San Francisco Weekly May 23, 2012 : Page 12

sfweekly.com FRI PAGE 12 Dancers and projectionists over-take Union Square: Bitter Melon SUN PAGE 14 Masturbate-a-Thon: Come for a good cause. WED PAGE 15 See what the dinosaurs saw in “Plantosaurus Rex.” LETTERS Night + Day THU /5.24 [COMEDY] WEEK OF MAY 23-30 | CONTENTS | FREE Shaken, Stirred, and Kicked NBC recently announced that the next (and seventh) season of its marquee sitcom 30 Rock will be the series’ swan song, which will effectively set Tracy Morgan loose into an even wilder wild. For Mor-gan, who came to household attention as a series regular on Saturday Night Live from 1996 to 2003, stand-up comedy is his first love and place to release his unfiltered thoughts. Operating on a self-proclaimed philosophy that one must suffer for the sake of true art, Morgan can be counted on to kick political correctness in the balls re-gardless of whether it backfires on him, as it has in recent years with remarks that have offended the queer and disabled com-munities and drawn backlash. That type of comedy, while not for the easily shocked, can add up to a thrill or a disaster in a live setting, so take heed as Morgan storms the stage without a script. Tracy Morgan appears May 24-27 at Cobb’s Comedy Club, 915 Columbus (at Lombard), S.F. Admission is $43.50; call 928-4320 or visit www.cobbscomedyclub.com. TAMARA PALMER SAN FRANCISCO CARNAVAL See Saturday MUSIC | | EAT | FILM | STAGE | NIGHT+DAY | SUCKA CITY | [THEATER] A Bookish Affair Marco Sanchez It was a good year for Woody Allen, 1978. He won his first Oscar for Annie Hall and an O. Henry award for “The Kugelmass Episode.” Published in The New Yorker , the short story follows a humanities pro-fessor who, in the grips of a midlife crisis, decides he should have an affair. Dismayed by the decision, Kugelmass’ therapist says, “I’m an analyst, not a magician.” So Kugel-mass seeks a magician who shoves him into a cheap magic closet with the book of his choosing. When Kugelmass opens the door, he steps out into the world of Ma-dame Bovary , where he easily woos the beautiful, vainglorious Emma and carries her back to New York City. Of course, Flaubert’s protagonist proves too much for our fumbling City College employee, and the affair ends in disaster. Failing to learn his lesson, Kugelmass returns to the closet, where a freak explosion traps him in a book of remedial Spanish, chased by a hairy irregular verb. This charming farce about humanity, art, and escapism come 12 before a live audience with explicit per-M AY 23-M AY 29, 2012 mission from the author by way of the Word for Word Performing Arts Com-pany, which is more than up to the task. Last time the cast members appeared on this stage, they presented David Foster Wallace’s The Pale King . Compared with that, Kugelmass is a piece of rugelach. The Kugelmass Episode starts at 8 p.m. at Herbst Theater, 401 Van Ness (at Grove), S.F. Admission is $22-$27; call 392-4400 or visit www.cityarts.net. SILKE TUDOR FRI /5.25 [PUBLIC PERFORMANCE] Dance of Deluge A collaboration of live dance and three-dimensional visual art takes over Union Square in the form of Bitter Melon . The point? To recontextualize San Francisco’s most foot-trafficked public spaces from the consumerist shopping thoroughfare it is today back to the symbol of victory and social change it was when it was erected in the early 20th century. In this original piece, the multicultural Push Dance Company, directed by Raissa Simpson, explores separate but parallel times of turmoil: the Filipino community in the Philippine-American War (1899-1902) and the African-American community during the Great Flood of Mississippi (1927). British visual artist Ben Wood worked with technologist David Mark to craft accompanying 3-D filmic images to project onto two sides of Union Square’s towering 97-foot Dewey Monument, which was completed in 1903 in honor of Admiral George Dewey leading the Navy to victory in the Battle of Manila Bay in the Spanish-American War. The impact of this performance combined with the meaning of its chosen location should at least temporarily imbue view-ers with the spirit of a diverse city. SF WEEKLY Bitter Melon starts at 8 p.m. (and contin-ues through May 28) at Union Square (Pow-ell and Stockton), S.F. Admission is free; visit www.pushdance.org. TAMARA PALMER [NIGHTLIFE] Party in Our Past In the early 1900s, San Francisco was con-sidered the most European locale in Amer-ica. It boasted more restaurants than any city outside Paris, it had one of the world’s largest luxury hotels, and on its main drag horse-drawn carriages gave way to street-cars. The Barbary Coast was in full swing. There were opium cellars and concert-sa-loons, places where opera singers rubbed elbows with vaudeville stars. The Gibson Girl was in, and the corset was on its way out. Men wore bowler hats and drank Pisco Punch, a brandy cocktail invented by our own Duncan Nicol at a downtown bar called the Bank Exchange. Then, disaster. The Earthquake Premier Party faithfully

Night & Day

THU/5.24 [COMEDY] Shaken, Stirred, and Kicked NBC recently announced that the next (and seventh) season of its marquee sitcom 30 Rock will be the series’ swan song, which will effectively set Tracy Morgan loose into an even wilder wild. For Morgan, who came to household attention as a series regular on Saturday Night Live from 1996 to 2003, stand-up comedy is his first love and place to release his unfiltered thoughts. Operating on a self-proclaimed philosophy that one must suffer for the sake of true art, Morgan can be counted on to kick political correctness in the balls regardless of whether it backfires on him, as it has in recent years with remarks that have offended the queer and disabled communities and drawn backlash. That type of comedy, while not for the easily shocked, can add up to a thrill or a disaster in a live setting, so take heed as Morgan storms the stage without a script. Tracy Morgan appears May 24-27 at Cobb’s Comedy Club, 915 Columbus (at Lombard), S.F. Admission is $43.50; call 928- 4320 or visit www.cobbscomedyclub.com. TAMARA PALMER [THEATER] A Bookish Affair It was a good year for Woody Allen, 1978. He won his first Oscar for Annie Hall and an O. Henry award for “The Kugelmass Episode.” Published in The New Yorker, the short story follows a humanities professor who, in the grips of a midlife crisis, decides he should have an affair. Dismayed by the decision, Kugelmass’ therapist says, “I’m an analyst, not a magician.” So Kugelmass seeks a magician who shoves him into a cheap magic closet with the book of his choosing. When Kugelmass opens the door, he steps out into the world of Madame Bovary, where he easily woos the beautiful, vainglorious Emma and carries her back to New York City. Of course, Flaubert’s protagonist proves too much for our fumbling City College employee, and the affair ends in disaster. Failing to learn his lesson, Kugelmass returns to the closet, where a freak explosion traps him in a book of remedial Spanish, chased by a hairy irregular verb. This charming farce about humanity, art, and escapism come before a live audience with explicit permission from the author by way of the Word for Word Performing Arts Company, which is more than up to the task. Last time the cast members appeared on this stage, they presented David Foster Wallace’s The Pale King. Compared with that, Kugelmass is a piece of rugelach. The Kugelmass Episode starts at 8 p.m. at Herbst Theater, 401 Van Ness (at Grove), S. F. Admission is $22-$27; call 392-4400 or visit www.cityarts.net. SILKE TUDOR FRI/5.25 [PUBLIC PERFORMANCE] Dance of Deluge A collaboration of live dance and three dimensional visual art takes over Union Square in the form of Bitter Melon. The point? To recontextualize San Francisco’s most foot-trafficked public spaces from the consumerist shopping thoroughfare it is today back to the symbol of victory and social change it was when it was erected in the early 20th century. In this original piece, the multicultural Push Dance Company, directed by Raissa Simpson, explores separate but parallel times of turmoil: the Filipino community in the Philippine-American War (1899-1902) and the African-American community during the Great Flood of Mississippi (1927). British visual artist Ben Wood worked with technologist David Mark to craft accompanying 3-D filmic images to project onto two sides of Union Square’s towering 97-foot Dewey Monument, which was completed in 1903 in honor of Admiral George Dewey leading the Navy to victory in the Battle of Manila Bay in the Spanish-American War. The impact of this performance combined with the meaning of its chosen location should at least temporarily imbue viewers with the spirit of a diverse city. Bitter Melon starts at 8 p.m. (and continues through May 28) at Union Square (Powell and Stockton), S.F. Admission is free; visit www.pushdance.org. TAMARA PALMER [NIGHTLIFE] Party in Our Past In the early 1900s, San Francisco was considered the most European locale in America. It boasted more restaurants than any city outside Paris, it had one of the world’s largest luxury hotels, and on its main drag horse-drawn carriages gave way to streetcars. The Barbary Coast was in full swing. There were opium cellars and concert-saloons, places where opera singers rubbed elbows with vaudeville stars. The Gibson Girl was in, and the corset was on its way out. Men wore bowler hats and drank Pisco Punch, a brandy cocktail invented by our own Duncan Nicol at a downtown bar called the Bank Exchange. Then, disaster. The Earthquake Premier Party faithfully sets the stage for that April day in 1906, with can-can dancers from the Vau de Vire Society, music by Sour Mash Hug Band and John Brothers Piano Company, period cocktails, and roving period characters. Get shaken (not stirred) in the Great Quake simulator, and inspect the aftermath in an extensive photo exhibit, which offers images of the city before and after. Also see museum artifacts saved from ensuing fires. For those who want to delve deeper into the seismic science, a new planetarium show explores the San Andreas fault and journeys into the Earth’s core. Dinner begins at 6 p.m. and the party begins at 7 at California Academy of Sciences, 55 Music Concourse Drive (at Martin Luther King Jr., in Golden Gate Park), S.F. Admission is $49-$199; call 379-8000 or visit www.calacademy.org. SILKE TUDOR SAT/5.26 [D.I.Y] Chickens, Bees, and Cheese We San Franciscans are go-getters. If we don’t like the way things are done, we change them. Oh, the vegetables being sold at this grocery are picked by underpaid and exploited workers? Fine, we’ll boycott and grow our own carrots! The power rests in the hands of the people to make a positive change. If all the city began to practice sustainable and self-sufficient skills, who knows what would come next? Chickens in Golden Gate Park? Beehives in every backyard? The Homestead Skill share Festival is a daylong event that aims to educate the masses on the power of sustainable living. More than 40 different workshops are offered, including beekeeping, cheese-making, and chicken-raising. The festival is hosted by the Hayes Valley Farm, an urban farming project that transformed the rubble of the Central Freeway into a farm flourishing with community involvement and sustainable food. Along with discovering the wonderful world of cob ovens, participants can enjoy performances from Alma Desnuda, Fog City Banjo Brewers, Lea Grant, and Nicco Tyson. The Homestead Skillshare Festival starts at 10 a.m. at Hayes Valley Farm, 450 Laguna (at Hickory), S.F. Admission is $20; call 763- 7645 or visit www.hayesvalleyfarm.com. RUBY PEREZ SUN/5.27 [EXHIBITIONISM] Master Your Domain You might equate an event called the Masturbate-a-Thon with “only in San Francisco.” But you’d be wrong. San Francisco was the site of the first one, but similar events have occurred in Portland, London, and Copenhagen. According to organizer Carol Queen, the idea for the event came after U.S. Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders was fired in 1994 for acknowledging that masturbation is part of human sexuality, and that it might be taught to young people as a way of preventing riskier sexual activity. (That Elders was fired by Democrat Bill Clinton says a lot about how much we as a nation are still hung up on the issue.) At tonight’s event, people can sponsor themselves for $40 or seek others who’ll pledge money. The longer you can go without reaching orgasm, the more you bring in. The record-holder for men lasted nine hours and 58 minutes, while the ranking woman held off for seven hours and six minutes. The money raised goes to support the Center for Sex and Culture. “It’s like a walk-a-thon, except at the end your feet don’t hurt,” says Queen. Organizers make efforts to ensure the event is a comfortable and humorous event. Certain areas are male- or female-only, while others are mixed-gender. Previous “guides” have included sexy, brainy local celebrity educators such as Nina Hartley. Queen says that some participants like being in a space that validates a healthy attitude toward masturbation, while others say that attending has helped them shed hangups — like the ones that turned Elders out of a job. The Masturbate-a-Thon starts at 10 a.m. at the Center for Sex and Culture, 1349 Mission (at 10th St.), S.F. Admission varies; call 902-2071 or visit www.sexandculture.org. KEITH BOWERS [BIRTHDAYS] Local Color It could have been the Bumblebee Bridge, our Golden Gate. Back in 1937 when the iconic span was built, the Navy wanted to make sure ships and planes wouldn’t go careening into it and suggested it be painted in bands of black and yellow. Fortunately, saner heads prevailed and the trademark solid vermilion was chosen instead. It’s a color known within engineering circles as “International Orange,” which is also the name of a site-specific group exhibition at Fort Point that’s part of today’s Golden Gate Festival, celebrating the bridge’s 75th anniversary. Installed throughout the historic grounds of the old military outpost, the commissioned pieces in the exhibit offer contemporary takes on the Golden Gate by 16 local and international artists. Allison Smith and Anandamayi Arnold reference history and traditional handicrafts (particularly those made by women) in their artworks. Smith decks out Fort Point with swags of orange bunting, while Arnold’s crepe-paper dresses pay tribute to those worn by “Fiesta Queens” at the bridge’s 1937 opening celebration. Stephanie Syjuco tweaks the idea of the gift shop by stocking hers with locally produced goods that are not for sale. Some artists take a more technological bent, such as Camille Utter back in her computer models detailing the ever changing coastline of the bay, or Bill Fontana in his live audio installation of sounds created by the bridge itself. Elsewhere you’ll find performance stages, a historic vehicle display, a maritime exhibit, and a “future fair.” The fort should prove a prime vantage point for a parade of ships and the fireworks spectacular planned for after dark. We just hope that other Golden Gate icon, the fog, stays away for the day. The Golden Gate Festival starts at 10 a.m. at multiple San Francisco locations. Admission varies; visit goldengatebridge75.org. HEIDI DE VRIES MON/5.28 [SPORTS] Be Frank Morris Popular culture would have you believe that swimming from Alcatraz is a hypothermic journey from which you’re lucky to escape. But the reality is ... exactly that. (As a city, we’re obligated to view Alcatraz swims as one of the most perilous acts in sports, just under wing suit flying.) Truth is, we don’t really know what goes on in those dark, dangerous waters — the closest we’ve come to swimming it ourselves is screaming, “What is this? Santa Monica?” to everyone at Crissy Field. At today’s Alcatraz Challenge, we’ll have a lot of screaming to do, as scores of swimmers jump off ferries near the old prison and swim shoreward for their very lives. The course description makes the event sound even more daunting than we’d thought. Here’s what it says about the strong currents: “Strong means that if you jumped off the ferry and did nothing but float you would be swept three miles west to the Golden Gate Bridge within an hour.” That’ll scare our relatives in the Midwest. The Alcatraz Challenge starts at 8 a.m. (registration and check-in for swimmers starts at 5 a.m.) at the East Beach of Crissy Field (in the Presidio), S.F. Admission to swim is $75-$150, and spectating is free; visit www.tricalifornia.com. MICHAEL LEAVERTON TUE/5.29 [POLITICS] True Blue Nancy Pelosi is our blue-state hero. The current minority leader in the House of Representatives was the highest-ranking woman in U.S. political history when she was named speaker in 2007. Prior to that she served as the Democratic whip. Pelosi, who appears today to celebrate 25 years in Congress, has been called one of the most powerful and prolific women in politics by friends and foes alike. First elected in 1987 during the Reagan administration, she made her way through the cutthroat world of American politics to become one of President Obama’s closest allies, helping him execute some of his key first-term goals, including the health care reform bill. Pelosi comes from a political background: Her father was mayor of Baltimore for 12 years after representing the city for five terms in Congress, and her brother held the Baltimore mayor’s office for one term some years later. Pelosi, who seeks re-election to Congress and will be on the June ballot, speaks on stage today with Gloria Duffy, CEO and president of the Commonwealth Club of California. She reflects on her quarter century in politics and what we Californians can look forward to on the federal stage. Nancy Pelosi speaks with Duffy at 11 a.m. at the Fairmont Hotel, 950 Mason (at California), S. F. Admission is $7-$45; call 597- 6705 or visit www.commonwealthclub.org. CHRIS TORRES WED/5.30 [PLANT LIFE] Big Old Botany Take a journey of prehistoric proportions with “Plantosaurus Rex,” an ambitious, interactive exhibit that re-creates life 250 million years ago. Participants are transported back in time to an untamed and vibrant forest of primitive-looking perennials. Giant ferns, horsetails, cycads, conifers, and other wild varietals chart the evolution of plant life from the Mesozoic to Cretaceous eras. Life-size models of your favorite dinos, such as the T. rex, stegosaurus, and pterodactyl, are scattered throughout the display and provide insight on the symbiotic relationship between ancient flora and fauna. With integrated sound, temperature, and motion, “Plantosaurus Rex” illustrates the curious conditions that brought about the beginning and end of the age of reptiles. It also proves how this scrappy lot of foliage came to dominate the landscape and eventually change the face of the Earth. Let loose your inner paleontologist in this real-life Jurassic park. “Plantosaurus Rex” continues through Oct. 21 at the Conservatory of Flowers, 100 JFK (at Conservatory, in Golden Gate Park), S. F. Admission is $7; call 831-2090 or visit www.conservatoryofflowers.org. JESSICA HILO [FESTIVAL] Mardi Gras West San Francisco Carnaval is a cultural arts celebration born of the determination of a strongwilled neighborhood collective. Now in its 34th year, this lively and colorful event has grown into one of California’s largest multi-ethnic events. This year, Carnaval invites locals to participate in a lavish, two-day, all-ages event. Live music and dance, floats, and costumed street performers flood a seven-block expanse in the Mission District. Artisan booths boast handmade jewelry and international bites, while a kids’ section provides activities such as an inflatable bounce house and face painting. The festival culminates with the coronation of Carnaval royalty and a parade of contingents by the thousand. Carnaval celebrates San Francisco’s diversity by putting cultural traditions in front of us, in the forms of people, music, food, and art. San Francisco Carnaval starts Saturday at 10 a.m. (and continues through May 27) on Harrison (between 16th and 23rd sts.), S.F. Admission is free; call 642-1748 or visit www.sfcarnaval.org. JESSICA HILO

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