October 5 - October 11, 1995

City Week

Thursday 5

CARNIVORE GORE. It's easy to disassociate the animal from the product when dinner comes neatly dissected and pre-packaged at your neighborhood branch of Grocery World. But if you think all this animal rights stuff is just so much liberal hype, you're probably grossly misinformed about the nature of animal use in industry, agriculture and commercial and military testing. Don't rely on your imagination--it probably isn't graphic enough--go see The Animals' Film, the uncompromising 1991 documentary narrated by actress Julie Christie. Whether you're an avowed omnivore or strict vegan, this screening will shed new insight on the old phrase "you are what you eat." Lisa Markkula, president of Voices for Animals (Tucson's oldest and largest animal rights group) describes the film's four years of research: "More than just a litany of man's inhumanity to animals, the film explores and explodes the assumptions underlying our acceptance of animal abuse on such a monumental scale, placing the struggle for their liberation in the context of a larger historical whole."

The Animals' Film screens at 7 p.m. tonight and Friday at The Screening Room, 127 E. Congress St. Friday's showing, to benefit Voices for Animals, opens with a reception at 6 p.m. Tickets are $4. Call 623-3101 for information.

WHO'S PAUL ROBESON? Most of us weren't lucky enough to see this actor's stunning Shakespearean performances on Broadway in the 1950s. And few may recall he was one of the first African Americans to play professional football. But when we get to the part about how he pioneered the acceptance of gospel music as an art form by introducing the spiritual to concert stages worldwide, and how as a lawyer he championed the rights of minorities both at home and abroad, it's hard to believe a man like Paul Robeson could have slipped through the cracked bindings of the history books for so long.

Enter Borderlands Theatre's latest production, starring actor/playwright John Redwood: Paul Robeson, by Phillip Hayes Dean, is a "dynamic, spiritually uplifting play exploring the life and times of one of this century's most unique talents." There's a student matinee at 10 o'clock today, and one evening performance at 8 o'clock Friday, at the PCC Center for the Arts Proscenium Theater, 2202 W. Anklam Road. Tickets range from $10 to $25. Call 882-7406 for reservations and advance ticket outlets.

Friday 6

BEVEL'S LEVEL. The Mat Bevel Institute opens the 1995-96 season with the following missive: The quadra-strategic generalship of Four World Headquarters, in strict instructions of moral lessons to build more or less upon, proudly deploys the four ships of the Royal Generality...Drop your payloads to the ground and don't miss any of 'em...If it weren't on the edge, it wouldn't be a side show. Need we say more? The first of four flights into the Surrealistic Pop Science Theater, Kinetic Yankee, begins at 8 p.m. tonight through Sunday at the Mat Bevel Institute, 211 S. Fremont Ave., near South Park Avenue and Broadway. Season tickets are $20. Call 622-0192 for reservations and ticket information.

TANNAHILL THRILL. The mystic beauty of Celtic Music and the coarse, brawling, humanistic poetry of the Scottish lowlands are transformed into one electrifying acoustic experience under the skilled musicianship of the Tannahill Weavers. The Scottish band has earned international acclaim with a wide repertoire of stirring ballads, fiery instrumentals, traditional lullabies and topical songs, with the added distinction of being the first professional Scottish folk group to reintroduce full-sized highland bagpipes to the stage. This isn't the latest addition to the folk circuit--these 20-year veterans are one of the most exciting Celtic ensembles touring today. The Weavers perform at 8 p.m. at the Berger Performing Arts Center, 1200 W. Speedway, where there isn't a bad seat in the house. Tickets range from $10 to $15, available at Hear's Music, Loco Records and Piney Hollow. Call 881-3947 for information.

BALLET ARIZONA. If you don't already have tickets, don't wait another second to call for tonight's single Tucson performance of Ballet Arizona's Carmina Burana, a ballet Oratorio by Ernst Uthoff, a study of human relationships "melding a rich tapestry of sound with a spectacular narrative filled with love, death and rebirth." Show time is 7:30 p.m. at the TCC Music Hall, 260 S. Church Ave. Tickets range from $21 to $35. Call 882-5022 for tickets and information.

GOOD WILL. A mild autumn evening in the Old Pueblo is the perfect time to have A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Arizona Theater Company has assembled an equally perfect cast for their season opener brimming with magical characters and Shakespearean wit. This timeless comedy about the transformative power of love and imagination comes to life under the direction of David Ira Goldstein, choreography of Barbea Williams and set design by Dracula's Bill Forrester. Audiences will also delight in the return of some familiar ATC faces: Gary Briggle returns for the first time since his role as Mozart in the Temple's inaugural production of Amadeus in 1990, along with Roberto Guajardo, Francis Jue and David Pinchette (who played the unforgettable Renfield in last season's Dracula). Corliss Preston, who gave an award-winning performance as Rose in Dancing in Lughnasa, will also play a leading role. Tickets range from $17 to $26, available at the ATC and Dillard's box offices. Call 622-2823 for reservations and information.

Saturday 7

ZOOCSON '95. If you think the zoo is kid stuff, tonight's gala event is just the ticket. The Tucson Zoological Society presents ZOOcson '95, an evening for adults at the Reid Park Zoo from 5:30 to 10 p.m. Wander amidst the twinkling lights of the lush zoo grove, graze from the offerings from 24 of Tucson's finest restaurants (Café Terra Cotta, KingFisher, San Remo and Trio, to name a few), peruse more than 120 live and silent auction items up for bid, and enjoy live entertainment throughout the zoo grounds. Tickets are $30 in advance, $35 at the gate, and benefit the zoo's ongoing educational programs and habitat improvements. Call 881-4753 for tickets and information.

PARADISE FOUND. Return to the garden this weekend as Desert Survivors Nursery and the Tucson Botanical Gardens host their annual fall plant sales, with thousands of native trees and shrubs, cacti, succulents, herbs and wildflower seeds. Whether a long-time resident or recent transplant yourself, now's the time to turn over a new leaf and go native--and support these two vital, non-profit Edens among us. And don't forget...fall is the time for planting next spring's wildflowers. The TBG sale will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today, and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Desert Survivors will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Call 326-9686 or 791-9309 for information.

Sunday 8

ARTS FESTIVAL. The Second Sunday Arts Festival livens up the UA Fine Arts Oasis, south end of the pedestrian underpass on Speedway east of Park Avenue, with a full afternoon of theatrical, musical and dance performances, gallery exhibits, and backstage tours and studio workshops. The spectacular 14-panel octagonal installation "Sisters and Brothers," by Los Angeles artist Ruth Weisberg, includes an interactive dance piece by Katharine Harts, Kevin Schroder and Sheryl Oden, accompanied by voice and piano. Free 30-minute performances will be at 1:30 and 3:30 p.m., at the Joseph Gross Gallery. Swing by alone or en masse and create an original watercolor, play in a percussion band, watch a sword fight or create a family video. The festival continues from 1 to 4 p.m., with free admission and entertainment. Call 621-1301 for information.

Monday 9

IT'S A DRY MEAT. We can't help but notice the trend toward survivalist behavior is on the rise. So whether you want to be a model trekker or just look like one, Bob's Bargain Barn and The Dive Shop have a calendar of helpful workshops to get your outdoor skills up to par. Tonight's main course is Food Dehydrating and Camp Cooking for River Trips, by Gil and Betty Evans. Lecture is free and meets at The Dive Shop, 1702 E. Prince Road. Call 544-3720 for information.

Tuesday 10

LAUGHING LOUD OUT. Laffs Comedy Caffé, 2900 E. Broadway, joins in the OUTober celebration by hosting the Gay Comedy Jam: Freedom Tour, starring national headliners Scott Kennedy and Kevin Maye. This one-night-only engagement is a side-splitting celebration of human diversity, with some rare moments of sincerity as the comedians tell about their lives off stage as well. While the show is structured for a gay audience, it's been widely enjoyed by the non-gay crowd as well. Says comedian Scott Kennedy, "Gay or straight, funny is funny." After seeing these guys on HBO and A&E, we couldn't agree more. Showtime is 8 p.m. Tickets are $12 in advance, $15 at the door. Call 323-8669 for information.

SALTY DOG. Doug Wintch's wry sense of humor, colorful lyrics and can't-keep-the-feet-still strumming and harmonica have made him a long-time Salt Lake City favorite. His rough-edged vocals and humble demeanor belie the polished talent of a musician who prefers the title of "just a guy who makes up songs and plays guitar." Wintch warms up the Acoustic Café at 8 p.m. at the Southwest Center for Music, 2175 N. Sixth Ave. Admission is $5 at the door, $4 for TFTM, TKMA, KXCI and TBS members. Call 884-1220 for information.

Wednesday 11

PURE TEXAS. Country & western singer, cowboy yodeler and renown band leader Don Walser makes an historic Tucson appearance tonight at the Southwest Center for Music, 2175 N. Sixth Ave. We say historic because Walser is to honky-tonk what the true American cowboy is to the old west--an untold legend. His near-photographic memory has preserved thousands of classic country songs, from the "halcyon days when Hank Williams, Bob Wills and George Hones ruled the radio"; and his own classic yet modern-sounding treasure trove of originals has earned him a devoted following. Don Walser and the Pure Texas Band kick up their heels at 8 p.m. Tickets are $5 in advance, $7 at the door. Call 623-1000 for tickets and information.


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October 5 - October 11, 1995


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