Wednesday 2/24: UC Berkeley’s Holloway Series presents Simone White. The monthly Holloway series is always a special event, and who doesn’t enjoy the UCB campus and a little time well-spent in Berzerkeley? Free, 6:30 p.m., Maude Fife Room (Wheeler Hall #315), UC Berkeley.
Thursday 2/25: The New Shit Show, an open mic plus feature focusing on new work exclusively, was founded a few years ago at San Francisco’s late, lamented Viracocha by the amazing Sam Sax and several cohorts. Tonight, it is resurrected in Berkeley, hosted by Joshua Merchant and Tatyana Brown and featuring Amber Flame. This shit don’t stink. $5-10 sliding scale (no one turned away), 7 p.m. workshop, 8 p.m. signup, 8:15 p.m. show, 7th street Café.
For a more academic experience (not to be dissed or dismissed!) you could go hear Louise Glück read at the University of San Francisco. Free, 7:45 p.m., Fromm Hall–FR 125–Maraschi Room, USF.
Friday 2/26: It seems this is a big week for readings in the Groves of Academe. Tonight, the Writers Series at California College of the Arts presents Nayomi Munaweera (Island of a Thousand Mirrors). Free, 4:30 p.m., CCA.
Saturday 2/27: Oakland’s ever popular Saturday Night Special open mic spits it filthy (tonight’s theme) with features Kimberly Reyes and Joseph Rios. Free, 7 p.m., Nick’s Lounge.
Monday 2/29: SF State joins this week’s academic cavalcade! Check out Writers on Writing, a craft class open to the public, featuring Jan Ellison (A Small Indescretion). Free, 7 p.m., SFSU Humanities Building.
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This week’s very enthusiastic theatre recommendation is for the Bay area premiere of The Unfortunates at A.C.T.’s Strand Theatre. The Unfortunates (first performed last year at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival) is the heroic story of Big Joe, a soldier who must learn to use more than his fists if he is to save his lady love and gain his own soul, but it is much more than that. Told as a journey through a surreal underworld (represented by the mythological St. James Infirmary to which Joe must go down) where he encounters mythological figures from traditional American music, such as Stagger Lee. The show looks, incredibly, like a graphic novel come to life. Musically, it is all over the map of Americana, from blues to rap to torch song to gospel and more. The choreography is thrilling. The Unfortunates is likely to be among the most memorable shows you’ll ever encounter. For further information, click here.
For more extensive coverage of the Bay area theatre scene, visit TheatreStorm.
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Evan Karp presents video of this week’s featured local author, Alan Sodolfsky. Read an interview here.
And here’s video of SF Notable Gaymous, featuring the amazing PizzaCupcake and FXBoi, recently performing for Quiet Lightning and Radar Productions. PizzaCupcake is a frikkin’ goddess who will blow your mind and make you an acolyte.
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If you have a Bay Area event listing you’d like us to consider for Notable SF, please contact [email protected] as far in advance as possible, and include the date of the event in the subject line.
