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

Cabaret Rebel Exit Theatre Cafe, 156 Eddy; 751-5922, www.sffringe.org. $12-20. Opens Fri/23, 8:30pm. Runs Fri-Sat and May 3, 8:30pm. Through May 8. Art Street Theatre presents Beth Wilmurt in the revival of her acclaimed "theatrical concert."

Dirty Blonde New Conservatory Theatre Center, 25 Van Ness; 861-8972, www.nctcsf.org. $18-28 (opening night, $38). Previews Wed/21-Fri/23, 8pm. Opens Sat/24, 8pm. Runs Wed-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2pm (no show Sun/25). Through June 26. The New Conservatory Theatre Center performs Claudia Shear's romantic comedy about two New York loners who bond over their Mae West obsession.

Dybbuk Traveling Jewish Theatre, 470 Florida; 285-8080, www.atjt.com. $18-30. Previews Wed/21-Sat/24, 8pm. Opens Sun/25, 7pm. Runs Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2 and 7pm (no 2pm show on Sun/25). Through May 30. (Also May 27-29, 8pm; May 30, 2 and 7pm, Julia Morgan Theatre, 2640 College, Berk.) Traveling Jewish Theatre performs Bruce Myers's adaptation of the Yiddish theater classic.

'The Hot House: Three New Plays in Rep' Magic Theatre, Northside Theater, Fort Mason Center, Bldg D; 441-8822, www.magictheatre.org. $20-38 (three-play pass, $72). April 21-June 20. Magic Theatre presents three world premiere plays, performed in rotating repertory (check Web site for schedule): Steven R. Culp's Thirteen Hallucinations of Julio Rivera, Stephen Belber's Drifting Elegant, and Cassandra Medley's Relativity.

Ongoing

After the Fall Actors Theatre of San Francisco, 533 Sutter; 296-9179, www.actorstheatresf.org. $5-20. Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 7pm. Through May 22. Actors Theatre of San Francisco performs Arthur Miller's play about a fortysomething lawyer reflecting back on his tumultuous life.

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. Most shows $15. Upcoming performances include "A Celebration of Silliness," with Fred Anderson (Sun, 3 and 7pm, ongoing); "Tony Sparks' Comedy Elite" (Sun/25, 8:30pm).

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)

Flaming Iguanas Theatre Rhinoceros, 2926 16th St; 861-5079, www.therhino.org. $15-25. Wed/21-Sat/24, 8pm. Theatre Rhinoceros presents the stage version of Erika Lopez's irreverent road-trip novel, adapted and directed by Rhino artistic director John Fisher and Duca Knezevic, about a New Jersey Latina and budding lesbian named Tomato Rodriguez (Mirla Reyes) who motorcycles cross-country to visit her dying father (Octavio Saez De Ibarra). This peripatetic production is indoor-outdoor (so dress warmly), involving amusement park-like filing through the bowels of the theater past scattered "key scenes" on endless loop, and finally out around the corner where road atmosphere comes complete with wino and carbon monoxide. Reyes's laid-back and personable narrator functions more like the host of her own sitcom than like a full-blooded character, which only adds to the carefree fun of this frisky but otherwise conventional confessional. (Avila)

Mystery Box House Omnicircus Theatre, 550 Natoma; 701-0686. $10-15. Fri-Sat, 9:30pm. Through May 1. Subterranean Shakespeare joins OmniCircus in presenting its latest experimental, psychedelic musical cabaret, led by Frank Garvey (creator of the Junkyard Cabaret and Robot Ensemble). The cabaret is driven by a musical score composed by Garvey and Daniel Berkman (performed by the OmniCircus house band, DeusMachina), and the show combines trademark OmniCircus elements – crotchety robots, Garvey's poetry, and a screening of the award-winning animated film The Mound – with a variety of monologues and interpretive dance numbers. A small ensemble of women dressed in various fetish costumes (from topless and masked to funky lingerie ensembles to black sack encasements), provide visuals to accompany the dark musical score, although the effect is often more kitschy than erotic. (Shalson)

No One Man Show Bayview Opera House, 4705 Third St; 824-0386. $10. Sat, 6pm; Sun, 3pm. Through May 2. Infinity Productions presents Oakland playwright Thelma Jackson Stiles' play about a woman who takes over the raising of her siblings after the death of their parents.

Not a Genuine Black Man Marsh, 1062 Valencia; 641-0235. $15-22. Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Through May 15. Brian Copeland performs his first solo show, a comedic yet poignant look at growing up in the suburbs.

Saint Joan of the Stockyards Venue 9, 252 Ninth St; 1-866-468-3399, www.custommade.org. $15-18. Fri/23-Sat/24, 8pm; Sun/25, 2pm. It's people! The meat ground up and spit out by the slaughterhouses of Chicago? It's people, people. People!!! But, then, is it really surprising that the same system grinding up hapless hogs in a nightmare industrial assembly line grinds down its workers as if they were no better than animals themselves? Somehow Bertolt Brecht makes the familiar revelation startlingly new all over again in this agitprop masterpiece, a splendid example of his "epic" style presented by Custom Made Theater Company, in which a charismatic Salvation Army evangelist named Joan Dark (Leah S. Abrams) goes on a journey of discovery into the bowels of the meat industry ruled over by top dog Pierpont Mauler (Jeff Bredt) of the swindling classes. Brian Katz's lively and intelligent direction doesn't always make up for the unevenness in his large cast, but all's well out front with Abrams's strong and sympathetic Joan and Bredt's wonderfully suave but fragile villain. (Avila)

'San Francisco Improv Festival' Next Stage, 1620 Gough; and Climate Theatre, 285 Ninth St; (415) 863-1076, www.sfimprovfestival.com. $15. Through June 26. This week: Next Stage Improv Ensemble, the Sam Shaw Show, and the Kihckercast Project (Next Stage, Thurs/22-Sat/24, 8pm).

Slaughter City Exit Theatre, 156 Eddy; 675-5995. www.crowdedfire.org. $15-20. Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Through May 8. See "Brave New World."

*The Smell of the Kill Playhouse, 536 Sutter; 677-9596, www.sfplayhouse.org. $30. Wed-Sat, 8pm (also Sat/24 and May 1, 3pm). Through May 15. Three suburban housewives (Stacy Ross, Zehra Berkman, and Susi Damilano) confer in a remodeled kitchen, while their drunken husbands run childishly amok in another room. In the course of some catty posturing – interlarded with intercom faux pas – they slowly unveil their miserable married lives to one another. When they discover their loveless husbands have trapped themselves in with the frozen deer and rabbit meat downstairs, they have a moral dilemma ahead of them. New York playwright Michelle Lowe's black comedy trades on some pretty hoary stereotypes about men as beer-soaked, sports-obsessed savages with hunting rifles and walk-in meat lockers, gross generalizations that will no doubt continue to plague us until men stop behaving like sports-obsessed savages with guns and walk-in meat lockers. In the meantime, three terrific comic turns and good stage chemistry turn a mildly enjoyable script into a very funny and entertaining California premiere, expertly guided by SF Playhouse artistic director Bill English. And we have no problem hanging out the whole time in English's elegantly constructed set either, a seriously swank and colorful art deco success story unto itself. (Avila)

Strange Travel Suggestions Marsh, 1062 Valencia; 826-5750. $15-22 (May 12, $25-50). Wed, 8pm. Through May 26. Jeff Greenwald performs his solo show, based on stories from his years of world travel.

The Sweet New Exit Stage Left, 156 Eddy; 648-3091, doverdprod@earthlink.net. $15-20 (April 29, pay what you can). Fri-Sat, April 29, and May 6, 8 p.m. Through May 8. Destiny Over Duration presents Raymond Rea's play about three generations of an Italian American family.

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.

*The Time of Your Life Geary Theater, 415 Geary; 749-2228, www.act-sf.org. $16-73. Extended run: Wed/21-Sat/24, April 27-28, April 30-May 1, 8pm (also Wed/21, Sat/24, April 28, and May 1, 2pm); Sun, 2pm. Through May 2. Community is subversive. William Saroyan's The Time of Your Life (1939) suggests just how subversive it can be, especially in a time of war and social unrest. The play unfolds, with a minimum of plot but plenty of style and bar-stool philosophy, in a waterfront watering hole on San Francisco's Embarcadero in 1939, a local haven of outcasts of the depression on the eve of World War II. Chicago's Steppenwolf Theater Company, in association with American Conservatory Theater and the Seattle Repertory Theatre, delivers an exhilarating and perfectly tuned ensemble production (directed by Tina Landau) that makes Saroyan's trenchant humanism vivid and compelling. Along with the play's considerable humor and buoyant energy, his unabashed plea for love and understanding registers strongly at a time in many ways as troubled and unsure of the future as the '30s were. (Avila)

Valparaiso Exit on Taylor, 277 Taylor; 1-866-GOT-FURY, www.foolsfury.org. $15-25 (sliding scale; Thurs, pay what you can). Thurs-Sun, 8pm. Through May 8. foolsFURY performs Don DeLillo's dark comedy about media culture.

*Woods for the Trees Noh Space, 2840 Mariposa; 621-7978. $12-20. Thurs/22-Sat/24, 8pm. Sara Kraft and Ed Purver (the minds behind last year's San Francisco Fringe Festival favorite Countless) present another intelligently woven, utterly engaging performance piece meditating on the meaning of place and presence. A brother and sister find themselves abandoned in a dark wood with nothing but the disembodied voice of their sneaky father looped on a small recording device. To stave off fear, they apply themselves to the task of survival. But in doing so, and thereby fleeing the present moment, perhaps they only lose themselves further? Cast as a modern day Hansel and Gretel, our sylvan siblings negotiate the cultural fringe of chaotic human fears in a post-9/11 haze of orange alerts, traipsing over an impeccably designed visual and sonic landscape (with lighting by Allen Willner and sound by David Malloy) in a fluid and transporting synthesis of dialogue, song, music, and gesture alternately eerie and ecstatic, and frequently laced with a wry deadpan humor. Indeed, Laurie and Hans Christian Anderson may be nearer the mark, especially as dream-team Kraft and Purver's deft aesthetic assemblages and permutations are never absent strong comic instincts and natural charm. (Avila)

Bay Area

Antigone Falun Gong Aurora Theatre, 2081 Addison, Berk; (510) 843-4822, www.auroratheatre.org. $34-36. Wed-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2 and 7pm. Through May 16. The Aurora Theatre Company presents local playwright Cherylene Lee's world premiere adaptation of Sophocles' classic tragedy. In modern-day China, a strong-willed woman identified only by the letter A defies the orders of her uncle, the governor, by practicing the forbidden Falun Gong exercises in a public square. Her fearful sister attempts to dissuade her, and her fiancé (the governor's son) tries to win her over with love. But as in Sophocles' original, personal conviction on the part of A and a fierce devotion to her brother (who may have been murdered by the state for his own Falun Gong practice) lead to tragedy when pitted against state power. The dialogue plods a bit through the first half, but the stellar cast remains eminently watchable. And there's plenty to see: by replacing the Greek chorus with choreographed sequences of martial arts and Chinese opera movements, this production offers a host of visual delights that go a long way toward generating the dramatic tension somewhat lacking in the plot. (Shalson)

*The Miser Julia Morgan Theatre, 2640 College, Berk; (510) 704-8210, www.shotgunplayers.org. Free (donations accepted). Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 7pm. Through May 2. Shotgun Players open its new season – boldly designed this year to offer free admission to the public – with a zippy, hyperstylized staging of Molière's lambasting farce about the poisonous intermingling of love and money. Clive Worsley revels with mischievous exuberance in the title role of the tyrannical, penny-pinching patriarch who turns his own children in conspiracy against him. The agile cast and Patrick Dooley's inspired direction strike a remarkable balance between elaborate rococo flourishes and anarchic energy. (Avila)

*Mooi Street Moves Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant, Berk; (510) 436-5085, www.theatrefirst.com. $18-22. Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 3pm. Through May 2. See "Brave New World."

My Àntonia Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro, Mtn View; (650) 903-6000, www.theatreworks.org. $20-48. Wed/21-Sat/24, 8pm (also Sat/24, 2pm); Sun/25, 7pm. TheatreWorks presents the world premiere of the stage adaptation of Willa Cather's novel – the evocative reminiscences of a young manhood spent on the semisettled plains of 1880s Nebraska – a first-time collaboration between writer and Broadway director Scott Schwartz and his father, composer Stephen Schwartz (Wicked). Artistic director Robert Kelley helms a strong and appealing 15-member cast. Artfully staged, the multiplicity of scenes in the hefty three-act program nonetheless resists becoming a completely integrated whole, despite changes to character and story line (not always compelling ones) designed to give Cather's episodic narrative a stronger dramatic through-line. (Avila)

*The Mystery of Irma Vep Berkeley Rep's Thrust Stage, 2025 Addison, Berk; (510) 647-2949, www.berkeleyrep.org. $43-55. Tues and Thurs-Sat, 8pm (also Thurs/22, Sat/24, May 1, 6, 15, and 20, 2pm; no show Fri/23); Wed and Sun, 7pm (also Sun, 2pm). Through May 23. Berkeley Rep's revival of Charles Ludlam's gothic horror spoof pops out after all these 20 years like the entombed mummy in the second act – just as fresh as a daisy. At Mandercrest, Lord Edgar Hillcrest (Erik Steele) has brought home his new bride, Lady Enid (Arnie Burton), but his dead first wife still haunts him, overshadowing any post-nuptial bliss. Enid learns the tragic tale from the dyspeptic housekeeper, Jane Twisden (Steele), as well as about the curse of the wolf, somehow unnaturally associated with Lord Edgar's peg-legged manservant Nicodemus (Burton). Several sight gags later, Lord Edgar, an Egyptologist in his spare time, heads to Cairo where his befezzed guide Alcazar (Burton) leads him to a buried sarcophagus ... you get the idea. Ludlam's tortuous three-act "penny dreadful" is awash in literary and cinematic allusions lit by a brilliant camp sensibility. Director Les Waters' razor sharp staging and Annie Smart's lovingly detailed costume and set design give full play to two virtuoso quick-change performances by Burton and Steele. The hilarious and charismatic duo dazzles a delighted audience with comedic performances so artful they gather one's full attention even in the rare places where the laughs run thin. (Avila)

The Sisters Rosensweig Live Oak Theatre, 1301 Shattuck, Berk; (510) 649-5999, www.aeofberkeley.org. $10. Fri-Sat and May 13, 8pm. Through May 15. Actors Ensemble of Berkeley performs the Wendy Wasserstein comedy.

dance

'Bay Area Celebrates National Dance Week' Various venues, 561-1433, www.bacndw.org. April 23-May 2. In addition to events listed below, the local dance community hosts a week of free classes, performances, rehearsals, lecture-demos, and open houses; check Web site for schedule. See 8 Days a Week.

'Catch Up: An Evening of Contemporary Dance' Jon Sims Center for the Arts, 1519 Mission; 554-0402, www.jonsimsctr.org. Sat, 8pm. $15-25 sliding scale (no one turned away for lack of funds). See 8 Days a Week.

'East Wind: An Evening of Classic Japanese Dances' Noh Space, 2840 Mariposa; 621-7978, www.theatreofyugen.org. Mon-Tues, 8pm. $10-15 sliding scale. Yuki Fumija performs with Takeno Nishikawa and Kinuko Mototake, with music by Shoko Hikage.

'Eat Something Already' CELLspace, 2050 Bryant; 756-5593, www.bigmoves.org. Sun, 6pm. $5-20 sliding scale. Big Moves Bay Area hosts this dance showcase and spaghetti feed, with performances by Dandelion Dancetheater, Reva Lucian's Fat-Bottom Revue, Maxine Moerman Dancetheatre, and others.

Moving Arts Dance Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater, 700 Howard; 978-2787. Fri-Sat, 8pm. $15-100. The company's 2004 "Bay Area Homecoming" performances feature two world premieres and guest artists from Belarus and Paris.

NATyA Jon Sims Center for the Arts, 1519 Mission; (925) 779-9775. Sun, 8pm. $12-15. The company performs MILANya, a union of Indian classical dance styles and world music.

'Peep Show' ODC Theater, 3153 17th St; www.odctheater.org. Sun, 8pm. Free. Get a first look at new works and works in progress by Stephen Pelton Dance Theater, Facing East Dance and Music, Megan Nicely and Company, Axis Dance Company, and SHIFT>>> Physical Theater.

'24 Views' ODC Theater, 3153 17th St; twentyfourviews@yahoo.com. Fri, 8pm. Free. Choreographers in Action presents "bite-sized previews" of works by 24 local artists.

Bay Area

Ballet Folklorico Mexico Calvin Simmons Theater, 10 10th St, Oakl; 1-877-366-7348, www.danceforpower.org. Fri, 10:30am and 12:30pm. $9-12.50. Dance for Power presents this performance in honor of Cinco de Mayo.

'Dancing Feet ... from Around the World!' Cubberley Theatre, 4000 Middlefield, Palo Alto; (650) 327-0762, www.redthistledancers.org. Sun, 3:30pm. $12-16. This concert features international folk dance from the Red Thistle Dancers, Jubilee American Dance Theater, Owiczanie, and Raices de Mexico.

Garth Fagan Dance Stanford University, Memorial Auditorium, Serra at Galvez, Stanford; (650) 725-ARTS, livelyarts.stanford.edu. Sat, 8pm. $28-40. See Critic's Choice.

performance

BATS Improv Bayfront Theater, Fort Mason Center, Marina at Laguna; www.batsimprov.com. $10-12. This week: "Vegas Theatresports" (Fri, 8pm); "The News Show" (Sat, 8pm); "Sunday Players: Theatresports" (Sun, 8pm).

'Break the Wall' Mission Cultural Center, 2868 Mission; 285-1717, www.sfmt.org. Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2pm. Free. The San Francisco Mime Troupe's Youth Theater Project presents original one-act plays.

'CAFE Presents' Off-Market Theater (and Studio), 965 Mission; 896-6477, www.cafearts.com. $8-15. This week: sketch comedy with 2good4u (Thurs, 8pm); Tilted Frame's "Frame Work," a multimedia theater experience (Thurs, 8pm); West Coast premiere of Catherine Filloux's "Price of Madness," presented by teatra bella (Fri-Sat, 8pm; more info: 510-978-1521, www.teatrabella.com); improv with the Legal Briefs and Muy Fuerte (Fri, 8pm); "Ha Bloody Ha," live talk show hosted by Harmon Leon (Sat, 10pm).

'The Doctor and the Clown' Center for Variety Arts, 608 Taraval; 242-4433. Fri, 8pm. $8. The comedic duo of Willy Bologna and Dr. Techno perform a variety of acts, including circus arts, adult puppets, musical numbers, "violent physical humor," and more.

'Experimental Performance Institute Student-Directed Performance Series' New College Theater, 777 Valencia; 437-3487. April 20-22, 7pm. $5-10 sliding scale. Students present original works.

'Tracy Ward Master Class: A Work in Progress' Shotwell Studios, 3252 19th St; 437-3487. Sat, 7pm. $5-10 sliding scale. Students of Experimental Performance Institute artist Ward present a work-in-progress theater piece.

'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

'Voice of the People' La Peña Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck, Berk; (530) 229-7818. Sun, 4pm. $10. The Traveling Bohemians present a variety show that takes on political, social, and environmental concerns, inspired by a new anthology of work by northern California poets.

comedy

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

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): Brett Butler, W. Kamau Bell, and Rob Martinez, $20-25.

Independent 628 Divisadero; www.ticketweb.com or www.stellacomedy.com. Sat, 9pm: "Stella," comedy trio with Michael Ian Black, Michael Showalter, and David Wain, $16. See 8 Days a Week.

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

Purple Onion 140 Columbus; 956-1653, www.purpleonioncomedy.com. Wed, 9pm: Jim Short and friends, $6.

San Francisco Comedy Club 50 Mason; 505-4995. Sat, 7:30pm: stand-up comedy, $7.

San Francisco LGBT Community Center 1800 Market; 865-5633. Mon, 8pm: "Monday Night Gay Comedy," with host Pippi Lovestocking, $8-15 (sliding scale).

Bay Area

Paramount Theatre 2025 Broadway, Oakl; (510) 625-TIXS, www.cc.com. Sat, 7:30 and 10:30pm: George Lopez with Lowell Sanders, $42.50-55.50.

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. Il Piccolo Caffe 1219 Broadway, Burlingame; (650) 631-5732. Poet Jacqueline Berger reads, 7pm, free. Magnet 4122 18th St, SF; www.magnetsf.org. "Smack Dab," with featured readers Sherilyn Connelly and Roger Pinnell, plus open mic, 8pm, free. Unit 3, All Purpose Room 2400 Durant, UC Berkeley, Berk; (510) 642-2743. Poetry for the People hosts a reading by Suji Kwok Kim, 3:15pm, free.

Thursday: Mediterranean Cafe 2475 Telegraph, Berk; (510) 526-5985. "Word Beat Reading Series," with featured readers Rachmael and Debralee Pagan, 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, continuous open mic, 6pm, $3. 16th Street/Mission BART Plaza 16th St at Mission, SF; (415) 255-9881. "CAI Street Arts Workshop," open mic, 8:30pm, free. Dalva 3121 16th St, SF; (415) 753-8091. "Poetry Mission," with featured reader Leticia Hernandez, followed by open mic, 7pm, free. Jewish Community Library 1835 Ellis, SF; (415) 567-3327, ext 703. "Women at the Poetry Slam Forefront," with Daphne Gottlieb and Thea Hillman, 8pm, free.

Friday: Small Press Traffic Literary Arts Center, California College of Arts, 1111 Eighth St, SF; (415) 551-9278. Small Press Traffic hosts a reading with Taylor Brady and Jen Hofer, 7:30pm, $5-10 sliding scale.

Saturday: Galeria de la Raza 2857 24th St, SF; (415) 826-8009. "No Visible Doors: A Celebration of Contemporary Poetry by Mexican Women," 7pm, $3. Edinburgh Castle Pub 950 Geary, SF; (415) 885-4074. "Story Blast," with Beth Lisick, Jack Boulware, Amy Itzert, 9pm, free. Berkeley Art Center 1275 Walnut, Berk; (510) 527-9753. "Rhythm and Muse," with Très Santos, plus open mic, 7pm, free.

Sunday: Cafe Prague 584 Pacific, SF; (415) 433-3811. Mark Schwartz hosts featured reader Ramu, plus open mic, 4pm, free. Cody's Books 2454 Telegraph, Berk; (510) 845-7852. "Poetry Flash," with Karen Kevorkian and Gail Wronsky, 7:30pm, $2. 142 Throckmorton Avenue Theater 142 Throckmorton, Mill Valley; 1-877-274-8764. "Words of Wonder," reading and benefit for California Poets in the Schools' 40th anniversary, with Jane Hirshfeld, Dorianne Lauz, Joseph Millar, and Kay Ryan, 6pm, $40. Off-Market Theater 965 Mission, SF; (415) 896-6477, www.cafearts.com. Lyrikenesis hosts a poetry slam open mic, 8pm, $5.

Monday: Priya Indian Cuisine 2072 San Pablo, Berk; berkeleypoetryexpress@yahoo.com. "Poetry Express," open mic hosted by Mark States; this week, Pablo Neruda tribute reading and benefit for Russell Gongaza Medical Fund, 7pm, free. Perry's Joint 1661 Fillmore, SF; (415) 928-8904. Featured reader Steve Arntson, followed by open mic, 7pm, free. Rockin Java Cafe 1821 Haight, SF; (415) 440-5530. "Open Mike Spoken Word Singing Word," hosted by Diamond Dave Whitaker, 7:30pm, free. Canvas Cafe 1200 Ninth Ave, SF; www.lilycat.com. "Lit at the Canvas: A Celebration of San Francisco Literature"; this month's theme is "Sci-Fi Story Hour," with Alvin Orloff, M.I. Blue, and the Bay Guardian's Annalee Newitz, 7:30pm, free. Barnes and Noble Jack London Square, 98 Broadway, Oakl; (510) 845-8542. Local actors read short stories by Nick Hornby and Melissa Bank, 7pm, free.