Tucson Weekly: City Week (June 17

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Thursday 17

BORDER LINES. Divisions of geography, politics, identity and gender continue their rapid reshuffling as we barrel towards the millennium. Today, novelist and poet Demetria Martinez hosts Women, Identity and Borders, a showcase of satirical and humorous short films by women offering a poignant look at where we're headed.
City Week Included are "The Orientation Express," a funny animated piece by Frances Leeming, which uses cut-out images from Life magazine to explore "conservative morality and pompous patriarchy from the '50s to the '80s"; and Lourdes Portillo's courtroom comedy "Columbus on Trial," in which the explorer returns from the grave to stand trial for atrocities against native peoples of the New World. He's cross-examined by the Latino comedy troupe Culture Clash.
Women, Identity and Borders begins at 7:30 p.m. in the UA Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Building, Room 202, at the northeast corner of Speedway and Mountain Avenue. Admission is free. For information, call 621-7352.
STORMY WEATHER. Fourth Avenue submits to the gods of weather tonight with another outdoor Monsoon Madness concert. These fun, free shows are drawing increasing numbers of strollers along the charming little avenue, right on the fringes of downtown. And the musicians tend to kick a little cumulonimbus butt.
Karen Cupp and Thunderosa share a double billing from 7 to 10 p.m. in Winsett Park, 316 N. Fourth Ave. Call 624-5004 for details.

Friday 18

BELATED BLEND. Two of the region's top modern dance companies combine efforts for an evening of provocative and vibrant work in Together At Last.
Since 1985, Tenth Street Danceworks and Orts Theatre of Dance have performed separately for audiences in the Old Pueblo and abroad. In their first collaborative effort, they'll present Abandoned Summer, inspired by "A Summer Indoors," the humorous and bittersweet New Yorker piece by Alison Rose. This version has been created by Tenth Street Artistic Director Charlotte Adams for soloist Michelle Kriner.
Adams is also behind "The End of the Affair," featuring dancers Brighid Anda and Joe Poulson. The romantic duet is set to the music of Miles Davis and saxophonist Bob Thompson, with projected images by Keith Collea. (See this week's Arts section for details.)
Together At Last will be performed at 8 tonight and tomorrow in the PCC Proscenium Theatre, 2202 W. Anklam Road. Advance tickets range from $8 to $12, and are available at Bentley's House of Coffee and Tea, Antigone Books, Silverbell Trading, the PCC Center for Fine Arts box office, or by calling 624-3799. Tickets are $2 more at the door.
VOCAL TRADITION. With 10 years under their belts, the members of Desert Voices are again fine-tuning their chords for Legacy, a performance celebrating their latest CD. Under the direction of Keith Koster, the show will include a broad-ranging roster of old faves, from "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" to "If I Had Only Known."
Desert Voices performs at 8 tonight and tomorrow at the Temple of Music and Art. Advance tickets are $10 and $12, available at the Desert Voices office, Antigone Books and the Tucson Trunk. Tickets are $15 at the door. Call 791-9662 for details.
SKYWARD GAZE. A stellar group of astronomy buffs team up for Telescopes for Telathon, a high-minded fundraiser for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
The Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association, Skyworks and Starizona are collaborating for the event. They'll provide telescopes at different locations for public viewing, available with a donation to the MDA. Viewing runs from 7 to 10 tonight, and noon to 10 p.m. Saturday in Sky Works, 7401 E. 22nd St. Call 795-3434.

Saturday 19

EASY ACCESS. Tucson's public access TV station, aptly named Access Tucson, celebrates 15 years on the local scene with a gala party tonight. The non-profit community organization has provided video training for budding broadcast talents, and given thousands of diverse folks a voice in the definitive medium of our time.
Tonight's party gives a nod to that contribution with a historic retrospective video, live dance music with Blue Light Special and plenty of refreshments, with the whole shebang cable-cast live.
Admission is free, so come down and celebrate from 7:30 to 10 p.m. at Access Tucson, 124 E. Broadway Blvd. For more information, call 624-9833. (Also see the related article in this week's Currents section.)
BAYOU BLAST. Contra is sorta like square dancing with a contrary twist, while Bayou Des Arc is squarely a Cajun band with spunk and verve. Today the two come together for a high-stepping dance extravaganza hosted by the Tucson Friends of Traditional Music.
The party runs from 8 to 11 p.m., with a dance refresher session at 7:45 p.m. in the International Arts Center, 516 N. Fifth Ave. Admission is $5, $4 for TFTM members and $3 for students. Call 327-1779 for information.

Sunday 20

PUNK PIONEER. He's known as a punk pioneer and social commentator, not to mention head singer/songwriter for the seminal Dead Kennedys. In the mid '80s, Jello Biafra found himself knee-deep in legal controversy over the Kennedy's "Frankenchrist" trial, marking the first time in history that a recorded work sparked obscenity charges.
Sixteen years later, the controversial artist keeps his finger in the musical and social tides, both as a piquant commentator on free speech, and as founder of Alternative Tentacles Records.
In his latest release, If Evolution is Outlawed, Only Outlaws Will Evolve, Biafra uses spoken word rhapsodies to rail at the media, the Clintons, and even supposed devil-worshipping kids convicted of a murder due to their black apparel.
Hear Biafra's topical rant at a 9 p.m. show in the Rialto Theatre, 318 E. Congress St. Tickets are $9, available at Zip's University, Toxic Ranch, CD Depot and www.ticketweb.com. For information, call 740-0126.
FATHER'S AFOOT. The delightful Ballet Folklórico la Paloma has landed a slot on the 2000 Olympics performance roster in Sydney, Australia. It's a long journey for the fantastic, ethnically rooted troupe, but a great opportunity to share a dance tradition we hold dear in these parts.
Needless to say, such a junket doesn't come cheap. That's the drive behind a Father's Day fundraising effort featuring their own dancers, along with Mariachi Corazón del Oro and Azteca dancer Ramón Velasquez.
The event runs from 1 to 5 p.m. in the Cottonwood Café, 60 N. Alvernon Way. Admission is $10 for the show only, and $19.95 with lunch included. For reservations, call 326-6000.

Monday 21

STUCK FOR YUKS. They're a comic ensemble on sticks, inanimate figures fronting the powerful talents of Jeff Dunham. And they're coming to Laffs Comedy Caffé for two nights of hilarity.
Peanut is a fuzzy, purple terror. Walter is an elderly curmudgeon who speaks his mind about anyone and anything. And José Jalapeño is just a self-effacing little pepper. These colorful characters, brought to life by Dunham's impeccable ventriloquism, have twice won him Ventriloquist of the Year awards, and the 1997 Funniest Male Stand-Up Comic Award.
"What makes this performer the best at what he does is the believability factor," says one critic. "His characters have more personality than some people I know."
Dunham performs at 8 and 10 tonight and tomorrow in Laffs Comedy Caffé, 2900 E. Broadway. Tickets are $17 for the 8 p.m. shows, $14.50 for the 10:30 p.m. shows, and available by calling 323-8669.
HEALTHY OUTING. Learn a bevy of nutritional tidbits and volumes of organic produce information at the Tucson Cooperative Warehouse-sponsored natural health workshop.
Along with sampling a potpourri of natural products, you'll get the scoop on the cooperative movement, sessions about the "wonder sweetener" Stevia, and the facts on essential fatty acids and flax seed oil.
A long-time player on the local scene, TCW is a member-owned business providing thousands of natural food products at wholesale prices. Workshop is free and runs from 6 to 9 p.m. in the Unitarian Universalist Church, 4831 E. 22nd St. For reservations, call (800) 350-2667.

Tuesday 22

RICH REFLECTION. The vibrant acrylic paintings of Gerald Dawavendewa aim to make a statement about the importance of his native cultural traditions. And they succeed in spades.
Hailing from the Hopi village of Munquai, Dawavendewa reflects both his Hopi and Cherokee heritage through these potent pieces. Other work by the UA Fine Arts Department grad includes a large-scale mural project downtown; a painting commissioned by the Arizona State Museum; illustrations for The Butterfly Dance (a children's book slated for publication by the National Museum of the American Indian); and a rendering on deerskin that was sent aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavor.
Recent works by Dawavendewa are on display through July in the Arizona State Museum Native Goods Gallery, on the UA campus inside the main gate east of Park Avenue. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. For details, call 621-6302.

Wednesday 23

POETRY IN THE PARK. The Tucson Community Theatre revisits the timeless bard in a seasonal way with their production of A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Often called Shakespeare's happiest work, the drama centers around Theseus, Duke of Athens, who impatiently awaits his marriage to Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons. But his anxious reverie is interrupted by Egeus, an Athenian citizen who arrives on the scene with his beautiful daughter Hermia, and two young men in tow.
"Full of vexation come I," Egeus remarks, and he's right on target: while he wants his daughter to marry Demetrius, one of the young men, Hermia has her sights on the other companion, Lysander. Of course, both chaps are enraptured by her beauty and charm.
Theseus rebukes the daughter, and urges her to obey her father or suffer the consequences. Under Athenian law, that means either death or life as a lonely spinster. But Hermia proves too spunky for such entreaties, and quickly escapes with Lysander to her aunt's dwelling beyond the boundaries of Athens...where the fun begins.
The free performance is 8 p.m. in the Reid Park DeMeester Outdoor Performance Center, north of 22nd Street and east of Country Club Road. Performances continue at 8 p.m. tomorrow through Saturday, June 27. Bring a blanket or lawn chairs. For details, call 791-4663.
EASY CHAIR. Indulge in some magic for sore muscles when the Cactus Flower Wellness Center hosts free chair massage demonstrations. Volunteers--and that means you--will be the relaxed guinea pigs as they demonstrate the latest in deep-finger techniques. Demonstration hours are 5 to 7 p.m. in the Cactus Wellness Center, 5813 N. Oracle Road. Call 293-3751 for details.
DRAMATIC WEAVE. Described as a "joyous and moving demonstration of American Womanhood," Quilters pays eloquent tribute to gutsy pioneer gals in a production by the UA Arizona Repertory Theatre.
This story of one woman and her six daughters blends a series of interrelated scenes, dance and music into a rich mosaic the New York Post calls "a show pieced together with love and stitched with pride...a thing of beauty, comfort and joy."
Show time is 7:30 p.m. in the UA Marroney Theatre, at the southeast corner of Speedway and Park Avenue. Performances continue at 7:30 p.m. through Saturday, June 26, and at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, June 27. Tickets range from $13 to $19, with discounts for seniors, students and UA employees. Call or stop by the UA Fine Arts box office (621-1162) for tickets and information.

City Week includes events selected by Calendar Editor Tim Vanderpool. Event information is accurate as of press time. The Weekly recommends calling event organizers to check for last-minute changes in location, time, price, etc. To have material considered, please send complete information at least 11 days prior to the Thursday issue date to: Tucson Weekly, P.O. Box 2429, Tucson, Arizona 85702, or fax information to 792-2096, or email us at listings@tucsonweekly.com.

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