SEPTEMBER CALENDAR

6, 13, 20, 27 (Weds.)
HIV Testing. The Montrose Clinic offers free confidential HIV testing and counseling every Wednesday, 6-9 pm @ the Houston Lesbian & Gay Community Center, 803 Hawthorne. Center: 713/524-3818. Clinic: 713/830-3000. Please note: Free & confidential HIV/AIDS testing is also available from 2-4 pm on the 13th & 27th in Conroe at Northwoods AIDS Coalition, 1414 South Frazier, Ste. 106. More info: 936/441-1614.

9 (Sat.)
Galveston ArtWalk is an evening of the visual arts in historic downtown Galveston. The event, held every six weeks, is free and open to the public. 6-9 pm. The trolley will provide free transportation during opening. Info: the Galveston Arts Center at 409/763-2403.

10 (Sun.)
Coming Out. Bob McLaughlin, PhD, will present "Across the Generational Divide: Consensus and Constraints for Coming Out to Children & Grandparents." He will also cover the role that family members can take to facilitate the process. 2-4:30 pm at PFLAG's general meeting @ Christ Church Cathedral, 1117 Texas Ave. PFLAG Houston helpline: 713/867-9020.

10 (Sun.)
Dishes on Ice is an interactive celebrity party fighting AIDS in Texas. Participating models scheduled: Jane Bradbury, Frederique, Kelly Emberg, Bonnie Pfeifer Roshumba, Victoria Silvstedt, & Lara Dutt (Miss Universe 2000). 6-7:30 pm: meet & greet the models; 7:30-10 pm: sample the cuisine from various countries around the world. The St.Regis Hotel's grand ballroom, 1919 Briar Oaks Lane. Children's event: noon-3 pm. For more info: 713/623-6796, ext. 242.

13 (Wed.)
Women's Network. Read your own poetry, read your favorite poem of another woman poet, and/or support & appreciate those women who will be sharing at "Lesbian Poetry Readings." A donation of $3-$5 is requested, but any woman is welcome regardless of ability to pay. 7-9 pm @ the Montrose Counseling Center, 701 Richmond. (Call Sue Long at 713/529-0037 before the day of the readings to sign up to read.)

14-17 (Thu.-Sun.)
Antiques. The 48th annual Theta Charity Antiques Show includes fine furniture, art, & other decorative items ranging from affordable elegance to musuem quality. Also featured will be educational lectures, gallery talks by dealers, & a Sunday afternoon tea. Launching the show will be a preview party & cocktail buffet Thursday evening. Admission is $10 at the Astrohall door ($9 in advance) and includes repeat admissions & show catalogue. There is an extra $10 charge for each of the four lectures. For more info: 713/942-8699.

15 (Fri.)
LiB, A Women's Empowerment Group, is hosting its annual dinner meeting @ the Spaghetti Warehouse downtown. Networking begins at 6:30 pm, the program at 7 pm. For details: the LiB-line at 713/529-0077.

16 (Sat.)
Light Up the Night! It's the 32nd annual Miss Camp America Pageant! See the glitter! See the lights! See those fabulous gals! All of this and more at 7:45 pm @ the Wortham Center's Cullen Theater. Tickets ($51-$101) are available at all Ticketmaster locations or by calling 713/629-3700.

16 & 17 (Sat. & Sun.)
Marvin Hamlisch, best known as a composer, has written major works for film, stage, recordings, & concert halls. Throughout his career, he has won virtually every major award that exists: Oscars, Grammys, Emmys, a Tony, & Golden Globes, with his groundbreaking production of A Chorus Line receiving the Pulitzer Prize. Tickets $37-$85. Saturday at 8 pm, Sunday at 2 pm @ Galveston's Grand 1894 Opera House, 2020 Postoffice, 409/765-1894.

17 (Sun.)
Folleyball Fest 2000. Who would win in a volleyball game between lesbians & drag queens? With that immortal question, the longest-running "backyard" party is celebrating its 33rd anniversary. A donation of $10 is asked, with 100% of the monies going to the Stone Soup Kitchen. The entry donation includes beer, soft drinks, & water. Entertainment includes the Folleyettes, and the ever-popular Folleyball cheerleaders. Dan Meador (Bunnies on the Bayou 2000) will DJ. Meet old friends, make some new ones, & listen to some great music from 3-7 pm @ Folleyball 2000, 2504 Mason St. Info: 713/303-0342.

20 (Wed.)
Omara Portuondo, called "the fiancée of feeling," has been thrilling audiences in nightspots & cabarets for more than half a century. The show-stopping world-class diva and special guest Barbarito Torres, one of the greatest lute players in Cuba, were featured in the film and Grammy Award-winning CD, Buena Vista Social Club. Tickets $15-$48. Presented by the Society for the Performing Arts at 8 pm @ Jones Hall, 615 Louisiana. More info: 713/227-1111.

21-23 (Thu.-Sat.)
Ann Carlson kicks off DiverseWorks's "Mecca of All Things Alternative" performance series with Grass/Bird/Rodeo. A consummate artist, Carlson has performed on dairy farms, frozen ponds, & proscenium stages, with live animals, nuns, & other unpredictable collaborators. For this show, she appears in a suit made of turf, the feathered finery of a Vegas showgirl, and the chaps & six-shooters of a rodeo rider. 8 pm @ DiverseWorks, 1117 East Freeway. Tickets $20 ($10 students/seniors, $15 members). More info: 713/223-8346.

22 (Fri.)
Bar Girls. The 1995 comedy/drama is on tap for Lesbian Film Night. Maria Giovanni directed this look at a diverse group of friends who hang out at a women's bar, looking for Ms. Right. "An amusing, sharply observant new comedy about lesbian mating rituals in Los Angeles," opined Steven Holden in the Los Angeles Times. "A slick, witty soap," the Gay Times reviewer raved. 7 pm potluck, 8 pm movie @ the Houston Lesbian & Gay Community Center, 803 Hawthorne. $3-$5 donation welcomed but not required. Info: 713/524-3818 (the center) or e-mail: Labrysgrl3@aol.com.

22 & 23 (Fri. & Sat.)
It's a Massacre. Halloween comes early with a visit from the Texas Chainsaw Massacre "family." Meet Gunnar Hansen (Leatherface), Edwin Neil (Hitchhiker), & Jim Siedow (Old Man) on Friday, 8-10 pm @ Fear Factory, 901 Rosalie at Travis; Friday, 10-midnight @ The Haunted Hotel, 2817 Fannin at Tuam; and Saturday, 8-midnight @ The Haunted Hotel. Info: 713/759-9866.

23 (Sat.)
Submission to Surrender. The Center for Creativity, Knowledge and Change (CCKC), an organization rooted in feminist ideology, presents "A Journey to Ecstasy," which is a provocative, innovative, & challenging approach to freeing inhibitions, gaining personal & sexual confidence, enhancing gratification & pleasure in all aspects of life. "This workshop is for all erotically adventurous women," reports psychologist Maria Minicucci, CCKC director. $75 registration includes lunch. 10 am-3 pm @ the Houston Lesbian & Gay Community Center, 803 Hawthorne. For more info: 713/592-5262.

23 (Sat.)
Kathy Najimy is the featured speaker at the Dallas-Fort Worth Black Tie Dinner. The award-winning actress and activist, who had a small role in HBO's If These Walls Could Talk 2, was featured in three episodes of the hit sitcom Ellen. The event is a fundraiser for the Human Rights Campaign and local gay- and lesbian-supportive organizations. Though it may be sold out by now, you can get ticket info at www.blacktie-dfw.org. or call 972/733-9200.

23 & 24 (Sat. & Sun.)
Picture This. See what develops when you attend the 48th semi-annual Houston Camera Show and Sale. Useable & collectible cameras, accessories, darkroom equipment, photographic literature & images, free appraisals, complimentary camera & shutter checkups, and more. 10 am-5 pm each day @ the Radisson Hotel and Conference Center-Hobby Airport, 9100 Gulf Freeway at the Airport exit. Tickets $5. More info: 713/868-9606.

25 (Mon.)
Volunteers are in demand at the Houston Area Women's Center (HAWC), a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing services free of charge to survivors of sexual assault & family violence. At this time, HAWC needs female & male volunteers for the resale shop & for the sexual assault & domestic violence hotlines; volunteers are also needed as childcare providers for women receiving HAWC's counseling services and to provide counseling services to both groups & individuals. Volunteer orientation is held on the 4th Monday of every month. Further training may be necessary but will be provided free of charge. Info: the volunteer hotline at 713/528-6798, ext. 272.

26 (Tue.)
Linda Eder brings her incredible voice to Houston in her debut concert with the Houston Symphony. On Feb. 2, 2000, she received six standing ovations at her sold-out performance at New York's Carnegie Hall. Tickets to her performance at Jones Hall are $20-$60. For ticket information, call the Houston Symphony at 713/224-7575 or visit www.houstonsymphony.org, or call the Alley Theatre box office: 713/228-8421.

27 (Wed.)
Women's Network. "Career Change and Development" is presented by Dr. Joyce Gayles, clinical psychologist. A donation of $3-$5 is requested, but any woman is welcome regardless of her ability to pay. 7-9 pm @ the Montrose Counseling Center, 701 Richmond. More info: 713/529-0037.

28-30 (Thu.-Sat.)
In Full Bloom. The 58th annual Bulb and Plant Mart will feature a wide selection of top-quality bulbs from domestic & international suppliers and, in an outdoor area, an expanded collection of hard-to-find & unusual plants, perennials, trees, shrubs, and vines. Free admission. Thursday & Friday, 9:30 am-5 pm; Saturday, 9:30 am-2 pm @ Westminster United Methodist Church, 5801 San Felipe at Bering. More info: the Garden Club of Houston at 713/626-7908.

29 (Fri.)
Racism in the GLBT Community. The Houston Lesbian & Gay Community Center and the Black Lesbian and Gay Coalition host a community forum on this provocative, often explosive issue. In planning this event, the center is also developing collaborations with other organizations that represent the diversity of the city. 7 pm @ the Houston Lesbian & Gay Community Center, 803 Hawthorne, 713/524-3818.

29 (Fri.)
Race Car Club Bash. This stylish party is hosted by over 100 of Houston's trendsetters in the elegant Crystal Ballroom of the Rice Lofts at 8 pm. Ticket/general info: www.racecarclub.net or 713/227-9101. Portions of proceeds benefit MDA & AIDS Foundation.

29 & 30 (Fri. & Sat.)
Darth Vader comes to Houston! David Prowse, the guy who portrayed the Dark Lord of the Sith in the Star Wars Trilogy, will be here on Friday, 8-midnight @ The Haunted Hotel, 2817 Fannin at Tuam; Saturday, 7-9 pm @ The Fear Factory, 901 Rosalie at Travis; and Saturday, 9-11 pm at The Haunted Hotel. For more info: 713/759-9866.

29 & 30 (Fri. & Sat.)
Deathtrap by Ira Levin is one of the great thrillers of the Broadway theater. It combines ingenious detective work with raucous laughter, and it doesn't hurt that it has a gay sub-plot. University of Houston School of Theatre directions: take the Cullen exit off I-45; go south on Cullen to entrance 16; free parking in lot 16B. For show time/ticket prices/more info: 713/743-2929. (Deathtrap also plays October 6-8.)

30 (Sat.)
Volunteer Appreciation. The Houston Lesbian & Gay Community Center hosts a Hawaiian-style luau for past, present, & prospective volunteers. Wiggle that grass skirt. 6-9 pm @ the Houston Lesbian & Gay Community Center, 803 Hawthorne, 713/524-3818.

PLANNING AHEAD FOR OCTOBER

Oct. 1 (Sun.)
Heights Festival. See, sample, & purchase items at over 200 booths offering a variety of antiques & collectibles, arts, crafts, clothing, products, & services, as well as plenty of great food. Enjoy the sights & sounds of live music and other entertainment provided throughout the festival. Stroll down the Heights Boulevard, the main drag in a community that boasts over 100 structures listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The parade down the boulevard begins at 1 pm; the festival begins at noon and continues till 6 pm on Heights Boulevard between 14th & 20th streets. Admission to the festival is free.

Oct. 6 (Fri.)
Unity Party. The Houston Lesbian & Gay Community Center hosts a second annual celebration of GLBT power & diversity. Food, drink, & live entertainment ensure a gay old time. The event also helps kick off Empower 2000 weekend. 7 pm @ the Houston Lesbian & Gay Community Center, 803 Hawthorne, 713/524-3818.

Oct. 7 (Sat.)
Opening Night. Copland's Appalachian Spring, Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 6, Mendelssohn's Octet for Strings-three moments in history, three chamber music masterpieces. Da Camera begins its season of "audible landscape" with musical landmarks in three distinct styles. 8 pm @ Wortham Center's Cullen Theater, 500 Texas Ave. Tickets ($22-$32) are available by contacting Da Camera Music Center, 1427 Branard, at 713/524-5050 or online at www.culturefinder.com. Tickets for students/seniors are half price with ID.

Oct. 7 (Sat.)
Houston Hosts the Texas NOW State Convention. Workshops on issues, exciting speakers, election of state officers, and more! The day will start by taking part in the Susan G. Komen "Race for a Cure," then spend the day looking at the issues that affect our lives and take a look at what is ahead in the next session of the Texas Legislature. The convention will be held @ the Hollyfield Conference Center, 2700 Albany. Join NOW by sending a check or money order for $35 to Houston NOW, P.O. Box 667522, Houston, TX 77266 ($15 for chapter, state, and national dues for those unable to pay the full amount-more if you can, less if you can't). The convention registration is $30; luncheon with keynote speaker will be an additional charge. If you would like to help organize the convention or to find out more, call 713/861-2553 or e-mail at HoustonNOW@yahoo.com. ï On Sunday, Oct. 8, the Texas NOW Convention participants are invited to attend a panel discussion on "Where Goeth Feminism" at the Women's Group, a feminist group for all women where each woman defines her own feminism. The Women's Group has been a mainstay organization in the feminist community for 25 years in Houston and has hosted some of the outstanding women leaders of our time. Starts at 10:45 am at the First Unitarian Universalist Church, 5200 Fannin at Southmore in the Sojourner Truth Room. A group lunch at a nearby deli usually follows for those who care to attend.

Oct. 7 & 8 (Sat. & Sun.)
Hi, Bob. A household name to several generations because of his two very successful, long-running TV shows, Bob Newhart today still performs to sold-out audiences throughout the country & the world. And let's not forget that he was one of the many stars to weave in & out of the gay film, In and Out. 8 pm on Saturday and 2 pm on Sunday @ Galveston's Grand 1894 Opera House, 2020 Postoffice. Tickets $37-$85. More info: 409/765-1894.

Oct. 8 (Sun.)
Empower 2000. Earn, educate, enlighten, encourage, energize, enrich, entertain, envision, equalize, exercise, and evolve at Houston's nationally recognized business expo and trade show. Empower 2000 entertains everyone with an emporium of exhibits: business fair, job fair, health resources, performing & visual arts, sports & outdoors, food & drink, and special-interest seminars. Experience this powerful one-day event and celebrate National Coming Out Day @ the George R. Brown Convention Center. Empower hotline: 713/523-7576.

Oct. 19-22 (Thu.-Sun.)
Ride 'em, Cowboy/Cowgirl! It's the International Gay Rodeo Association's finals in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Rodeo hotline: 505/255-5045.

PERFORMING ARTS

• Anton in Show Business. An all-female cast performs multiple roles (including men) in this comedy about a self-centered TV actress, a jaded New Yorker, & an enthusiastic ingenue brought together for a small-town production of Anton Chekov's Three Sisters. Sept. 8-Oct. 1 @ Stages Repertory Theatre, 3201 Allen Parkway, 713/52-STAGE.

• A Bad Night's Sleep is all about the agony of suffering through a bad night's sleep. It's loaded with original music, bogus commercials, & several of Radio Music Theatre's most hilarious pieces from their nationally syndicated radio comedy...plus a one-act featuring "The Singing Fertle Family." $15 admission & reservations required; food & drink are available throughout the show. Thursdays-Saturdays @ Radio Music Theatre, 2623 Colquitt, 713/522-7722.

• Houston Ballet. Fall Mixed Repertory Program (Sept. 7-17): 1) A new work by Australian Stanton Welch, one of the world's most acclaimed young choreographers; 2) Without Words is the first work by the celebrated European dance maker Nacho Duato to enter Houston Ballet's repertoire; and 3) Ben Stevenson's starkly dramatic staging of The Miraculous Mandarin, a one-act vignette depicting the charged encounter between a rapacious prostitute & a mysterious Chinese mandarin. • The Snow Maiden (Sept. 21-Oct. 1): The snow maiden, a creature of ice & snow, falls passionately in love with Misgir, a handsome young nobleman. She leaves her arctic kingdom to pursue him, and her romantic destiny, in the world of humans-only to find that the love that warms her heart also spells her doom. • Both programs performed at the Wortham Center. Ticket info: 713/227-ARTS.

• Joined at the Head is a drama that explores the life of a writer as she and her friends & family deal with the discovery that she has cancer. Tickets $9 ($8 students/seniors); matinees $7. Sept. 15-Oct. 14 @ Theatre Suburbia, 1410 W. 43rd, 713/682-3525.

• MacBeth. Ambition gone amuck best describes this classic tale of the haunted killing machine & his power-hungry wife that spans time with a ferociousness found in no other Shakespearean play. Tickets $14 (students/seniors $10). Fridays & Saturdays at 8 pm, Sundays at 2 pm, Sept. 22-Oct. 28 @ Actors Theatre of Houston, 2506 South Boulevard, 713/529-6606.

• One Tit, a Dyke & Gin and The Bathtub (two women's one-act plays). In One Tit, a heterosexual woman who has had a mastectomy finds herself accidentally locked in her doctor's office, and spends the whole night with the gay female security guard, passing the time playing gin rummy and growing close despite their difference. The Bathtub is about a lesbian couple, one of whom has been in the bathtub for two weeks and refuses to come out (of the tub, that is). Directed by Joe Watts, they feature Tanya Lunstroth, Claire Hart-Palumbo, Elva Evans, and Josephine John (who many may remember as the founder/director of the Generating Company/Dances). Plays Fridays & Saturdays, Sept. 15-Nov. 4, at Theatre New West, on the ground floor of the Sonoma Restaurant, 1415 California (one block north of Westheimer, between Waugh and Commonwealth). $20. Call 713/522-2204 for information or 713/394-0464 for reservations.

• Sweet Sue. A comic (and creative) tour de force in which two actresses & two actors portray different aspects of the same two characters-one a middle-aged, but still very attractive divorcee; the other, her son's college roommate to whom she is romantically drawn, despite the difference in their ages. Sept. 15-Oct. 7 @ The Country Playhouse, 12802 Queensbury (Town & Country Village). Info: 713/467-4497.

RADIO

• After Hours (Radio) Saturdays, midnight to 3 am. Featuring the QMZ (Queer Music Zone) with Jimmy Carper. KPFT 90.1 FM.

• Lesbian & Gay Voices (Radio) Mondays, 8-10 pm. Features, news, music, interviews, reviews, and commentary. KPFT 90.1 FM, 713/526-4000.

ART/PHOTOGRAPHY

• Art Classes for People With HIV: The Art League of Houston is offering free art classes for people with HIV. The ongoing course meets every Thursday & Friday from 1-4 pm at the Art League, 1953 Montrose. Mixed media projects for the artist and non-artist. Constructive art-making in a relaxed atmosphere. Focus is on the healing power of art. More info: 713/523-9530. The Museum of Fine Arts Houston is offering free art classes for those with HIV/AIDS. Patrick Palmer begins his 9th year offering art instruction. Abstract painting, linoleum-cut greeting cards, & ceramics are some of the media offerings for the fall semester. Class is limited to 16. Everything is free, even lunch! The classes meet at the Glassell School of Art every Friday, 1-4 pm, 5101 Montrose Blvd., room 202. For more info: 713/639-7500 or 713/526-1118.

• From Above. Twenty-five views of the city of Houston, taken from the perspective of Alex MacLean's single-engine Cessna. From the Ship Channel to the suburban prairie, his photos reveal landscapes as abstract compositions, providing a vital perspective on the relationship between natural & manmade environments. Sept. 7, 2000-Jan. 7, 2001 @ the Menil Collection, 1511 Branard, 713/525-9400.

• Fury is an exhibition of paintings of Galveston and the storm of 1900 by gay Houston artist Claude Pollard. The Fury exhibit focuses on a variety of Galveston's numerous themes-the forces of nature, resilience, & ingenuity, to name a few. Pollard has previously exhibited in the Houston Lesbian & Gay Community Center (twice), Toopees, Barnaby's, and in & around various Houston Museum District locales. Sept. 9-Oct. 14 @ E Street Gallery, 2219 Postoffice, Galveston. Pollard will also have artwork on display in September at Butera's on Montrose Blvd. in Houston.

• Hot Sauce represents an optimistic yet flawed vision of our world. The artists hook viewers with style & form, shut them out with meaning & social critique, but always invite them back for more with color-coated beauty. Sept. 7-Oct. 21 @ DiverseWorks, 1117 East Freeway, 713/223-8346.

• Spaces with Edges. The paintings of Houston-based artist Denise Ramos arise from the melding of her two passions-music & art. Within the paintings, Ramos creates the balance of contrasting colors & form that reference audio, mood, movement, & interruption. Through her technique, the artist is able to visually capture the vibrations depicted in sound, nature, & artificial light. Sept. 8-Oct. 5 @ DiverseWorks, 1117 East Freeway, 713/223-8346.

• Super Fabulous by David Lozano is a painted installation which focuses on patterns, lines, & colors associated with stereotypical elements of masculinity & femininity. Every square inch of wall space in the gallery at Houston Community College will be painted with cropped images of larger-than-life comic super heroes and patterns commonly found in fabric or decorative elements. These reference the recurring themes in David's work, such as the dualities of the natural & the unnatural or of masculinity & femininity. The environment will also celebrate the different, the "queer." Youths from H.A.T.C.H. assisted David in painting the walls of the gallery during August. The exhibition shows through Sept. 30 at the Art Gallery in the Fine Arts Center at Houston Community College, Central Campus, 3517 Austin St.