WEEK OF JANUARY 30-FEBRUARY 5, 2014 THE CALENDAR SFWEEKLY.COM/CALENDAR Natural Movement Untitled Feminist Show, Thursday Cultural The Forgotten Exchange Gay Messiah p.25 p.26 Blaine Davis Comedy THU 1/30 Chinese fighting society believing TUE 2/4 WED 2/5 Theater A COMEDY itself invincible to alien weaponry Theater Comedy waged war on foreign influences in OF SCIENCES Beijing. The Boxers, as they were NUDE FOR UTOPIA Science and comedy, they go together known, eventually gained the UNGENDER TRICKY TRIVIA Untitled Feminist Show celebrates like Batman and a kitten. You might not support of the Empress Dowager NPR’s comedy quiz show Ask Me An- women under the guidance of have thought of putting the two to- and, for 55 days, they and the PERFORMATIVITY other is usually recorded live in Brook- experimental playwright and direc- gether before, but once you see them, it’s Imperial Army of China kept foreign Nancy Opel, who has starred on Broad- lyn, but a recent podcast announced a tor Young Jean Lee. She brings to- pretty great. This week, the California nationals, diplomats, and Chinese way in productions such as Urinetown visit to the City by the Bay. It also fea- gether a cast of six unique players Academy of Science’s NightLife event Christians corralled in an area just and Fiddler on the Roof, had never been tured an hour’s worth of trivia, with from acting, dance, and cabaret to teams up with Sketchfest for Comedy east of Tiananmen Square. The siege in a play by Stockton-raised playwright games that mashed up the names of challenge the ideas of what it means NightLife. Imagine laughing at hilari- was only lifted through the Taylor Mac. But she didn’t hesitate literary works and comic strips (sam- to be a woman. The all-female cast — ous stand-up, live podcasts, and compet- intervention of eight countries and when asked to play Paige, the mother of ple answer: Garfield of Dreams), and a which performs the piece in the itive erotic science fan fiction against the 20,000 troops. While not much is a Marine who’s done three tours of Af- visit from Eat, Pray, Love author Eliza- nude, in the tradition of feminist backdrop of glowing jellyfish and some made of the Boxer Rebellion in the ghanistan and a daughter searching for beth Gilbert. She was asked to play a performances such as Annie Sprin- twinkling butterflies (they twinkle, West, it was a fulcrum in China’s self- a third-sex gender identity in Mac’s Hir. game with the same title as her fa- kle’s Public Cervix Announcement and right?). Have a cocktail and see nerd- titled “Century of Humiliation.” In “It’s edgy in a way we don’t do in New mous book. Host Ophira Eisenberg Yoko Ono’s Cut Piece — uses humor, friendly comics such as Myq Kaplan, Gene Luen Yang’s gorgeous dyptic, York. It doesn’t try and find easy an- gave a word that was either a deity, a video, and sharp dialogue to explore Jackie Kashian, Jon Glaser, Todd Glass, Boxers & Saints, the Bay Area swers for anything,” Opel says. Mac, a food, or a person, and Gilbert would gender norms. Lee, who cast the Caitlin Gill, and more. If you haven’t at- graphic novelist explores this event, singer-songwriter, playwright, and ac- guess which, answering back with show first and then wrote her script tended a NightLife event before, this is a first through the eyes and heart of tor, has produced 16 plays and perfor- “eat,” “pray,” or “love.” It may sound based on conversations with her good first one to see. The event promises Little Bao, who joins the Boxers, then mance pieces. In 2011, his five-hour easy, but it wasn’t. The crew at Ask Me actors, studied Shakespeare at UC a beautiful pairing of live comics and in- through Vibiana, who gives up her extravaganza, The Lily’s Revenge, with Another knows how to stump even ar- Berkeley before moving to New York tellectual curiosity. Or, at the very least, Chinese name to join missionaries six directors, 31 actors, lots of eye dent trivia fanatics — two of the to become a playwright. She says, live comics and live jellyfish. after being rejected by her family. shadow, glitter and sequins, played at show’s contestants were trivia team “Rather than trying to define femi- SF Sketchfest Comedy NightLife This is Yang’s second book the Magic. Hir doesn’t run as long, but captains. If any of San Francisco’s nism, say something new about it, begins at 6 p.m. at the California Acad- nominated for a National Book it’s equally big, says Opel. “There are all trivia captains want to try their mind or make a feminist argument, we emy of Sciences, 55 Music Concourse Award (his American Born Chinese of these crazy images,” she says. “You on Ask Me Another, this could be their wanted to create a utopian feminist Drive, S.F. $12; 379-8000 or visit sf- was the first graphic novel ever to think, ‘Oh, it’s a comedy — oh, oh wait a chance; the podcast put a call out for experience.” sketchfest.com. Emilie Mutert receive the honor) and rightly so. It is second, it’s shocking.’ It’s so interesting Bay Area contestants. Potential candi- Young Jean Lee’s eater Com- a deft and touching exploration of and truly not run-of-the-mill. I like the dates should e-mail askmeanother@ pany presents Untitled Feminist personal identity, culture, religion, size of the play.” npr.org and include “SF” in their sub- Show at 8 p.m. and continues SAT 2/1 and the necessity of compassion. e Magic eatre presents Hir at ject line. through Feb. 1 at the Yerba Buena Art Exhibit Yang presents Boxers & Saints 8 p.m. and continues through Feb. 23 Ask Me Another starts at 8 p.m. at Center for the Arts, 701 Mission at 2 p.m. at the San Francisco Main at Fort Mason Center, 2 Marina Bou- the Castro eatre, 429 Castro St., St., S.F. Tickets are $30-$35; Library, 100 Larkin St, S.F. Free; levard, Building D, third fl oor, S.F. S.F. Tickets are $25-$35; call (888) call 978-2700 or visit ybca.org. ART IN REVOLT call 557-4400 or visit sfpl.org. Tickets are $20-$55; call 441-8822 or 596-1027 or visit sfsketchfest.com. Laura Jaye Cramer At the turn of the 20th century, a Silke Tudor visit magictheatre.org. Emily Wilson Devin Holt 20 | JANUARY 29-FEBRUARY 4, 2014 | LETTERS NEWS COVER STORY THE CALENDAR ARTS & CULTURE FILM EAT MUSIC SFWEEKLY.COM CalOpener_0129.indd 20 1/27/14 8:09 PM 25 SAT 2/1 Dance SPREAD THE STEPS ODC’s biannual showcase Dance and Diaspora returns with Persian dance artists Farima Berenji and Shahrzad Khorsandi. After the success of last year’s Layla Means Night, which featured both dancers in a choose-your-own-adven- ture production of the story of Scheherazade, sinuous and emotional Persian dance takes center stage in this shared evening of work. Berenji, who is also a scholar, ethnologist, and archaeologist hailing from Iran, premieres two solos, The Persian Garden, inspired by Persian miniature art, and Dance of the Soul, which explores the mystical Sufi movement. Persian musicians Samandar De- hghani and Saman Mahmoudi will accompany Berenji live. Bay Area native Khorsandi combines traditional Persian dance with contemporary dance in her Game 2009 piece Transcendence, which features the live performance of Mahmoud Zoufonon’s original score and the poetry of Omar Khayyam. In the spirit of cultural exchange, ODC offers a special master class with the choreographers on Feb. 17 that includes a ticket to the show. ODC presents Dance and Diaspora at 8 p.m. and continues through Feb. 2 at ODC eater, 3153 17th St., S.F. Tickets are $20-$35; odcdance.org. Irene Hsiao on, Weekend Video, 1034 Valencia St., S.F., 643-3373, days, Thursdays, 8:15 p.m., $5, (415) 921-2051, www.lostweekendvideo.com. purpleonionatkells.com. Kells Irish Restaurant & Bar, The Meltdown: With Kumail Nanjiani, Jonah Ray, Steve 530 Jackson, S.F., www.kellsirish.com. Agee, Janine Brito, Todd Glass, and Dan St. Germain. The Purple Onion at Kells: New Talent Showcase: Presented by SF Sketchfest. Sat., Feb. 1, 8 p.m., Wednesdays, Thursdays, 7 p.m., $5, (415) 921-2051, $25, sfsketchfest.com. Cobb’s Comedy Club, 915 purpleonionatkells.com. Kells Irish Restaurant & Bar, Columbus, S.F., 928-4320, www.cobbscomedy.com. 530 Jackson, S.F., www.kellsirish.com. Irs! Michael McDonald: With Jason Downs and Kevin Anglin. The Purple Onion at Kells: The Later Show: Wednes- Presented by SF Sketchfest. Thu., Jan. 30, 8 p.m., days, Thursdays, 10 p.m., $5, (415) 921-2051, purple- $20, sfsketchfest.com. Cobb’s Comedy Club, 915 onionatkells.com. Kells Irish Restaurant & Bar, 530 Columbus, S.F., 928-4320, www.cobbscomedy.com. Jackson, S.F., www.kellsirish.com. Michael Winslow & Rhys Darby: Sound Effects Sum- Put Your Hands Together: With Cameron Esposito, mit: With host Jim Tews. Presented by SF Sketchfest. Rhea Butcher, Andy Blitz, Jon Glaser, Todd Glass, Just W2 or Fri., Jan. 31, 8 & 10:30 p.m., $25, sfsketchfest.com. Josh Gondelman, Jackie Kashian, and Andy Kindler. Cobb’s Comedy Club, 915 Columbus, S.F., 928-4320, Presented by SF Sketchfest. Fri., Jan. 31, 8 p.m., $20, www.cobbscomedy.com. sfsketchfest.com. Verdi Club, 2424 Mariposa, S.F., unemployment Misery Index: Host Trevor Hill loves the company of 861-5048, www.verdiclub.net.