworks.org. $8-20. Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 5pm. Through March 27. Everything you ever wanted to know about love but were afraid to ask is hidden, somewhere, in Anton Chekhov's irresistible 1891 novella, ably adapted for the stage by Berkeley's Central Works. But where to look? Love eludes both the passionate soul of the story's stifled young adulteress (Jennifer Fagundes) and the fickle heart of her reluctant lover, a sympathetically pathetic and "superfluous" man (Michael Cheng). Even more opaque seems the larger "love for humanity" on display in the antiseptic logic of a budding eugenicist (John Patrick Moore) or in the mysterious workings of a divinity, aloof in the actions of a simple deacon (Michael Shipley). Not to mention homier versions in the loyalty of a kind-hearted doctor (Richard Frederick) and the maternal domineering of a self-appointed moral guardian (Jan Zvaifler). Set in a remote town on the Black Sea, glorious natural surroundings do not an idyll make for this lot. Gary Graves's script captures well Chekhov's brilliant balance between darker passions and sublime humor, while Robert Weinapple's detailed direction extracts vibrant, well-pitched performances in an alluring atmosphere punctuated by snatches of Romantic music and moody lighting. Only the final note seems a bit heavy-handed, especially given Chekhov's vaguely ominous but ever so understated conclusion. (Avila)

Ghosts Berkeley Repertory's Roda Theatre, 2025 Addison, Berk; (510) 647-2949, www.berkeleyrep.org. $10-55. Tues, Thurs-Fri, 8pm (also Thurs/11, March 25, and April 8, 2pm; no show Fri/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.

*Say You Love Satan La Val's Subterranean Theatre, 1834 Euclid, Berk; (510) 464-4468, www.impacttheatre.com. $10-15. Thurs/11-Sat/13, 8pm. 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)

*Yellowman Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Thrust Stage, 2025 Addison, Berk; (510) 647-2949, www.berkeleyrep.org. $10-55. Extended run: Wed/10 and Sun/14, 7pm (also Sun/14, 2pm); Thurs/11-Sat/13, 8pm. 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

Dance Elixer Venue 9, 252 Ninth St; 289-2000, www.venue9.com. Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Through March 27. $10-15. The company (choreographer Leyya Tawil and composer Christopher Keyes) present "Elixer," a performance series. This week's pieces are Useless, Gravel, and Game; plus voice-physical theater performer Rasmus Jørgensen and percussionist Christopher Froh.

Batsheva Dance Company Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 701 Mission; 398-6449, www.performances.org. Wed-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2pm. $24-45. See "Pieces of Peace."

Dandelion Dancetheater Jon Sims Center for the Arts, 1519 Mission; 554-0402, www.dandeliondancetheater.org. Sat, 8pm. $10-100. The company presents "Re-Visioning the Body in Dance #3," an evening of works to benefit the culmination of Dandelion Dancetheater's Undressed project, a study of nude choreography.

'Eighth Annual City Lights Ball' Regency Center, 1300 Van Ness; 681-9083. Sat-Sun, 10am-4pm (also Sat, 6-11pm). $10-25. Bay Area professional ballroom and Latin dancers perform, plus the floor is open for general dancing throughout the competition.

Savion Glover Masonic Auditorium, California at Taylor; 776-1999, www.sfjazz.org. Fri, 8pm. $25-60. The tap sensation performs with his company, Ti Dii.

'Spring Forward Choreographers Showcase' Dance Mission Theater, 3316 24th St; 273-4633. Fri-Sat, 8pm. Through March 20. $10. Dance Brigade hosts this showcase; this week's performers include Dog Patch Superstars, Eclexity, Samantha Blanchard/Eclipse Dance Theater, Paufve Dance, Raw Footage, and Takami.

'Vision Series 2004' Cowell Theater, Fort Mason Center, Marina at Laguna; 345-7575. Fri-Sat, 8pm. $15-20. Dance Repertory/San Francisco and California Dance Educators of America copresent this annual event, featuring performances by 12 professional companies and 12 youth and high school programs.

'Youth Fest' ODC Theater, 3153 17th St; 863-9834, www.odctheater.org. Sat-Sun, 2pm (also Sat, 7pm). $12. ODC Theater presents performances by four youth companies: ODC Dance Jam, Chhandam School of Kathak Dance (official school of the Chitresh Das Dance Company), Zaccho Dance Company's Youth Company, and Gen Taiko.

Bay Area

Algerian National Ballet Scottish Rite Theatre, 1547 Lakeside, Oakl; 1-800-769-9669. Thurs, 8pm. $25-40. The 30-member company performs a variety of traditional dances; proceeds benefit the survivors of the country's 2003 earthquake.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Zellerbach Hall, Bancroft at Telegraph, UC Berkeley, Berk; (510) 642-9988, www.calperfs.berkeley.edu. Program A: Fri/12, 8pm; Sun/14, 3pm. Program B: Wed/10, 8pm; Sat/13, 2pm. Program C: Thurs/11, Sat/13, 8pm. $32-58. The company performs three programs of new works, revivals, and classics.

Cherie Carson Montclair Women's Cultural Arts Club, 1650 Mountain Blvd, Oakl; (510) 587-0770, www.movingout.org. Sat, 8pm; Sun, 4pm. $10-15. The choreographer and performer presents Dress Up/Dress Down, a multimedia work with live a capella music by SoVoSo.

performance

'Adventures of a Black Girl ... in Search of Academic Clarity and Inclusion' Intersection for the Arts, 446 Valencia; 626-2787, www.theintersection.org. Fri-Sun, 8pm. Through March 21. $9-15. Edris Cooper-Anifowoshe's solo show explores integration, affirmative action, and education in America.

BATS Improv Bayfront Theater, Fort Mason Center, Marina at Laguna; www.batsimprov.com. $10-12. This week: "King-of-the-Hill Theatresports" (Fri, 8pm); "Disco Romance" (Sat, 8pm); "The Harold" (Sun, 8pm).

'Bone Songs: Echoes of the Unknown Mother' SomArts Cultural Center, 934 Brannan; (510) 594-1377. Fri, 8pm. $10-25. (Also Sat, 8pm, Oakland Box, 1928 Telegraph, Oakl; this show only, www.ticketweb.com. Sun/14, 2pm, First Congregational Church, 2501 Harrison, Oakl.) Herstories Project presents this multimedia tale of 13 diverse Bay Area women.

'CAFE Presents' Off-Market Theater (and Studio), 965 Mission; 896-6477, www.cafearts.com. $10. This week: Tilted Frame performs the multimedia Frame Work, and Lucky Dog Theatre performs improv (Thurs, 8pm); multimedia show "Harmon Leon: TV Pirate!," with Tonal Chaos and Lurikenesis (Fri, 8pm).

'Capacity to Enter' Unitarian Center, 1187 Franklin; 863-3133. Fri, 7:30pm. $16. The San Francisco Zen Center's "Body, Breath, and Mind" series hosts this solo performance by Canyon Sam.

'848 Community Space Performance Festival Extravaganza' 848 Community Space, 848 Divisadero; 922-2385, 848@848.com. Fri-Sun, 8pm. $12-20 (no one turned away for lack of funds). See Critic's Choice.

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

'Full Spectrum Improvisation' Blue Bear Performance Space, Fort Mason Center, Bldg D, Marina at Laguna; (415) 564-4115, www.joyacory.com. Sat, 8pm. Through March 27. $6-12. Joya Cory's Lucky Dog Theatre performs unrehearsed tales.

'Impossibly Blonde: Marilyn at 77' Noh Space, 2840 Mariposa; 621-7978, www.theatreofyugen.org. Fri-Sat, 8pm. $15-20. Playwright Maggy Anthony stars in her solo show, an exploration of how the screen legend might have matured into old age had she not died at the age of 36.

'Mid-Month Cabaret Variety Night' Center for Variety Arts, 608 Taraval; 242-4433. Sat, 8pm. $10. Participating acts include the Odd A:lien Circus Orchestra, Dr. Techno's Traveling Minstrel and Medicine Show, sideshow performers, clowns, and more.

'Tschaikovsky (and Other Russians)' Geary Theater, 415 Geary; 749-2228, www.act-sf.org. Sun, 8pm. $14-40. Mark Nadler performs his solo cabaret tribute to American musical theater.

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

'Women's Work' Venue 9, 252 Ninth St; 289-2000, www.venue9.com. Tues, 8pm. Through March 23. $8-10. This week in the performance series: dance theater with Sarah-Luella Baker; storytelling with Mary Ellen Hill; dance by Lisa Townsend; and action dance theater with Jenny Schaffer.

Bay Area

'If These Hips Could Talk' Paramount Theatre, 2025 Broadway, Oakl; (510) 465-6400, www.ticketmaster.com. Wed-Sat, 8pm (also Sat, 3pm). $29.50-39.50. Billy Dee Williams stars in Angela Barrow-Dunlap's play about four talk show hosts whose seemingly perfect lives mask their many insecurities.

'Thieves in the Temple: The Reclaiming of Hip Hop' Oakland Box, 1928 Telegraph, Oakl; (510) 451-1932, www.ticketweb.com. Sun/14-Mon/15, March 21, 7pm; March 26-27, 8pm (also March 27, 2pm); March 28, 2 and 7pm. $3-10. Noted spoken word artist Aya de León performs her new, full-length hip-hop theater solo show.

'Women's Will 24-Hour PlayFest' Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College, Berk; (510) 420-0813, www.womanswill.org. Mon, 8pm. $10-25 sliding scale. See 8 Days a Week.

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 Mickey Joseph, W. Kamau Bell, Roddy Castro, Tom Smith, and Vladimir Khlynin, 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): Dat Phan, Marc Maron, and Dan Lewis, $17-20.

Hyena Theater 2390 Mission, Ste 304; 821-3601. Fri, 8pm: Stand-up comedy hosted by Eric Peterson, $6.

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

Off-Market Theater 965 Mission; 896-6477. Sat, 10pm, through March 27: "Ha Bloody Ha," live talk show hosted by Harmon Leon, $10.

Perry's Joint 1661 Fillmore; (650) 248-6985. Thurs, 9pm: "Guerrilla Comedy!," with Kevin Avery, Reece Waters, Leah Eva, and E. Clark, free.

Purple Onion 140 Columbus; www.purpleonioncomedy.com. Wed, 9pm: "Comedy Returns to the Purple Onion," with Jim Short, Johnny Steele, and others, $6.

San Francisco LGBT Community Center 1800 Market; 865-5633. Fri-Sat, 8pm: "Thanks for the Feedback: A Comedy Concert About Being a Comic," starring Doug Holsclaw, with special guest Anita Cocktail, $18.

Spanganga 3376 19th St; 821-1102. Thurs, 8pm: "Third Annual Off Season Spiegelmania Christmas Show," stand-up comedy showcase hosted by Mike Spiegelman, $7. Fri, 10pm, through March 26: "When Uphill Both Ways Attacks!," sketch comedy, $10.

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

Bay Area

Paramount Theatre2025 Broadway, Oakl; (510) 465-6400, www.ticketmaster.com. Sun, 7pm: "Crown Royal Comedy Festival," with host Rickey Smiley and comedians Sommore and DL Hughley, $45.50-60.50.

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. La Peña Cultural Center 3105 Shattuck, Berk; (510) 849-2568. Open mic poetry hosted by Ira Allen, 7:30pm, $2.

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. Mediterranean Cafe 2475 Telegraph, Berk; (510) 526-5985. "Word Beat Reading Series," with featured readers Paul Belz and Marc Elihu Hofstadter, followed by open mic, 7pm, 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, novelist Scott Lettieri, 6pm, $3. Dalva 3121 16th St, SF; (415) 753-8091. "Poetry Mission," with featured reader Todd Anthony D'Anna, plus open mic hosted by Elz, 7pm, free. Valley Center for the Performing Arts Holy Names College, 3510 Mountain, Oakl; (510) 436-1400. Slam poet Ishle Ye Park reads to benefit the Julia Morgan School for Girls, 7pm, $10-15. Oakland Box 1928 Telegraph, Oakl; (510) 451-1932, www.oaklandbox.com. "Crookaletta B Queer Spoken Word," with Deep Dickollective, Exodus, and others, 8pm, $7-10. Weigand Art Gallery Notre Dame de Namur University, 1500 Ralston, Belmont; (650) 508-3780. Poet George Keithley reads, 7:30pm, free.

Friday: Oakland Box 1928 Telegraph, Oakl; (415) 255-9035, www.youthspeaks.org. "Youth Speaks Eighth Annual Teen Poetry Slam," preliminary round, 7pm, $4-8. Odeon Bar 3223 Mission, SF; (415) 550-6994. "Blabbermouth with a Twist," open mic for three-minute soliloquies (must be one of the following: a confession, an apology, an indictment, a recipe, or a traumatic incident from childhood recalled), hosted by Cary Tennis with live music by Go Van Gogh and the Boneless Children Foundation, 9pm, $5.

Saturday: Intersection for the Arts 446 Valencia, SF; (415) 255-9035, www.youthspeaks.org. "Youth Speaks Eighth Annual Teen Poetry Slam," preliminary round, 2pm, $2. San Francisco Public Library Golden Gate Valley Branch, 1801 Green, SF; (415) 355-5666. Poetry reading and workshop with Sally Love Saunders, 1:30pm, free. Make Out Room 3225 22nd St, SF; www.writerswithdrinks.com. "Writers in Drag," reading with Bay Guardian contributor Michelle Tea, Kirk Read, Juba Kalamka, and Simon Sheppard; proceeds benefit Other magazine (edited by Bay Guardian culture editor Annalee Newitz), 7:30pm, $3-5.

Sunday: Cody's Books 2454 Telegraph, Berk; (510) 845-7852. "Poetry Flash," with devorah major and Marc Bamuthi Joseph, 7:30pm, $2. Cafe Prague 584 Pacific, SF; (415) 433-3811. Mark Schwartz hosts featured reader Jonathan North, 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 Tom Odegard, 7pm, free. Edinburgh Castle Pub 950 Geary, SF; (415) 248-0002, www.attagirlsevents.com/spinners.html. "Christi and Ashli's Yarn Spinners," spoken word open mic; this month's theme is "Take This Job and Shove It – Stories about Work," 8pm, $1-2.