March 26, 2003

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

Blue Surge Magic Theatre, Bldg D, Fort Mason Center, Marina at Laguna; 441-8822. $17-37. Previews Fri/28-Sat/29 and April 2-3, 8pm. Opens April 4, 8pm. Runs Wed-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2:30pm (also April 13 and 20, 7:30pm). Through April 20. Magic Theatre presents Rebecca Gilman's comedy about a Midwestern cop whose pursuit of the American dream is complicated when he befriends a prostitute.

The Constant Wife Geary Theater, 415 Geary; 749-2228, www.act-sf.org. $11-61. Previews Thurs/27-Sat/29 and Tues/1, 8pm (also Sat/29, 2pm). Opens April 2, 8pm. Runs April 3-5, 9-12, 15-19, and 22-26, 8pm (also April 5, 12, 16, 19, 23, and 26, 2pm); April 6 and 8, 7pm (also April 6, 2pm); April 13, 20, and 27, 2pm. Through April 27. American Conservatory Theatre performs W. Somerset Maugham's comedy about marriage, infidelity, gossip, and the double standards by which men and women are judged.

in3 Exit Stage Left, 156 Eddy; 673-3847, www.theexit.org. $10-20. Previews Thurs/27, 8pm. Opens Fri/28, 8pm. Runs Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Through April 19. See 8 Days a Week, page 46.

Paint Your Wagon Eureka Theatre, 215 Jackson; 978-2787. $15-29. Previews Wed/26-Thurs/27, 8pm. Opens Fri/28, 8pm. Runs Thurs-Fri, 8pm; Sat, 6pm (also April 12, 1pm); Sun, 3pm. Through April 13. "Lost musicals" company 42nd Street Moon performs Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe's 1951 ode to the California gold rush.

What Is Love? Next Stage Theatre, 1620 Gough; 345-7575. $17. Opens Fri/28, 8pm. Runs Fri-Sat, 8pm. Through April 12. Theatre of the Soul performs a new play that explores the beginning stages of love.

Bay Area

Show and Tell Pear Avenue Theatre, 1220 Pear, Mountain View; (650) 254-1148. $10-15. Opens Sat/29, 8pm. Runs Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, call for times. Through April 20. Pear Avenue Theatre presents Anthony Clarvoe's play about a community dealing with the aftermath of an explosion at an elementary school.

Ongoing

A-A-America Exit on Taylor, 277 Taylor; 675-5995. $10-25. Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Through April 12. Crowded Fire Theater Company presents the American premiere of Edward Bonds's "nightmare burlesque" that takes on racism in America.

Animal Farm New Langton Arts, 1246 Folsom; 262-0477. $15-20. Thurs/27-Sat/29, 8pm; Sun/30, 2pm. George Orwell's 1945 classic novel about a group of farm animals who overthrow their human master only to replace his system of tyranny with one of their own comes to life in this Custom Made Theater Company production based on Nelson Bond's 1964 staged reading. Wearing just a few strokes of face makeup to suggest the different species, and remaining for the most part on all fours throughout the production, the actors do an excellent job with a portrayal that might easily have been discomfiting. But despite the good work, some of the original effectiveness of Orwell's Animal Farm is lost in its staging. The storybook style rendering is too reminiscent of a type of children's theater (an effect exacerbated by the fairy-tale set design), and the message comes across as overly didactic, causing the very relevant critique of totalitarianism inherent in the work to lose some of its power to spark the necessary debate. (Shalson)

Are We Almost There? Shelton Theatre, 533 Sutter; 345-7575. $15-18. Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Open-ended. Travel is the theme of this musical-comedy revue.

Boys' Life Actors Theatre of San Francisco, 533 Sutter; 436-9400, www.boyslifesf.com. $10-20. Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2pm. Through April 12. Howard Korder's Boys' Life tells the story of three useless men. When they're not splayed on the couch in their underwear smoking dope, they're having difficulty controlling their dicks. Unfortunately, the material is as flaccid as the boys' members. Despite some enthusiastic if self-conscious acting by the young cast, BaldyRock's production doesn't pack much testosterone. Boys' Life is the sort of play where characters constantly feel like they're wasting each other's time. But unlike the clean-cut showdowns that populate the comedies of playwrights like Christopher Durang and David Mamet, Korder's endless scenes bring Waiting for Godot faintly to mind: every time one character (usually a disgusted female) attempts to walk off, the other character (invariably an oafish male,) somehow manages to milk the discussion long past its sell-by date. While the 1980s setting gives the Gen X audience only a nostalgia trip – rather than drawing any interesting parallel between the age of leg warmers and our own times – the rendition of Michael Jackson's "Beat It" played on the accordion is inspired. (Veltman)

Chicken: A 1-Ho Show Marsh, 1062 Valencia; 826-5750. $10-15. Extended run: Thurs/27-Sat/29, 8pm. A chicken is a common domestic fowl, often found roasted or deep-fried. A chicken is also a teenage rent boy. David Henry Sterry is familiar with both definitions. In Chicken: A 1-Ho Show, Sterry's refreshingly affectionate portrayal of a naive young man's first taste of Los Angeles street life in the mid 1970s, the actor and writer demonstrates how little effort it takes to go from dunking greasy lumps of chicken in rancid oil in a Hollywood fast food outlet to earning $200 a pop for fleshing out rich Beverly Hills widows' sexual fantasies. Sterry might look like a lost child bouncing around in sweatpants and red baseball boots, but he attacks his evocative prose like a grizzled beatnik poet hitting a home run. (Veltman)

'Comedy on the Square' Shelton Theatre, 533 Sutter; 522-8900. $15. Performances include "Prop Comic!" with Fred Anderson (Sun/30, 5pm; April 6, 13, and May 4, 3pm; April 20, 27, 3pm and 8:30pm); "The Carnival of Chaos Lives and Breathes" with "extreme vaudeville" acts (Sun/30, 8:30pm); and "Pushing 40," a solo play about the male midlife crisis (Sun, 7pm, through May 4).

The Dance on Widow's Row Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, 620 Sutter; 474-8800. $25-32. Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2pm. Through April 13. The Lorraine Hansberry Theatre presents Samm-Art Williams's comedy about four wealthy African American women on a quest to remarry.

A Delicate Balance Phoenix Theatre, 414 Mason; 364-3037. $20. Thurs/27-Sat/29, 7:30pm. In Edward Albee's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1966 play, a middle-aged couple, Agnes and Tobias, try to keep control of their suburban minds while all around them are losing theirs. As if it weren't enough that Agnes' idiot-savant live-in sister, Claire, can't keep her nose out of the vodka bottle, the couple's spoiled 36-year-old daughter Julia has just walked out of her fourth marriage. When neighbors Edna and Harry turn up uninvited asking for a place to stay, Agnes and Tobias -- who aren't the picture of sanity themselves -- are pushed beyond their limits. In the hands of a skillful director and accomplished cast, the soft-spoken cruelty and humor of Albee's slow-burning play might have a chance to rise above the dull domestic landscape. But despite some glimmers of inspiration, particularly in the performances of Hal Savage as Harry and Barbara Michelson as Claire, Class Act Theatre's production rarely rises above banality. (Veltman)

Hedwig and the Angry Inch Victoria Theatre, 2961 16th St; 392-4400. $25-35. Wed-Fri, 8pm; Sat-Sun, 7pm (also Sat, 10pm). Open-ended. Kevin Cahoon assumes the title role originated by John Cameron Mitchell in his 1998 Obie-winning glam musical, later a celebrated film. 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. 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. (Note: from Wed/19-Sun/23, Asa Somers takes over the role of Hedwig; Cahoon returns March 26). (Avila)

In the Garden New Conservatory Theatre Center, 25 Van Ness; 861-8972. $18-38. Wed/26-Sat/29, 8pm; Sun/30, 2pm. In Norman Allen's "erotic drama," the lives of four urban professionals are turned upside down by a homeless teen obsessed with the New Testament. This production wants to be a provocative meditation on the postmodern condition – on the inability of people to connect with each other or the world in a culture more concerned with surface than with substance – but no number of biblical quotes or references to Nietzsche can compensate for this play's one-dimensional characters or its vacuous platitudes. Ultimately, Depeche Mode's "Enjoy the Silence," which serves as the play's theme song of sorts, has more depth. (Shalson)

Opening to You A Traveling Jewish Theatre, 470 Florida; 399-1809, www.atjt.com. $12.50-25 (Thurs, pay what you can). Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2 and 7pm. Through April 6. A Traveling Jewish Theatre presents director Corey Fischer's boldly original theatrical adaptation of the biblical Psalms, based on Norman Fischer's Zen-influenced translations. Three contemporary characters with divergent backgrounds (played by Annie Kunjappy, David Roche, and Rhonnie Washington) relate experiences of alienation and compassion through the poetry of ancient authors who were themselves suffering the sometimes bitter, sometimes rapturous clarity that comes with dispossession and displacement. Giulio Cesare Perrone's modern set design evokes a sterile corporate office space – its checkered black-and-white floor climbing the walls and bleeding off into infinity – in which a series of interrogations take place. Augmented by the performers' own words and accompanied by the moody and aptly eclectic strains of musician-composer Daniel Hoffman, the Psalms thus echo in contemporary tales wrenched from the often silent victims of racism, sexism, and bigotry. The fresh and appealing translations (which substitute "You" for the various names for God in the original) further strengthen Fischer's compelling bid for the enduring relevance of these poems to our fractured world. (Avila)

The Producers Orpheum Theatre, 1192 Market; 551-2020. $39-81. Through April 20: runs Tues-Sat, 8pm (also Wed, Sat, 2pm); Sun, 2pm. April 21-26: runs Mon-Sat, 8pm (also Wed, Sat, 2pm). Through April 26. The musical version of the much-treasured 1967 film repackages Mel Brooks's spasmodic genius for Generation Xanax, with lots of Broadway sugar helping the medicine go down. Nebbish and social phobic Leo Bloom (Don Stephenson) has a CPA's playful epiphany while doing the books for washed-up theatrical producer Max Bialystock (Lewis J. Stadlen): why gamble on a Broadway hit when raising more money than you need for a Broadway flop is a surer thing? Max leaps on the idea and the terrified accountant, and together they seize on a guaranteed lemon, the improbable work of a budding Nazi showman, only to have a hit on their hands. Stephenson is charming, if not very edgy, as sidekick and basket case to Stadlen's larger-than-life, Gleason-esque Bialystock. While the best songs remain those few from the film, Brooks's new ones are tuneful and smart, as well as beautifully complemented by director Susan Stroman's happily absurd, boisterous choreography. And if the stereotypes are hoary in this long, exuberant show, Brooks's nimble, good-natured tightrope dance over the chasm of bad taste remains somehow irresistible. (Avila)

The Purity of Impact Spanganga, 3376 19th St; 508-1808. $10. Fri/28-Sat/29, 8pm. RubberMatchSeriez#6 presents a workshop production of Rey Carolino's Paris-set play about an aging boxer's clash with his playwright brother.

R. Buckminster Fuller: The History (and Mystery) of the Universe Project Artaud Theater, 450 Florida; 626-DOME, www.foghouse.com. $25-35. Wed-Sat, 8pm (also Sat, 3pm); Sun, 2pm. Open-ended. 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 D. W. 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, inhabiting Fuller's eccentric soul with physical and verbal intensity. (Veltman)

Red, Hot and Cole New Conservatory Theatre Center, 25 Van Ness; 861-8972, www.nctsf.org. $15-35. Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun/30, April 6 and 13, 2pm. Through April 13. The New Conservatory Theatre Center presents a two-act revue celebrating Cole Porter.

Richard 3 Thick House, 1695 18th St; 401-8081. $15-25 (sliding scale). Thurs-Sun, 8pm. Through April 6. Actor L. Peter Callender is a talented, graceful, and muscular performer, and the chance to see him in a stripped-down three-person, one-act production of Shakespeare's Richard III in the intimate confines of the Thick House is loaded with possibility. Would that the production – fast paced though it is – could keep up with him. Director Tony Kelly's 100-minute adaptation of the dastardly Duke of Gloucester's bloody, inexorable rise to the throne condenses characters and plot while giving Callender free rein to prowl the stage. Though Selana Allen is solid as the lamenting Queen Elizabeth, as is Rodrigo Breton as Richard's brother, each appears in multiple roles – and neither actor can consistently engage Callender. The problem is more than just imbalance; Callendar's climactic scene is diffuse, out of focus, lost somewhere in the mists between three as company and three as crowd. (Avila)

Soul of a Whore Intersection for the Arts, 446 Valencia; 626-3311. $9-15 (Thurs, pay what you can). Extended run: Wed/26-Sat/29, 8pm. As a portrait of American fundamentalism ascendant, Denis Johnson's Texas tale Soul of a Whore is startlingly of our Bible-thumping, bomb-dropping, cutthroat moment, mixing religion, politics, lust, and demonology into an irreducible American cocktail. Soul focuses on the career of Bill Jenks (Brian Keith Russell), hero-whore of the title, a TV evangelist and ex-con. The story line revolves around the mundanely Texan issue of capital punishment, in which politics and religion team up to mete out justice and retribution. Enjoying its world premiere at Intersection for the Arts in an inspired and muscular production, the play crackles with energy and humor, giddy poetry, an invigorating swirl of ideas, and richly complex characters that make it a taut, gripping three-hour ride. (Avila)

Strangers in Paradox: The True Story of Casey and the Kidd Theatre Rhinoceros, 2926 16th St; 861-5079. $15-25. Wed-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 7pm (also Sun/30, April 6, 7pm). Through April 12. The show's already started as you enter the theater for gender outlaw Kate Bornstein's latest play. Asylum guards check IDs, an inmate sells handmade wallets, and a prerecorded message reassures the audience that all blood spilled over the course of the 90 minute show will be fake and entirely washable. It's a good thing, because the blood certainly spurts and flows in this Grand Guignol-Japanese anime style piece about two lesbian serial killers (who kill only those who ask to die) and the mysterious woman who knows all of the details before they even happen. The setup is a bit slow as we fluctuate confusingly between the asylum and the set of a reality TV show, but as the layers come together, the play becomes a pleasurably provocative and personal, if at times awkward, exploration of desire and the death drive, the messy interplay between wanting and wanting to be, and the sometimes murderous tendencies that underlie our deepest identifications. (Shalson)

Strictly Convenience Second Stage Theatre, 533 Sutter; 970-2425. $10-12. Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Through April 12. Fourfold Productions presents Conan Moats's play about the lives of a convenience store clerk and his bank teller girlfriend.

Bay Area

Fräulein Else Berkeley Repertory Theatre, 2025 Addison, Berk; (510) 647-2929. $20-42. Extended run: Wed/26 and Sun/30, 7pm (also Sun/30, 2pm); Thurs/27-Sat/29, 8pm. Francesca Faridany's artful translation and adaptation of Arthur Schnitzler's 1924 novella has much going for it, most notably her outstanding performance in the title role. Directed with admirable precision by Faridany's husband, Stephen Wadsworth, her Else is a beautifully detailed study of a young woman in personality and predicament reminiscent of Freud's Dora. Indeed, the stream-of-consciousness narrative – here transformed into Else's nearly nonstop address to the audience – is revelatory, looking at the workings of the unconscious mind then being systematized by Freud, Schnitzler's friend and fellow Viennese. (Avila)

The Great Celestial Cow Oakland YWCA, 1515 Webster, Oakl; (510) 436-5085. $16-19. Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 3pm. Through April 6. With The Great Celestial Cow, TheatreFIRST has come to deliver us from clunking and cliched plays about cultural prejudice and prohibition. In 1975, Sita and her two children leave behind India and their cow to join their family in London. In the hands of playwright Sue Townsend (comic novelist of the Adian Mole series), this well-worn theme of culture clash is reshaped into a very clever and intelligent narrative spanning ten years and brimming with observation. Ekow Daniels and Lauren Grace are boisterous and witty in at least five roles each, but our attention never wavers from the Indian family, where Ruchira Shah gives as sharp a portrait of a rebellious teenage daughter as Rishi Shukla does of a spoiled and selfish son. With only two actors not playing more than three parts, the acting is understandably uneven, but, in the end, the play is a classic of its kind. (Baghdachi)

The Legacy Codes Lucie Stern Theatre, 1305 Middlefield, Palo Alto; (650) 329-0891. $20-45. Wed-Sat, 8pm (also Sat/29, 2pm); Sun/30, 7pm; April 6, 2pm. Through April 6. Cherylene Lee's new drama, performed by TheatreWorks, is inspired by the tale of Wen Ho Lee, the Taiwanese scientist accused of spying.

Oedipus Rex 8th Street Studio Theatre, 2525 Eighth St, Berk; (510) 704-8210. $10-20. Extended run: Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun/30, 7pm. Through April 5. Shotgun Players try sportingly for the summit of Sophocles' high tragedy, having of late had considerable success with the Greek classics. Director Patrick Dooley, with help from Kimberly Wilday's choreography and Tim Barsky's persuasive sound design, achieves some dynamic effects in making the work vital to a modern audience, but the balance between more naturalistic performances and the sort of pageantry that successfully informed previous renderings of classic texts remains uncertain here. (Avila)

Scab La Val's Subterranean Theatre, 1834 Euclid, Berk; (510) 464-4468. $10-15. Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Through April 5. In Sheila Callaghan's darkly comic grad school drama, Anima (the perfect combination of neurosis and deadpan humor played by Alyssa Bostwick) is falling in love with her roommate Christa (a naïve good girl with a lustful streak played by Emily Klein) who is herself secretly sleeping with Anima's ex-boyfriend (a mixture of false sensitivity and outright sliminess portrayed by Noah James Butler). As Anima struggles to understand her attraction to Christa and to come to terms with her father's recent death, she is haunted by dreams of her dysfunctional family and receives visits from one tough Virgin Mary (Eleanor Scott) and two giggling angels in bondage gear (Pete Caslavka and Butler). As the story unfolds, one can't help but feel it's a bit more "freshman year college" than grad school, but Impact Theatre's cast of actors, under the smart direction of Melissa Hillman, bring such fresh energy to the stage that we're easily drawn into their characters' overwrought dramas. (Shalson)

Syncopation Marin Theatre Company, 397 Miller, Mill Valley; (415) 388-5208. $25-43 (Tues, pay what you can). Tues, Thurs-Sat, 8pm (also Thurs/27, 1pm; April 5, 12, 2pm); Wed, 7:30pm; Sun, 2 and 7pm. Through April 13. The Marin Theatre Company performs Alan Kane's play about a pair of ballroom dancing partners in 1912 New York.

dance

'Co-ExisDance: A Shared Evening of Performance' Xenodrome, 1320 Potrero; 460-5150. Thurs/27 and Fri-Sat, 8pm. Through April 5. $10-20. This shared evening of multicultural, multidisciplinary dance works features works by Carmen Carnes/VadaDance and Priscilla Park/Juju and the Nomadic Performance Ensemble.

Hiroko Tamano, Mary Sano Mary Sano Studio of Duncan Dancing, 245 Fifth St, Studio 314; 357-1817. Sat, 8pm. $13-16. The dancers collaborate on Storm of Petals, a work that celebrates Women's History Month and incorporates the Isadora Duncan and Butoh styles of dancing.

Shinichi Momo Koga Noh Space, 2840 Mariposa; 621-7978. Thurs-Sun, 8pm. $15-20 (Thurs, pay what you can). InkBoat presents Butoh dancer Koga in a solo piece, Tasting an Ocean.

San Francisco Ballet War Memorial Opera House, 301 Van Ness; www.sfballet.org. Program Five: Tues/1, April 4, 10, and 12, 8pm (also April 12, 2pm); April 2, 7:30pm; April 6, 2pm. $8-120. The company performs a mixed-repertory program, including The Waltz Project, Nanna's Lied, and Connotations.

Paul Taylor Dance Company Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater, 700 Howard; 392-4400. Program A: Wed/26, Sat/29, and April 3, 8pm; April 6, 2pm. Program B: Thurs/27 and April 4, 8pm; Sun/30, 2pm. Program C: Fri/28, April 2 and April 5, 8pm. $35-49 (all three programs, $95-132. The popular ensemble performs three different programs, including the new-to-San Francisco Promethean Fire, A Field of Grass, and Black Tuesday.

Taproot Dance Project 848 Community Space, 848 Divisadero; 255-9359. Thurs-Sat, 8pm. $10-15. The company performs "Beneath the Skin," with new choreography by Frieda Kipar and Meadow Leys, with special guest Keith Evans.

Bay Area

'East Bay Dance Festival' Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College, Berk; (925) 798-1300. Fri-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 7pm. $12-14. See 8 Days a Week, page 46.

Stuttgart Ballet Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley, Bancroft at Telegraph, Berk; (510) 642-9988. Thurs-Sat, 8pm. $36-56. See Critic's Choice.

performance

'Divided We Fall' Jon Sims Center for the Arts, 1519 Mission; 554-0402. Fri, 8pm. $5-10 sliding scale. Jon Sims artists in residence the SF Buffoons perform a commedia dell'arte-style exploration of love and mayhem.

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

'Forever Young: The Music of Bob Dylan' Zeum Theater, Yerba Buena Gardens, Fourth St at Mission; 749-2228, www.act-sf.org. Wed-Sun, 7:30pm (also Sat-Sun, 2pm). $10-15. The ACT Young Conservatory Players perform an original theatrical piece constructed around more than 25 Dylan songs.

'Forum Theater' Phoenix Theatre, 414 Mason; 285-5087. Sun, 7pm. $5-10. An ensemble cast performs three short works developed from workshop sessions using Theatre for Living techniques, adapted from Augusto Boal's Theatre of the Oppressed.

'Humor Latino: An Evening of Picante Comedy' Brava Theater Center, 2789 24th St; 647-2822. Fri-Sat, 8pm. $24-26. See 8 Days a Week, page 46.

'The Magic of Miracles' Fort Mason Center, Bldg C, Rm 260, Marina at Laguna; 202-9700, ext 727. Sun, 1-3pm. Free. The Mexican Museum hosts storyteller Olga Loya.

'Reservoir Dogs, the Play' Spanganga, 3376 19th St; www.spanganga.org. Fri-Sat and Thurs/27, 8pm. Through April 19. $10-15. Monkey Trouble presents the stage version of the movie, adapted by H.L. Nolan.

'Save Venue 9 Comedy Extravaganza' Venue 9, 252 Ninth St; 289-2000. Thurs-Sat, 8pm. $16-25. Help Venue 9's quest to find a new address at this comedy fundraiser featuring Drunken Monkey and AirPocket (Thurs); "Office Donkey," with Bridget Schwartz, plus Pat Carey (Fri); and Sherry Glaser's "In Touch with Reality."

'Seven Stories High' Bindlestiff Studio, 185 Sixth St; 974-1167. Thurs-Sat, 8pm. $8-15. Bindlestiff Studio presents a new work created by workshops of emerging writers, performers, and directors.

'Three Women and a Mirror' Shotwell Studios, 3252A 19th St; hardcore@thrushtv.com. Fri-Sat, 8pm. Hardcore Thrush presents Beth Mann's play about the fallout of a woman hinting to her friends that she might give up on dating men.

'Try Not to Step on the Naked Man' Cafe Niebaum-Coppola, 916 Kearny; 788-7500, ext 348. Tues, 6:30pm. Free (reservations recommended). Francis Coppola's Zoetrope: Live Story hosts this reading of Sean Michael Welch's new one-act play.

'The Underground Jazz Cabaret' Buriel Clay Theater, 762 Fulton; 292-1850, www.culturalodyssey.org/season. Fri-Sat, 8pm. $10-15. Cultural Odyssey kicks off its 2003 spring season with this performance hosted by Idris Ackamoor and Rhodessa Jones and featuring sax great Chico Freeman.

'Voci' ODC Theater, 3153 17th St; 863-9834. Thurs-Sun, 8pm. Through April 5. $12-15. Pamela Z performs a new solo multimedia performance work.

'Whitman McGowan and the Dissembled Ensemble' Dylan's Pub, 2301 Folsom; 641-1416. Tues, 8pm. Free. Spoken word artist McGowan performs, with DJ Louka and flautist-poet Margery Snyder.

Bay Area

'Everything You Wanted to Know about Everything' 21 Grand Gallery, 449B 23rd St, Oakl; (510) 444-7263. Sat, 8pm. Free. Jenny Makofsky performs her solo show, subtitled "How to Order and Understand the Universe in Only One Hour."

'Radical Performance Fest' Black Box, 1929 Telegraph, Oakl; (415) 285-9734, www.cultural-links.org. Fri, 8pm. $10-15. (Also Sat, 8pm, SomArts Cultural Center, 934 Brannan, S.F.) See 8 Days a Week, page 46.

comedy

Caffe Sapore 790 Lombard; 474-1222. Fri, 8pm: "Comedy at Cafe Sapore," with host Melissa Gans, headliner Eli Tapley, and others, $5.

Cobbs Comedy Club 2801 Leavenworth; 771-5225. Thurs-Fri, 8pm (also Fri, 10pm): Greg Proops performs, $25.

Palace of Fine Arts outside lawn, Richardson at Bay; www.blueblanketimprov.com. Sun, 11am: Blue Blanket Improv presents a free workshop and improv show. Ongoing.

Studio 210 3435 Cesar Chavez; 869-5384. Sat, 8pm: "The Short and Long of It," improv with the Un-Scripted Theater Company, $7-10. Through April 5.

Bay Area

Black Box 1928 Telegraph, Oakl; (510) 451-1932. Thurs, 8pm: The Oakland Playhouse improv troupe performs improv comedy, $5.

Scores 2200 Bridgepointe Pkwy, San Mateo; (650) 358-5951. Wed, 9pm: "Comedy Open Mic Night," with host Mickey Joseph, free. Ongoing.

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; 440-5530. "Spoken Word Salon," with host Diamond Dave Whitaker, 8pm, free.

Thursday: Coppa D'Oro Cafe 3166 24th St; 826-8003. "Poetry on the Patio," spoken word and acoustic music open mic with host Renaldo Ricketts, 6:30pm, free.

Socialist Action Bookstore 3425 Cesar Chavez; 821-0459. Spoken word open mic, 7:30pm, free.

Dalva 3121 16th St; (925) 216-3592. "Poetry Mission" with featured reader Eric Johansen, 7pm, free.

Unitarian Center 1187 Franklin; 338-2227. The Poetry Center presents Keith Waldrop and Rosmarie Waldrop, 7:30pm, $5.

Saturday: Herbst Theater 401 Van Ness; 392-4400, www.cityboxoffice.com. "Seventh Annual Youth Speaks Poetry Slam Grand Slam Finals," featuring Bay Area teens in competition, 7pm, $5-15.

Sunday: Cody's Books 2454 Telegraph, Berk; (510) 845-7852. "Poetry Flash," with Zack Rogow, Julie Sheehan, and Robert Thomas, 7:30pm, $2.

Monday: Perry's Joint 1661 Fillmore; 931-5260. "Celebration of the Word," with featured reader Ra Mu and open mic, 7pm, free.

Tuesday: Spanganga 3376 19th St; 821-1102. "The Spang Bang," open mic for all types of performers, 8pm, $2 (suggested donation).

San Francisco Public Library North Beach Branch, 2000 Mason; 274-0270. Poets Donald Brennan, Clara Hsu, Stephen Kopel, Gail Mitchell, Jay Stebley, and Mary Wenner read, 7pm, free.