October 5 - October 11, 1995
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