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

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes Eureka Theatre, 215 Jackson; 978-2787, www.42ndStMoon.org. $17-30. Previews Wed/24-Fri/26, 8pm. Opens Sat/27, 6pm. Runs Thurs-Fri, 8pm; Sat, 6pm (also April 3, 1pm); Sun, 3pm; April 14, 7pm. Through April 18. 42nd Street Moon performs the musical stage version of Anita Loos's novel, best known for inspiring the Marilyn Monroe film and featuring the song "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend."

The Time of Your Life Geary Theater, 415 Geary; 749-2228, www.act-sf.org. $16-73. Previews Thurs/25-Sat/27, 8pm (also Sat/27, 2pm). Opens Sun/28, 7pm. Runs March 30-April 3, April 7-10, 13-17, and 20-24, 8pm (also April 3, 7, 10, 17, 21, and 24, 2pm); April 4, 11, 18, and 25, 2pm; April 4 and 6, 7pm. Through April 25. See 8 Days a Week, page 50.

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.

The Carpetbagger's Children Phoenix Theatre, 414 Mason; 989-0023. $20 (Thurs, pay what you can). Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Through April 17. The Phoenix Theatre presents distinguished playwright and screenwriter Horton Foote's 2001 drama about three grown-up daughters of a former Union soldier turned wealthy Texas plantation owner. Told as a series of monologues, the play has the feel of a pop-up short story as it contrasts the distinct perspectives of Cornelia (Gretchen Grant), Grace Ann (Linda Ayres-Frederick), and Sissie (Kate Austin-Groen) concerning certain family trials and triumphs on and around their late father's estate. Foote introduces several themes along the way – including race relations, the distorting influence of wealth and privilege on intimate ties, and the stigma associated with being the family of a carpetbagger – but inconsistently, giving the drama an unfocused quality, beyond perhaps the idea of unsettled loyalties. Nevertheless, the play serves as a vehicle for three wonderfully sharp and graceful performances. Director Dianna Shuster envelops these in a respectful silence that helps elicit the sultry air and languid hours of the Southern landscape (made still more vivid by scenic designer Jeff Wincek's wistful cotton field), while the characters measure with the weary beating of their fans an indolent atmosphere that seems paradoxically to have only quickened and distinguished their personalities. (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/26, 10pm).

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, 1 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 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)

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. Set in a timeless scene with a strong 17th-century locution on the loose in it, David Mamet's version of the Faust legend catches the title character (David Rasche) on a double-celebration day: it's the birthday of his adoring son (Benjamin Beecroft and Nathan Wexler) and the day of the triumphant completion of his long-awaited magnum opus, a work that claims to have reduced all of human nature to a mathematical equation. Dr. Faustus amounts to so great a departure into an obsessive formalism that it leaves its familiar but alluring themes and the playwright's usual strengths registering only dimly on the horizon. (Avila)

*The Fula from America: An African Journey Marsh, 1062 Valencia; 826-5750, www.themarsh.org. $15-22. Thurs/25-Sat/27, 8pm. In Carlyle Brown's engrossing solo show, a native New Yorker of African descent travels across the African continent and manages, almost by accident, to feel at home. Going abroad to "find oneself" is a bit of a cliché, but Brown's lively stories of missed connections, improbable friendships, and differing cultural opinions about what it means to be alone somehow restore meaning to the idea. (Veltman)

How to Write a Song Off-Market Theater, 965 Mission; 896-6477, www.offmarkettheater.com. $12-20 sliding scale. Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Through April 10. Ira Marlowe performs his multimedia comedy about a songwriter's adventures in the music biz.

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.

Mamma Mia! Golden Gate Theatre, 1 Taylor; 512-7770, www.ticketmaster.com. $40-81. Tues-Sat and 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. 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. (Avila)

A Man of No Importance New Conservatory Theatre Center, 25 Van Ness; 861-8972, www.nctcsf.org. $18-38. Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 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/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."

Sandwich Exit Theatre, 277 Taylor; 673-3847, www.sffringe.org. $12-20 sliding scale. Fri-Sat, 8pm. Through April 10. Jason Craig's surreal musical, a 2003 San Francisco Fringe Festival favorite, returns for a full run.

Seduction New Conservatory Theatre Center, 25 Van Ness; 861-8972, www.nctcsf.org. $18-28. Wed/24-Sat/27, 8pm; Sun/28, 2pm. 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.

Sorya! 2 Chickens and a Bear Noh Space, 2840 Mariposa; 621-7978, www.theatreofyugen.org. $15-20. Fri-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 3pm. Through April 4. Theatre of Yugen presents its second annual offering of Kyogen comedies, with works by Pirandello and Chekhov performed in the Japanese theater style, as well as a new translation of a traditional play.

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 Hotels Thick House, 1695 18th St; 401-8081. $10-20. Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 5pm. Through April 11. Eastenders Repertory Company performs Jon Robin Baitz's drama about corporate corruption.

Twilight Zone: The Plays Spanganga, 3376 19th St; www.twilightzonelive.4t.com or www.spanganga.com. $11.50-15. Fri/26, 8pm; Sat/27, 10pm. Impossible Productions presents stage adaptations of classic Twilight Zone episodes.

The Underbelly Diaries Exit Stage Left, 156 Eddy; 819-2036. $15. Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Through April 3. Anabolic steroids may produce bodies of Greek god-like dimensions, but in the process, they reduce certain of the body's attributes to childlike proportions. This is one lesson to be gleaned from Aaron Berg's solo comedy about his experiences working as a body builder, prostitute, and stripper. Considering that he's speaking from personal experience, this may be too much information. But it's the perfect metaphor for Berg's tell-all, confessional, self-deprecating mode of autobiographical performance. It captures the irony at the heart of Berg's tales about being a privileged Jewish boy from the suburbs who thought street life would be glamorous, who thought turning tricks would impress the girls by making him rich but found instead that he wound up paying for sex as often as he got paid for it. Berg is a dynamic performer and a great storyteller who is often quite hilarious. However, he overestimates the provocative power of politically incorrect humor, and his stories are frequently less shocking or unconventional than they strive to be. (Shalson)

Underneath the Lintel Exit Theatre, 156 Eddy; 267-4876, www.ticketweb.com. $12-18. Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Through April 3. Teatro Shalom presents Seattle-based writer-performer Glen Berger's solo work, a modern Jewish folktale about a fussbudget librarian from Holland who becomes obsessed with a very overdue book checked out to an ancient patron, anonymous but for a single initial. One clue after another leads the Dutch homebody on a transnational hunt for this elusive, seemingly immortal globetrotter and monumentally irresponsible bibliophile. As he sacrifices all former security in pursuit of the mystery, the librarian turned sleuth confronts his own missteps, including a youthful hesitation that may have cost him his only chance for happiness. This second narrative thread imposes itself weakly and somewhat awkwardly on the ultimately existential journey, however, while the story's repetitious aspects and gentle but often dull humor grow wearying. Like many a fairytale, Berger's light treatment and euphoric ending belie a darker theme, and his persnickety clown may convey it best to a younger audience, or one absent jaded miscreants anyway. (Avila)

Bay Area

All My Sons Lucie Stern Theatre, 1305 Middlefield, Palo Alto; (650) 903-6000, www.theatreworks.org. $20-50. Extended run: Wed/24 and Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2pm. Through April 4. See "What Is It Good For?," page 50.

*The Bright River Transparent Theatre, 1901 Ashby, Berk; (510) 644-2204, www.epicarts.org, www.timbarsky.com. $12-20. Extended run: Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Through April 3. Writer-musician-performer Tim Barsky and company take you to the other side with a committed piece of underground theater that refashions the Jewish storytelling tradition in a fusion of hip-hop beats, jazz-inspired improvisation, and slam-style lyricism presented by Epic Arts. Musicians Jessica Ivry, Shree Shyam, and phenomenal human beatbox Andrew Chaikin join Barsky in creating a cool and hypnotic bed of sound over which Barsky's inspired phrasing flows brightly like the river separating this life from the next. (Avila)

*The Duel Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant, Berk; (510) 558-1381, www.centralworks.org. $8-20. Thurs/25-Sat/27, 8pm. 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). 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. (Avila)

*Fall Down Get Up New venue: Julia Morgan Theatre, 2640 College, Berk; (925) 798-1300, www.atjt.com. $18-30. Thurs/25-Sat/27, 8pm; Sun/28, 2 and 7pm. Even if you've never seen any of Naomi Newman's myriad performances at Traveling Jewish Theatre, which she cofounded, as soon as she walks onstage there's no mistaking the deceptive ease, consummate simplicity, and grace of a lifelong performer. Beginning with a childhood account of family Sabbaths spent in the Yiddish theater of the mid 1930s, this fresh and charming solo work weaves together in monologue and song an actor's life, which is to say various women drawn from personal memory, literature, history, and imagination. (Avila)

*Ghosts Berkeley Repertory Theatre's Roda Theatre, 2025 Addison, Berk; (510) 647-2949, www.berkeleyrep.org. $10-55. Tues, Thurs-Fri, 8pm (also Thurs/25 and April 8, 2pm); Wed and Sun, 7pm (also Sun, 2pm); Sat, 2 and 8pm (no 2pm shows Sat/27 and April 10). Through April 11. Director Jonathan Moscone and a charismatic cast breathe considerable life into Berkeley Repertory Theatre's production of Ibsen's morbid classic, a withering assault on the self-destructive moral hypocrisy of bourgeois society. Mrs. Alving (a powerful Ellen McLaughlin) has held back the ugly truth about her outwardly respectable but secretly dissolute late husband to protect her now grown-up son, Oswald (a winningly erratic Davis Duffield), a bohemian painter returned from Paris in failing health. Her desire to relieve her suffering son's self-doubts with the news that his complaint relates to his father's sins rather than his own finds itself checked by the prim Pastor Manders (James Carpenter), who's helping her open a public memorial to her husband. But when Oswald pursues the maid Regina (Emily Ackerman), good daughter of a local sinner (Brian Keith Russell), the ghosts of the past return with greater fury. Except for a sort of Royal Tenenbaums moment (in which our emotions end up unnecessarily and distractingly cued by a sentimental pop song), Moscone's direction moves things forward with elegant precision, while in Neil Patel's impressive design, the looming, austere Avling home literally opens up as walls of hypocrisy come down (or rather ascend into the flies), until the final action plays out against an enormous canvas whose jumble of bodies evokes a kind of beautiful anguish. (Avila)

My Old Lady Marin Theatre Company, 397 Miller, Mill Valley; (415) 388-5208, www.marintheatre.org. $28-45 (Tues, pay what you can). Tues, Thurs-Sat, 8pm (also Thurs/25, April 1, 1pm; 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.

dance

*Dance Elixir Venue 9, 252 Ninth St; 289-2000, www.venue9.com. Thurs-Sat, 8pm. $10-15. Presented as part of the Women on the Way series, "Frequency" is what Leyya Tawil calls the three-week gig for her Dance Elixir company and changing guests. Tawil's lanky choreography is both witty and playful, filling Venue 9's minuscule stage with clearly focused energy without ever appearing self-conscious. In Game she punts herself against Cristina Waltz's video of madly hopping friends. Gravel pairs her with Rosario Lionudakis in a duet that matches companionship with independence. Tawil's fresh use of arm movements – maybe because she's so tall – finds full expression in Useless. Most of the movements, whether oriented away or toward us, seem to find their focus in dancer Deborah Miller's splayed fingers. And those didn't seem useless at all. (Felciano)

Company Chaddick ODC Theater, 3153 17th St; 863-9834, www.ticketweb.com. Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Through April 3. $19. The company celebrates its 19th season with "Eclipse," featuring new collaborations by artistic director Cheryl Chaddick.

Deborah Slater Dance Theater Randall Museum Theater, 199 Museum Wy; 554-9600, www.randallmuseum.org. Sat, 1pm. $3-6. The company performs the kid-friendly "Blue-Footed Boobies and Other Animals of the Galapagos."

'Lively Dance Festival III' Veterans Bldg Green Rm, 401 Van Ness; 1-866-468-3399, www.ticketweb.com. Fri-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 3pm. $12-15. The Lively Foundation hosts performances by Seung Yean Lee, Leslie Friedman, Helena Birecki, and Nemesio Parades, plus dancers from Polish company Lodz Contemporary Ballet.

NovAntiqua Dance Mission Theatre, 3316 24th St; 564-3971. Fri-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 7pm. $13-18. Mark Franko presents his Caesura, a new work featuring guest artist Brian Fisher and company dancers Cristina Aguirre, Damara Ganley, and Juliet Neidish.

Paul Taylor Dance Company Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater, 700 Howard; 392-4400, www.performances.org. Program A: Wed/24, Sat/27, and April 1, 8pm; April 4, 2pm. Program B: Thurs/25, April 2, 8pm; Sun/28, 2pm. Program C: Fri/26, March 31, and April 3, 8pm. $35-55. Program A includes Arden Court, Runes, and Dante Variations; Program B, Mercuric Tidings, Le grand puppetier, and Promethean Fire; Program C, Aureole, 3 Epitaphs, Sunset, and Piazzolla Caldera. See Critic's Choice.

*San Francisco Ballet War Memorial Opera House, 301 Van Ness; 865-2000, www.sfballet.org. Program Five (Apollo, The Four Temperaments, Serenade): Thurs/25, Sat/27, Tues/30, and April 2, 8pm (also Sat/27, 2pm); March 31, 7:30pm; April 4, 2pm. Program Six (Square Dance, Stravinsky Violin Concerto, Who Cares?): Wed/24, 7:30pm; Fri/26, April 1, and 3, 8pm (also April 3, 2pm); Sun/28, 2pm. $8-132. Program Five is the best demonstration I can think of for why Balanchine's reputation, 20 years after his death, is higher than ever. The revolutionary ideas he worked out, some as early as the 1920s, in Serenade, Apollo, and The Four Temperaments couldn't be more different from each other, yet time has barely diminished their impact. San Francisco Ballet has never looked better than in these stunning choreographies. Not just stars like Tina LeBlanc, who recently came back from her second maternity leave and who has never danced better, or hothead powerhouse Gonzalo Garcia, who literally grows up in Apollo – but also all those semianonymous corps dancers who carry the weight and define a company. They're tops. If you like Americana, go to Program Six, comprising ballets Mr. B. made during his long love affair with American pop culture. They're good, but not as good as the earlier stuff. (Felciano)

Bay Area

'The Main Event' Lake Merritt Dance Center, 200 Grand, Oakl; (415) 820-3979, www.dancevents4you.com. Sun, noon-5pm. $12-25. Dance entertainment company DancEvents launches with a party and performances by pro ballroom, hip-hip, modern, and other styles of dancers.

Nederlands Dans Theater I Zellerbach Hall, Bancroft at Telegraph, UC Berkeley, Berk; (510) 642-9988, www.calperfs.berkeley.edu. Program A: Wed-Thurs, 8pm; Program B: Sat, 8pm; Sun, 3pm. $38-64. See 8 Days a Week, page 50.

performance

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

'Blacklight Theatre and Vaudeville Circus Extravaganza' Xenodrome, 1320 Potrero; 242-4433, www.technomaniacircus.com. Sat, 8pm. $15. Technomania Circus presents a show featuring circus acts, sideshow routines, a black-light illusion show, and more.

'CAFE Presents' Off-Market Theater (and Studio), 965 Mission; 896-6477, www.cafearts.com. $10. This week: musical improv and spoken word with Tonal Chaos (Thurs, 8pm); improv double bill with the Legal Briefs and Muy Fuerte (Fri, 8pm); "Ha Bloody Ha," live talk show hosted by Harmon Leon (Sat, 10pm).

'California Stories: A Time ... a Place' Buriel Clay Theater, 762 Fulton; 292-1850, www.culturalodyssey.org. Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 3pm. $12-25. See Critic's Choice.

'Full Spectrum Improvisation' Blue Bear Performance Space, Fort Mason Center, Bldg D, Marina at Laguna; (415) 564-4115, www.joyacory.com. Sat, 8pm. $6-12. Lucky Dog Theater (Joya Cory, Greg Lejnieks, Katherine Sommers, and Michael Sommers) presents an evening of improvisational theater billed as the "full spectrum" variety, which apparently means that the instantaneous material may swerve from comedy to drama to political satire to song. The performance I saw did no more than hint at more-serious or topical subjects beyond typical comic mayhem, and there was precious little singing, but who knows. Structured in the usual way around various verbs and off-the-cuff phrases supplied by the audience, each night offers entirely spontaneous collaborations between the four performers and their musical accompanist, violinist Yehudit. Needless to say, it's a bit of a crapshoot, but the playful familiarity among the actors in this flexible if unexceptional troupe can breed some rewarding moments amid the predictable chaos and dissonance. (Avila)

'Not Enough Rope' Golden Gate Community Center, 3170 23rd St; 441-6605, notenoughrope@yahoo.com. Fri-Sat, 8pm. $5-8 sliding scale. 23rd Street Warehouse presents Elaine May's dark comedy.

'One Minute Performance Festival' New College Cultural Center, 766 Valencia; bindi@aaahawk.com. Thurs, 7:20pm. Free. Open mic for one-minute performances: poetry, prose, music, how-to demonstrations, etc.

'One Night Only Cabaret' Club Fugazi, 678 Green; www.helpisontheway.org. Mon, 7:30pm. $20-100. The Richmond/Ermet AIDS Foundation benefits from this show, featuring cast members from Mamma Mia and Disney's The Lion King.

'POMO: The Post Modern American Pilipino Performance Project' Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 701 Mission; 239-0249, www.kularts.org. Sat, 8pm; Sun, 3pm. $13-15. See 8 Days a Week, page 50.

'Radical Performance Fest' SomArts Cultural Center, 934 Brannan; 285-9734, www.somarts.org. Fri-Sat, 8pm. $10-20 sliding scale. See 8 Days a Week, page 50.

'San Francisco's Famous Burlesque Revue' 12 Galaxies, 2565 Mission; www.virtuous.com. Fri, 10pm. $12-15. Kitten on the Keys, the Lollies, San Francisco's Famous Burlesque Orchestra, and others perform.

'Seth Eisen Master Class: A Work in Progress' New College Theater, 777 Valencia; 437-3487. Sun, 7pm. $5-10 sliding scale. The Experimental Performance Institute presents this work in progress – an exploration of activist themes through site-specific performance – by students of artist-in-residence Eisen.

'The Unusual Smell of Burnt Rubber Presents: New One-Acts' Build, 483 Guerrero; 939-6767. Fri-Sun, 8pm. $8. This performance features new one-acts by Ryan Beebe, Chris Hall, and Aren Haun.

'Va Va Voom Room' Plush Room, York Hotel, 940 Sutter; 885-2800, www.vavavoomroom.com. Extended run: Fri-Sat, 8 and 11pm (no shows May 14-15). Through May 22. $29.75. The New York City-based ensemble performs a burlesque and vaudeville cabaret.

Bay Area

'Thieves in the Temple: The Reclaiming of Hip Hop' Oakland Box, 1928 Telegraph, Oakl; (510) 451-1932, www.ticketweb.com. Fri-Sat, 8pm (also Sat, 2pm); Sun, 2 and 7pm. $3-10. Bay Area poet-performer Aya de León combines spoken word, hip-hop, autobiography, and eccentric characters in her one-woman assault on the corporate co-optation of hip-hop. In its response to the misogyny and violence celebrated in much commercial hip-hop (which recalls Sarah Jones's recent solo show, Mass Transit), Thieves doesn't move too far beyond the critique we're already familiar with. But then, smoothly directed by Ellen Sebastian Chang, de León's passionate reclamation is as much demonstration as discourse in the empathetic power of music and art. (Avila)

comedy

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): Jake Johannsen, Robert Mac, and Steve Mazan , $17-20.

Purple Onion 140 Columbus; www.purpleonioncomedy.com. Wed, 9pm: "Comedy Returns to the Purple Onion," with Rob Cantrell and friends, $6.

Spanganga 3376 19th St; 821-1102. Thurs, 8pm: "Limited Seating. Public Welcome. Must End on Time," stand-up comedy showcase hosted by Mike Spiegelman, $7. Fri, 10pm: "When Uphill Both Ways Attacks!," sketch comedy, $10.

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.

Thursday: Mediterranean Cafe 2475 Telegraph, Berk; (510) 526-5985. "Word Beat Reading Series," with featured readers Ralph Dranow and LisaAnn LoBasso, 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, poet Gloria Oden, singer Constance Taylor, performance poet Drea Brown, and open mic, 6pm, $3. Dalva 3121 16th St, SF; (415) 753-8091. "Poetry Mission," with featured reader Melissa Elftherion, plus open mic, 7pm, free. 16th Street/Mission BART Plaza 16th St at Mission, SF; (415) 255-9881. "CAI Street Arts Workshop," open mic, 8:30pm, free.

Friday La Peña Cultural Center 3105 Shattuck, Berk; (415) 255-9035, ext 21, www.youthspeaks.org. "Youth Speaks Eighth Annual Teen Poetry Slam Semi-Finals," 7pm, $4-10.

Saturday: La Peña Cultural Center 3105 Shattuck, Berk; (415) 255-9035, ext 21, www.youthspeaks.org. "Youth Speaks Eighth Annual Teen Poetry Slam Semi-Finals," 7pm, $4-10. Berkeley Art Center 1275 Walnut, Berk; (510) 527-9753. "Rhythm and Muse Open Mic Series: Young Performers' Night," 7pm, free. Barnes and Noble Jack London Sq, Oakl; (510) 763-8204. "Wisdom Women for Peace and Healing Poetry Reading," featuring Mary Rudge, Nina Serrano, and Leonora O'Neil, 7pm, free.

Sunday: Cody's Books 2454 Telegraph, Berk; (510) 845-7852. "Poetry Flash," featuring contributors to Appetite: Food as Metaphor, an Anthology of Women Poets, 7:30pm, $2. Cafe Prague 584 Pacific, SF; (415) 433-3811. Mark Schwartz hosts featured reader Debra Grace Khattab, plus open mic, 4pm, free. Ecology Center Bookstore 2530 San Pablo, Berk; (510) 548-2220, ext 227, www.kirklumpkin.com. Publication party and reading for Kirk Lumpkin's new book of poetry, In Deep, 4pm, free.

Monday: Priya Indian Cuisine 2072 San Pablo, Berk; berkeleypoetryexpress@yahoo.com. "Poetry Express," with open mic hosted by Mark States; this week's theme is "Women in Your Life," 7pm, free. Perry's Joint 1661 Fillmore, SF; (415) 928-8904. Featured reader Nancy Keane, followed by open mic, 7pm, free. Canvas Cafe 1200 Ninth Ave, SF; www.lilycat.com. "Lit at the Canvas," reading with Susan Birkeland, M.I. Blue, Lynn Breedlove, and Joan Gelfand, 7pm, donations accepted.