December 4, 2002

stage

Stage listings are compiled by Cheryl Eddy. Performance times may change; call venues to confirm. Reviewers are Robert Avila, Rita Felciano, Lara Shalson, and Chloe Veltman. See 8 Days a Week for information on how to submit items to the listings.

theater
Opening

Dooley Jon Sims Center for the Arts, 1519 Mission; 554-0402. $8-15. Opens Fri/6, 8pm. Runs Fri-Sun, 8pm. Through Dec 15. Jon Sims Center for the Arts and Alchemy Emerging Playwrights present a new play by Harry C. Cronin about homophobia and government witch-hunting.

The Fisherman's Three Sons Intersection for the Arts, 446 Valencia; 636-3311. $9-15. Opens Fri/6, 8pm. Runs Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2pm. Through Dec 22. Nightletter Theater with Strangefruit Ensemble and Intersection present a theater piece based on Hal Hughes's play, itself based on folktales.

The Neo-Dandy Cabaret New Conservatory Theatre Center, 25 Van Ness; 861-8972. $15-25. Previews Thurs/5-Fri/6, 8pm. Opens Sat/7, 8pm. Runs Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2pm. The New Conservatory Theatre Center and Keith Hennessy/Zero Productions present an "intimate extravaganza" cabaret show.

Worse Than Chocolate Exit Stage Left, 156 Eddy; 339-8015. $15-20. Opens Thurs/5, 8pm. Runs Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Through Dec 14. Boxcar Productions presents Jaeson Post's comedy about office workers.

Bay Area

On Golden Pond Lucie Stern Theatre, 1305 Middlefield, Palo Alto; (650) 903-6000. $20-43. Previews Wed/4-Fri/6, 8pm. Opens Sat/7, 8pm. Runs Tues, 7:30pm (no shows Dec 24, 31); Wed-Sat, 8pm (no shows Dec 25 and Jan 1; also Dec 14 and 21, 2pm); Sun, 2pm (no show Dec 29; also Sun/8, Dec 15, and 29, 7pm). Through Jan 5. TheatreWorks presents Ernest Thompson's comedy about an elderly couple.

Over the River and Through the Woods California Conservatory Theatre, 999 East 14th St, San Leandro; (510) 632-8850. $15-17. Opens Thurs/5, 8pm. Runs Thurs-Sat, 8pm (also Sat, 2pm); Sun, 2pm. Through Dec 29. California Conservatory Theatre performs Joe DiPietro's comedy about family and relationships.

The Two Gentlemen of Verona San Jose Repertory Theatre, 101 Paseo de San Antonio, San Jose; (408) 367-7255. $20-48. Previews Sat/7, Dec 11-12, 8pm (also Dec 11, noon); Sun/8, 2 and 7pm. Opens Dec 12, 8pm. Runs Dec 14, 18, 20-21, 23, 26-28, 30, Jan 1-4, and 7-11, 8pm (also Dec 14, 21, 28, Jan 4, and 11, 3pm; Dec 18, noon); Dec 19, noon; Dec 22, 29, Jan 5, and 12, 2pm (also Dec 29 and Jan 5, 7pm). Through Jan 12. San Jose Repertory Theatre sets Shakespeare's comedy in silent film-era Hollywood.

Ongoing

Are We Almost There? Shelton Theatre, 533 Sutter; 345-7575. $12-15. Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Open-ended. Travel is the theme of this musical comedy revue.

The A**hole Monologues Exit Theater, 156 Eddy; 931-1094. $15-25. Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Through Dec 14. Mr. Bagel Productions' show features a variety of performers expressing their thoughts on backsides. Proceeds benefit the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America.

The Bombay Trunk New Conservatory Theatre Center, 25 Van Ness; 861-8972. $18-38. Wed-Sat, 8pm (no show Dec 25); Sun, 2pm. Through Jan 5. Award-winning novelist Felice Picano's new play begins as an adept murder-mystery farce, set in what appears to be the aftermath of the bizarre murder-suicide of a frustrated mystery writer, Jonathan Cavendish (Christian Heppinstall), at his mountain cabin retreat. The remnants of his dysfunctional family, wife Judith (Tiffany Hoover) and son Cas (Benjamin Privitt), are joined by former secretary Arlen (Michelle Starrs) and the local sheriff (Douglas Giorgis) to carry out the author's last wish: unlocking the secrets of the Bombay Trunk. Mimicking the surprises of the trunk with its multiple combination drawers, the plot takes a series of radical turns, revealing entirely new layers of meaning, until we're nowhere near where we started. Director Clay David's insistence on broadly comic interpretations by the able cast, the logic of which arises partly from the plot, does get a little wearisome, and Picano's darkly humorous ending comes across as disjointed. Still, the inventive plot twists and uninhibited characters ("We're no more perverted than any other American family," Mrs. C explains, "We're just more honest about it") keep things fairly lively until then. (Avila)

*Cirque du Soleil Presents Varekai "Grand Chapiteau," parking lot of Pacific Bell Park, 24 Willie Mays Plaza; 1-800-678-5440. $31.50-70. Tues-Sat, 8pm (also Thurs-Sat, 4pm; no show Dec 17); Sun, 1 and 5pm. Through Dec 22. Cirque du Soleil sets its latest venture in the imaginary land of Varekai (actually the Romany word for "wherever"), where a loose fairy-tale plot involving a gilded forest full of creatures ranging from the hauntingly beautiful to the frankly bizarre brackets a series of undeniably amazing and imaginative feats of strength, agility, and nerve. There are some delightful comedic sketches in the mix too, of course. The all-encompassing reach of the spectacle under the big blue top, set to a live and catchy Euro pop score, sometimes makes it difficult to take everything in, but wherever you look you can't help but be impressed. (Avila)

*Hedwig and the Angry Inch Victoria Theatre, 2961 16th St; 863-7576. $20-40. Wed-Sun, 8pm (also Sat, 11pm). Open-ended. Kevin Cahoon assumes the title role originated by John Cameron Mitchell in his 1998 Obie-winning glam musical, later a celebrated film, now making its long-anticipated San Francisco debut with a sizable cult following ready and waiting. And while die-hard fans show up prepared to sing along, the show is so instantly contagious that no homework is necessary on the part of the uninitiated. An East Berlin girlie boy named Hansel becomes Hedwig after a sex change – but the operation is botched, leaving Hedwig with just an "angry inch" of her former self. Heart in tatters but spirit intact, she plays out her story as a nightclub act. For all its value as camp, Hedwig is a cabaret act of subtle sophistication; the story, like the best glam rock, has a quiet force that is the undercurrent of its self-conscious banality and cutting humor. (Avila)

*It Could Have Been a Wonderful Life Bannam Place Theater, 50A Bannam Pl; 986-4607, www.wonderfullife.org. $15-20. Fri-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 3pm. Through Dec 29. Fred Raker's 25-in-one-man show – back after a successful run last year – charts the despair of aspiring Jewish comedian Phil Resnick, who winds up pigeonholed on public television while the life he could have had goes to an Anglo American-ized colleague, the host of TV's What's Up with That, America? The crisis provokes a little divine intervention by Phil's guardian angel, Jack Benny. Based on Raker's own brush with stardom as well as the Capra classic, this very funny solo performance cleverly weaves Jewish identity and self-doubt into nothing less than a wonderful 75 minutes. (Avila)

The Men from the Boys New Conservatory Theatre Center, 25 Van Ness; 861-8972. $18-38. Wed/4-Sat/7, 8pm; Sun/8, 2pm. Mart Crowley's long-awaited sequel to The Boys in the Band finds the famous circle of seven gay men (minus one) firmly in middle age, again assembled at Michael's New York penthouse apartment, this time for a memorial. Crowley has Larry die of cancer, not AIDS, bent on avoiding certain traps even as he struggles to draw a bead on his characters three decades after Stonewall. But the attempt to move things forward by focusing on the trials of aging (three twentysomethings help measure the generation gap) doesn't get very far, while the vituperative wit and climactic tongue-lashings of the original reemerge fitfully at best. (Avila)

R. Buckminster Fuller: The History (and Mystery) of the Universe Project Artaud Theater, 450 Florida; 626-DOME, www.foghouse.com. $20-40 (first Wed of each month, pay what you can). Wed-Sat, 8pm (also Sat, 3pm); Sun, 2pm. Open-ended. D. W. Jacobs's R. Buckminster Fuller: The History (and Mystery) of the Universe is bursting with so many ideas that it's almost impossible to contain them within the confines of the stage. Fuller was one of the great brainiacs of the 20th century, a philosopher, mathematician, inventor, and idealist who devoted his life to finding the best fit between nature and humanity. In Jacobs's fitful, two-hour monologue based on the life and writings of Fuller, actor Ron Campbell dexterously pings from one of the visionary's obsessions to another. Whether rattling through a dense explanation of atomic structure, proselytizing about how famine will become extinct as humans do "more and more with less and less," or espousing the joys of parenting, Campbell inhabits Fuller's eccentric soul with physical and verbal intensity – at times so much so that the margins between performance and lecture blur. (Veltman)

7 Sins: The Holiday Edition Shelton Theater, 533 Sutter; 820-3947. $20-25. Sat, 10:30pm; Sun, 5 and 8pm. Through Dec 15. A revolving cast of seven perform comedy monologues drawn from real-life experiences. Saturday shows are a racier version of the regular show, dubbed "Confessions in My Underwear!"

Show Ho Theatre Rhinoceros, 2926 16th St; 861-5079. $15-25. Wed/4-Sat/7, 8pm. Writer-performer Sara Moore is, as a former Ringling Brothers employee, licensed to clown. Popping back and forth between a number of characters, mostly carnies, our host is the excruciatingly nervous, gender-ambiguous Hell's Kitchenette Rhonda Hammerstein. Scrunch browed and wide eyed, responding like a sea anemone to every tremor from the audience, Rhonda tells us how she came to accept who she was (and lose her virginity) among a community of clowns embracing their freakishness and otherwise making a virtue of difference. Along the way we get a couple of songs from Moore's able lungs, including the delightful "When Everyone Fun Is Dead." (Avila)

The Time of Your Life Next Stage, 1620 Gough; 333-6389. $10-20. Thurs-Sat, 8pm (Dec 14 only, 2pm show replaces 8pm show). Through Dec 21. Multi Ethnic Theater has taken William Saroyan's 1939 Pulitzer Prize-winning play, about a San Francisco dive where an assortment of regulars share their dreams about life, and set it 30 years later. Unfortunately, the change in the numbers – a few dates here, a few dollar amounts there – has actually done little to update this now hackneyed piece for a contemporary audience. MET's multicultural casting does some work toward undermining Saroyan's ethnic stereotypes and the cross-gender casting enables some women actors to play roles other than Saroyan's "society lady" and whore characters – notably Nick, the tough but tender-hearted barkeeper, and Harry, the wannabe performer. But disappointingly, in one instance, the crossing of gender roles in the reverse direction only serves the purpose of a cheap, homophobic joke. The main actors all do a fine job with Saroyan's declamatory prose, and Doug Marshall's set, complete with an old-fashioned pinball machine and working beer-pull, provides authentic atmosphere. (Shalson)

Too Many Girls Eureka Theatre, 215 Jackson; 255-8207. $15-27. Thurs-Fri, 8pm; Sat, 6pm; Sun, 3pm. Through Dec 15. Wrapping up their 10th anniversary season, 42nd Street Moon celebrates Richard Rodgers's centennial with a Rodgers and Hart hit from 1939, their take on the old college football musical. A wearied millionaire (Don Cima) recruits four Ivy League football stars as secret bodyguards for his globe-trotting, troublemaking daughter Connie (Cynthia Myers), who just enrolled in her father's alma mater, Pottawatomie College, New Mexico – a choice that has less to do with paternal regard than continuing her romance with British playwright Beverly Waverly (Bill Fahrner). One of her father's hirelings, All-American Clint Kelley (Joshua Powell), falls for her in the meantime, as all four players become big men on this predominantly female campus where the girls, in yellow "virgin" beanies, do most of the pursuing ("Our lovers make touchdowns, but they never touch!"). Directed by Greg MacKellan, this ridiculous but endearing time warp of a show maintains a rollicking energy from the get-go, much of it pulsing through Jayne Zaban's rousing choreography. Musical director Brandon Adams elicits competent if uneven performances in songs featuring some enchanting Rodgers melodies, including the favorite "I Didn't Know What Time It Was," as well as Hart's consistently inspired wordplay. (Avila)

Working for the Mouse Exit Cafe, 156 Eddy, S.F.; (510) 464-4468. $7-12. Fri-Sat, 8:30pm. Through Dec 14. Impact Theatre presents Trevor Allen's solo comedy about working at Disneyland.

Young Zombies in Love Venue 9, 252 Ninth St; (510) 982-0433. $12-15. Thurs/5-Sat/7, 8pm. Emerald Rain Productions present a pop-rock musical comedy about a love affair from beyond the grave.

Bay Area

Alarms and Excursions Aurora Theatre, 2081 Addison, Berk; (510) 843-4822. $28-38. Wed-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2 and 7pm. Through Dec 22. The Aurora Theatre Company, having recently staged Michael Frayn's Benefactors with some success, takes up one of the British playwright's more purely comedic efforts, a work purportedly concerned with the inadvertently stultifying effects of modern technology. But despite the alarm-ringing opener, that seems a loose theme at best. The title links eight farcical vignettes that have just as much to do with modern alienation and the battle of the sexes. Under director Søren Oliver the scenes are well paced, crisply choreographed, and buoyed by some congenial ensemble work. (Avila)

Eternity Is in Love with the Productions of Time Transparent Theater, 1901 Ashby, Berk; (510) 883-0305. $20 (Sun, pay what you can). Thurs/5-Sat/7, 8pm; Sun/8, 7pm. A singer named Rose has an affair with a poet. Her husband takes revenge by reporting a subversive poem to the secret police. This is the premise of Transparent Theater's original production set in a fantastical Soviet Union. The location strikes one as an easy choice, evoked ahistorically to convey a generalized atmosphere of oppression. Consequently, the artists' struggle for freedom of speech becomes empty when they don't appear to be speaking against anything in particular. Similarly, the decontextualized lines of poetry interwoven into the dialogue (from artists including Blake, Kafka, Dylan, and a handful of Russian poets translated by cowriter Tom Clyde), lose their resonance, and the handful of genuinely lyrical phrases get lost in a sea of "deep thoughts" devoid of any substantive meaning. A haunting musical score composed by Daniel Feinsmith and performed live by Alyssa Rose on the violin keeps this production afloat. (Shalson)

Haroun and the Sea of Stories Berkeley Rep's Roda Theatre, 2015 Addison, Berk; (510) 647-2949. $10-54. Tues and Thurs-Sat, 8pm (also Thurs/5, Dec 14, 19, 26, and Jan 4, 2pm; no shows Dec 24-25); Wed and Sun, 7pm (also Sun, 2pm). Through Jan 7. Berkeley Rep presents a fantastical tale saluting the imagination, based on Salman Rushdie's novel. Director Dominique Serrand and Luan Schooler adapted the Royal National Theatre version in consultation with Rushdie. Rashid Khalifa (Serrand), world-class storyteller, loses his creative powers after wife and muse, Soraya (Jennifer Baldwin Peden), leaves him. His son, Haroun (Nora El Samahy), discovers the problem may be graver still as an evil genius named Khattam-Shud (Colman Domingo) has stopped up the great oceanic source of all stories. Haroun travels a world of far-out characters and situations to unplug the source, save the day, and reunite his parents. Penned when Rushdie was still in mortal danger as a storyteller, the plot reads more like an allegory of writers' block, given its thin premise, derivative manner, and forced language – not to mention the conspicuous absence of stories in this story about a veritable sea of them. (Avila)

High School Tamalpais High School, 700 Miller, Mill Valley; (415) 332-9454. $7.50-15 (reservations required). Fri, 6-9pm; Sat, 2-9pm; Sun, 1-8pm. Through Dec 15. Antenna presents a Walkman-enhanced, walk-though sound theater experience produced in collaboration with Tamalpais High School students and staff.

The Importance of Being Earnest Pardee Home Museum, 672 11th St, Oakl; (510) 444-2187. $15-25. Fri/6, 8pm. (Also Thurs/5, 8pm, Trocadero Clubhouse, Stern Grove, Sloat at 19th Ave, S.F.; Sat/7-Sun/8, 8pm, Falkirk Mansion, 1408 Mission, San Rafael). Woman's Will, the all-female Shakespeare company, puts the Bard on hold for this winsome production of Oscar Wilde's perennial pleaser. Two bored young men of the upper class, Algernon Moncrieff (Erin Merritt) and Jack Worthing (Carla Pantoja) discover they have independently developed the same alibi system in the service of some much needed frolicking in the country and city, respectively. Wilde himself has so mined the ironic possibilities of the premise that the untraditional casting adds no new dimension to the play's meaning, but, minus some rough patches, the acting is consistently solid, with a standout performance in Phoebe Moyer's Lady Bracknell. Director Virginia Reed handles her actors with a sure hand, and Wilde's comic masterpiece handles the rest. (Avila)

Menocchio Berkeley Repertory Theatre, 2025 Addison, Berk; (510) 647-2949. $38-54. Wed, 7; Tues, Thurs-Sat, 8pm (also Sat/7, Dec 12, 2pm; Dec 21, 2pm show replaces 8pm show); Sun, 2 and 7pm. Through Dec 21. Writer-director Lillian Groag's new comedy draws on Carlo Ginzburg's celebrated history of a 16-century miller tried by the Inquisition and burned at the stake for heresy. Decades before the more famous trial of Galileo Galilei, Domenego Scandella, called Menocchio, advanced a startlingly original conception of the universe that challenged the orthodoxy of the Catholic Church. His inquisitors did their best to discover where his ideas (about everything from the divinity of Christ to the origins of life) came from, while his frightened and obsequious neighbors testified against him. Groag's development of Menocchio (played by Charles Dean) as a tragicomic hero of intellectual freedom achieves decidedly mixed results. Ken Ruta as the Inquisitor does the best work in a role that brings to mind Dostoyevski's Grand Inquisitor, who quashes mankind's freedom to preserve its happiness; but in general, despite a very capable cast, the humor and drama feel thin and forced. (Avila)

*The Play about the Baby La Vals Subterranean, 1834 Euclid, Berk; (510) 704-8210. $10-18. Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 7pm. Through Dec 28. Shotgun Players presents the West Coast premiere of Edward Albee's lively and provocative play, a gleeful stripping away of willful delusions. A Boy (Brent Rosenbaum) and Girl (Katie McMahon) enjoying the Eden-like bliss of first love appear to have given birth to a child, when an older couple, Man (Richard Louis James) and Woman (Trish Mulholland), arrive and complicate the picture considerably. With a dazzling, frequently hilarious perfusion of asides, direct addresses, and mischievous wordplay, Man and Woman worm their way into the youngsters' quaint paradise, inviting the audience along for the ride. An identity game ensues that shatters the complacency of clichés both psychical and theatrical. Albee has a knack for making such blood sport terrific fun and sobering all the same, like a host who plies you with drinks just so he can lay into you with a few honest truths. Director Reid Davis revels in the approach, and his actors rise to the occasion. In particular, Mulholland twitches with a marvelously spastic comic energy, while James's deft turn as the serene sophisticate with a hint of malice exerts a gravitational pull that makes the close surroundings seem all the more intimate. (Avila)

Wonderful Town Marin Theatre Company, 397 Miller, Mill Valley; (415) 388-5208. $25-43. Wed/4, 7:30pm; Thurs/5-Sat/7, 8pm (also Sat/7, 2pm); Sun/8, 2 and 7pm. Marin Theatre Company and Allegro Theatre Company coproduce the Tony Award-winning musical set in 1930s New York.

dance

Anne Bluethenthal Dance Mission, 3316 24th St; 273-4633. $16-18. Fri-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 6pm. $16-18. See Critic's Choice.

Asako Takami Artists' Television Access, 992 Valencia; 824-3890. Fri, 8pm. $10. The Odissi (Indian classical) dancer performs.

Janice Garrett and Dancers ODC Theater, 3153 17th St; 863-9834. Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Through Dec 14. $18. The dance company performs a program that includes two premieres.

'New Moves Dance Showcase' San Francisco State University, McKenna Theatre, 1600 Holloway; 338-2467. Fri-Sat, 8pm. $8-10. Student artists present their choreography.

Red Jade Collective Noh Space, 2840 Mariposa; 816-9376. Fri-Sat, 8pm. $12-15. The company performs "Crossing Currents: New Urban Folklore As Told Through Crosscultural Dance and Music."

SQUAD Thick House, 1695 18th St; 401-8081. Previews Thurs/5, 8pm. Runs Fri-Sat, 8pm. Through Dec 14. $10-20. Artistic director Diane Shields presents an evening of her trademark dance-theater-comedy solo works.

performance

BATS Improv Bayfront Theater, Fort Mason Center, Marina at Laguna; www.batsimprov.com. Thurs-Sun, 8pm. $6-12. This week's shows: "Gorilla Theatre" (Fri); "Improvised Courtroom Drama" (Sat).

'Come and Get it!' Peña PachaMama, 1630 Powell; 646-0018. Thurs, 7-10pm. $5. Cabaret duo the Kitchenettes perform their new, monthly musical revue, a show promising "songs of food, love, and lust."

'EROShambo Surreal Robotic Cabaret' OmniCircus, 550 Natoma; 701-0686. Sat, 9:30pm. $10-15. A cast of musicians, performance artists, and robots appears in this original cabaret show.

'Hansel and Gretel' Legion of Honor, Florence Gould Theatre, 34th Ave at Clement; 392-4400. Sun/8, 2pm. $15-30. Golden Gate Opera performs a colorful, family-friendly version of the storybook classic.

'Jesus Christ Superstar' Studio Z, 314 11th St; 664-2970. Thurs, 10pm. $10. Skycastle and Buzz present the Andrew Lloyd Webber-Tim Rice rock opera.

'Let Us Now Praise Famous Men' Noh Space, 2840 Mariposa; 621-7978. Mon-Tues, 8pm. $10-15. Paducah Mining Co. presents its latest work in progress, an adaptation of James Agee and Walker Evans's classic book.

'Next Stop, Anywhere' AcroSports, 639 Frederick; 665-2276. Sat-Sun, 11am and 3pm. $8-15. AcroSports Performance Troupe presents a circus showcase.

Playbill staged readings Blue Bear School of Music, Fort Mason Center, Bldg B, Marina at Laguna; 626-4603. Fri, 7:30pm. $5. This week the series of new plays hosts "Scene Night."

'Sharing the Light for 20 Years: The Red and Purple Celebration' Golden Gate Club, Presidio; 282-8705. Sun, 3pm. $25-50. Veteran Asian-influenced storytelling group Eth-No-Tec celebrates its 20th anniversary with an evening of performances. Proceeds benefit Global Exchange's Afghan Victims Fund.

'Slingers Burlesque Review' Odeon Bar, 3223 Mission; 550-6994. Sat, 9pm. $5. Comedy, dancers, and strippers spice up this show.

'Zero Point Field' Xenodrome, 1320 Potrero; 285-XENO, www.xenodrome.com. Thurs-Sat, 9pm. Through Dec 14. Call for price. Xeno performs a show that combines classical dance with circus arts, pyrotechnics, and more.

Bay Area

'Straight Black Folks Guide to Gay Black Folks' Black Box Theater, 1928 Telegraph, Oakl; (510) 594-4335, www.trustlife.net. Wed, 7:30pm. Through Dec 18. $12. Hanifah Walidah presents her multicharacter solo show, now in its second run.

comedy

The Mock Café 1074 Valencia; 826-5750. Fri, 9pm: "No Y Chromosome Showcase!" all-female stand-up comedy night, $7.

San Francisco LGBT Community Center 1800 Market; 865-5633. Mon, 8pm: "Monday Night Gay Comedy," hosted by Doug Holsclaw, $8-15 (no one turned away for lack of funds).

Spanganga 3376 19th St; 821-1102. Sat, 10pm: "Spiegelmania," underground comedy showcase with Mike Spiegelman, $5. Through Dec 14.

The Stud 399 Ninth St; 823-5121, stoodupsf@hotmail.com. Wed, 8:30pm: "Stood Up!," hosted by Pippi Lovestocking and Ronn Vigh, $5.

Bay Area

Black Box 1928 Telegraph, Oakl; (510) 595-5597. Thurs, 8pm: The Oakland Playhouse improv troupe performs improv comedy, $5.

Cafe Eclectica 1309 San Pablo; (510) 527-2344. Sat, 8pm: East Bay Improv performs, free.

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 word events and featured readers:

Wednesday: BrainWash Café 1122 Folsom; 440-5530. "Spoken Word Salon," open mic, 8pm, free. Sacred Grounds Cafe 2095 Hayes; 387-3859. H.D. Moe celebrates the release of Birth to Birth, a new book of poetry, 7pm, free. Papa Toby's Revolution Cafe and Art Bar 3248 22nd St; 642-0474. "Night of Poetry and Music" with poet Stefan De La Garza and musician Steven Frailey, 8pm, free. Basement theater 2390 Mission; 647-1015. Chaim Bertman, Liz Worthy, Stephanie Young, Cassie Lewis, and Sasha Cagen read poetry, 7:30pm, $2.

Thursday: Coppa D'Oro Cafe 3164 24th St; 821-1618. "Poetry on the Patio," spoken word and acoustic music open mic with host Barbara Bennett, 6:30pm, free. Morrison Library Doe Library, UC Berkeley, Berk; (510) 642-0137. "Lunch Poems Reading Series," with Mary Ruefle, 12:10pm, free.

Friday: Tuva Space 3192 Adeline, Berk; (415) 550-1839. "The Marriage of Poetry and Music," with spouses musician Colm O'Riain and poet Pireeni Sundaralingam, 7:30pm, $8-12. Poetry Center Humanities Bldg, Rm 512, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway; www.sfsu.edu/~poetry. "This is AECA! The Alliance of Emerging Creative Artists," reading with Jeff Chan, Summi Kaipa, and others, 4:30pm, free.

Saturday: West Branch Berkeley Public Library 1125 University, Berk; (925) 939-3195. Bay Area Poets Coalition hosts an open reading, 3pm, free.

Sunday: San Francisco Main Library Koret Auditorium, 100 Larkin; 386-7333. "Poets for Peace" reading with David St. John and Jane Hirshfield, 2pm, free.