NOVEMBER

Daily

HIV Testing. HCHD Thomas Street Clinic is offering HIV testing free to the public, 9 am–1 pm. There is no need to establish eligibility ("gold-card"), no donation will be asked of the person seeking testing, and the test is free. Thomas Street Clinic, 2015 Thomas, 713/873-4157 or 713/873-4026.

Daily (Mon.–Sat.)

HIV Testing. The Montrose Clinic offers free confidential HIV testing at these locations. Monday: Bricks, 617 Fairview, 4–8 pm; O, 710 Pacific, 9 pm–1 am. Tuesday: The 611, 611 Hyde Park, 4–8 pm; Club Houston, 2205 Fannin, 8 pm–midnite. Wednesday: Mary's, 1100 Westheimer, 4–8 pm; Ripcord, 715 Fairview, 9 pm–1 am; EJ’s, 2517 Ralph, 10 pm–1 am; Midtowne Spa, 3100 Fannin, 10 pm–1 am. Thursday: All-Star News, 3415 Katy Frwy, 4–8 pm; BRB, 2400 Brazos, 8 pm–midnite; Cousins, 817 Fairview, 8 pm–midnite. Friday: EJ’s, 2517 Ralph, 10 pm–1 am; Midtowne Spa, 3100 Fannin, 10 pm–1 am; The Meatrack, 2915 San Jacinto, 10 pm–2 am; Rich’s, 2401 San Jacinto, 10 pm–1 am. The clinic offers classes for those newly diagnosed with HIV or Hepatitis C. For more info: 713/830-3000.

8 (Sat.)

Health Fair over the Rainbow. The LHI Rainbow Health Fair, in collaboration with the Montrose Clinic, offers free mammograms, blood sugar checks, total cholesterol testing, blood pressure checks and a forum on risky intimate behavior (11:30 am). At the low price of $0, you’ll promote health in your body and wallet. 10 am-3 pm at 215 Westheimer. To schedule mammograms, call 713/603-0023 or e-mail at lhi@lhihouston.org. For Pap tests, call 713/830-3000.

8 (Sat.)

Go Girl. The 2003 GoGirlsMusicFest hits the Rhythm Room with a bevy

of indy female rockers, including Patrice Pike, Elizabeth White, Gina Young and James/Reese Project. Proceeds from this fourth annual music fest benefit the scholarship program for the Rock ’n’ Roll Camp for Girls in Portland, Oregon. Other than this being a raucous occasion, why should you go? “’Cuz chicks rock!” 9 pm at the Rhythm Room, 1815 Washington. For more information, visit www.gogirlsrock.com or www.go girlsmusicfest.com.

8 (Sat.)

Dance the Night Away. Galveston’s Grand 1894 Opera House presents the Bruce Wood Dance Company, with a repertoire of over 40 original ballets including Bach’s Concerto for Four Pianos, Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 3, and Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring. Noted for his haughty and sexy choreography, Wood and his 12 other dancers promise a lively spectacle. $18.50–$63. 8 pm at 2020 Postoffice St. For tickets and/or more info: 409/765-1894, 800/821-1894 or www.thegrand.com.

8 . . . (Sat.)

World of Opera. Enjoy world-class opera from home. Houston Grand Opera’s Fall 2003 broadcasts on National Public Radio continue every Saturday on the program World of Opera. Nov. 8 features Lucia di Lammermoor, Nov. 15 is La Boheme, Nov. 22 focuses on The Merry Widow and Nov. 29 closes the program with Cosi fan Tutte. 12:30 pm Saturdays on NPR, KUHF 88.7 FM. For more information, log on to www.npr.org/programs.

9 (Sun.)

Centennial Sunday at Galveston’s Grand 1894 Opera House features singer/songwriter/storyteller/actor Don Sanders and his tales of the Old West in Sourdough Cowboy and Tales of the West. History comes alive as the incredible stories of Texan cowboys are retold, punctuated by authentic cowboy songs, guitar, harmonica, banjo, and ol’ western humor. $12. 2 pm at 2020 Postoffice St. For tickets and/or more info: 409/765-1894, 800/821-1894 or www.thegrand.com.

10 (Mon.)

The Power of Poesy. One of the most highly regarded literary programs in the country, Inprint brings two accomplished writers to the Alley to read from their latest works. Galway Kinnell and Sharon Olds (both creative writing professors at New York University) read their sometimes candid, sometimes erotic, award and Pulitzer Prize-winning poetry. $5 (free for students and seniors). 7:30 pm (doors open at 6:45 pm) at the Alley Theatre, 615 Texas Ave. For tickets and/or more information: 713/521-2026 or www.input-inc.org.

12 (Wed.)

Linda Ronstadt visits the (Blue) Bayou City. The prolific Grammy Award-winning singer spans almost as many styles of music as the number of years she’s been on the charts. Pop, big band, new wave, country, traditional Mexican rhythms, and beyond, she’s sung it. This time, the Houston Symphony accompanies her. 8 pm at Jones Hall. For tickets and/or more information: 713/224-7575 or www.houstonsymphony.org.

13 (Thu.)

HardCORE. CORE Performance Company, the professional dance company within Several Dancers Core, a contemporary dance organization, presents a new site-specific multimedia dance performance at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston based on the exhibit The Heroic Century, a collection of art drawn from New York’s Museum of Modern Art. 6 pm at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, 1001 Bissonnet. For information: 713/862-5530 or www.severaldancerscore.org.

14 & 15 (Fri. & Sat.)

Let’s Get Seussical. Kids and cats in hats of every age are sure to let out a hoo! or two and be left without speech like a star-bellied sneech when this amalgam of Suess stories unfolds. Musical numbers include as many styles as the story includes beloved characters. Whatever you do, don’t be a grinch and sit silently through the “Green Eggs and Ham” song. $18.50–$72. 7 pm at Galveston’s Grand 1894 Opera House, 2020 Postoffice St. For tickets and/or more info: 409/765-1894, 800/821-1894 or www.thegrand.com.

15 (Sat.)

Proud as a Peacock. Project Row Houses’ Eldorado Ballroom Series reunites many of Houston’s surviving alumni from the famed Duke-Peacock Records enterprise (1949–1973), the world’s most significant African-American-owned and -operated record company of the ‘50s and early ‘60s. This all-star roster of musicians makes for a fantastic night of music. 8 pm at Eldorado Ballroom, 2310 Dowling @ Elgin. For more information: 713/526-7662.

15 & 18 (Sat. & Tue.)

Mercury Baroque Ensemble has moved to Hobby Center’s Zilkha Hall but offers community concerts separate from its subscription series. Performances are held at the University of Houston, Clear Lake campus and the Foundation of the Arts and Community Enrichment in Cypress Creek. For information: 713/315-2525 or www.MercuryBaroqueEnsemble.org.

16 (Sun.)

Music of Today. The Foundation for Modern Music presents some of the world’s most outstanding modern classical compositions performed by some of the world’s best musicians, including a world premiere of Zeal, a composition from the foundation’s artistic director Robert Avalon and the Houston premiere of Tania Leon’s Oh Yemanja. 5 pm at First Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 2119 Avalon Place. For tickets: 713/529-3928 or modernmusic@sbcglobal.net or Joel’s Classical Shop, 4010 Bissonnet, 713/665-0954.

16 (Sun.)

Nova Scotia, the next installment of the Grand 1894 Opera House’s Grand Excursion program, features outdoorsman/cinematographer Ken Creed. Various facets of the Eastern Canadian province in the Atlantic Maritimes are discussed, from friendliness of the people to the spectacular scenery to the quaintness of its fishing villages. $12. 2 pm at 2020 Postoffice. Tickets: 409/765-1894, 800/821-1894 or www.thegrand.com.

19 (Wed.)

Cheap Hootch, Cheaper Laughs. The speakeasy is the only all comedy showcase/open mic in the Montrose. Like the original speakeasies, founder/host Eric Dieckman is shaping this up into a raw, artful alternative to standard nightclubs. The grand opening—with straight and GLBT stand-up, the all-female comedy troupe Jane X, Prohibition Era jazz, and Argentine cocktails—is more event than show. 8:30 pm, sign-up at 8 pm at Helios, upstairs (to the right of the main entrance), 411 Westheimer at Taft. Free.

19 & 20 (Wed. & Thu.)

Classics a Go-Go. OrchestraX always finds a way to put a unique spin on classical music. John Axelrod conducts Gershwin’s original jazz band version of Rhapsody in Blue, Ellington’s Night Creature, Daugherty’s Dead Elvis, and others. Shouldn’t Dead Elvis be all the selling point a person could ask for? 7:30 pm at the Metropolitan Ballroom, 1801 Main @ Jefferson (Penthouse floor). For tickets and information: 713/225-6729 or www.orchestrax.org.

21 (Fri.)

Fiddlin’ Around. Led by Lenny Solomon, three-time winner of the “Violinist of the Year” award, Bowfire assembles 10 critically acclaimed violinists and fiddlers playing an eclectic variety of music—classical, jazz, bluegrass, gypsy, Celtic, and others. 7 pm at Hobby Center’s Sarofim Hall. For tickets and information: 713/227-4772 or www.spahouston.org.

21 & 22 (Fri. & Sat.)

The Music Man. As American a classic as a BLT, this musical gave us songs like “Seventy-Six Trombones,” “Gary, Indiana” and “Til There Was You.” Con-artist turned conductor Harold Hill schemes to sell band instruments by convincing River City, Iowa, that he can teach their children to play in a marching band. Before he can skip town—prior to the instruments’ arrival—he falls in love with the town librarian and decides to go legit. Yet again, a librarian saves an entire town armed solely with her feminine wiles. 8 pm with a 3 pm Saturday matinee at Galveston’s Grand 1894 Opera House, 2020 Postoffice St. For tickets and/or info: 409/765-1894, 800/821-1894 or www.thegrand.com.

23 (Sun.)

Fall Fieldwork Showcase. Several Dancers Core and the Houston Community College Central Dance Department, in conjunction with The Field (a NY-based artist service organization), presents this showcase, a culmination of 10 weeks of work from local artists. Works-in-progress are open to discussion afterward. $5 available at the door. 7 pm in Studio A at 3517 Austin, HCC central campus. For info: 713/862-5530 or www.severaldancerscore.org.

26 (Wed.)

Pansy Division. Their Nirvana cover, “Smells Like Queer Spirit,” is hysterical, honest and kickin’. With their first release in five years, Total Entertainment (Alternative Tentacles), rock’s first all-gay rock band returns with 15 new songs. The queer punks mix humor, bawdy mischief, and personal politics in ways that resonate at universal levels. $10. Upstairs at Fitzgerald’s, 2706 White Oak. For tickets or information: 713/862-3838 or www.fitzlive.com.

26–30 (Wed.-Sun.)

Frozen Jungle. Like a banana daiquiri, Jungle Adventures on Ice offers the excitement of the rainforest in a cool, refreshing format. Disney’s combination of Jungle Book, Tarzan, and The Lion King is performed entirely on ice skates. Fluid movements of skater/performers blend with all your favorite songs from these popular stories. Somehow, “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” seems like it was made for ice-choreography. Additionally, there’s a Spanish performance on Nov. 30. $12–$50. Showtimes vary. At Compaq Center. For tickets and information: 713/629-3700 or www.disneyonice.com.

28 (Fri.)

AIDS Coalition of Texas Now! (ACT Now!) is a statewide volunteer coalition of individuals infected or affected by HIV/AIDS that serves to advocate on all related matters such as legislation, appropriations, education, prevention, and treatment. Anyone touched by the disease is encouraged to participate in their meetings. 2 pm at Thomas Street Clinic, 3rd floor conference room. For information: 713/528-4514.

PLANNING AHEAD FOR DECEMBER

December 1 (Mon.)

The Illumination Project. December 1 is World AIDS Day. The second annual Illumination Project, presented by Dominic Walsh Dance Theater and Hope Stone Inc., features the work of Dominic Walsh Dance Theater, Stanton Welch, Dorrell Martin’s Fusion Dance, dance and performance artist Allan Tibbetts of NYC, and Hope Stone Dance and closes with a candle-lighting ceremony. Money raised is given to A Caring Safe Place (a transitional living place for men with HIV/AIDS) and the Baylor Pediatrics AIDS Initiative. $35, $60 for couples. 7:30 pm at DiverseWorks, 1117 East Fwy, off N. Main at Naylor. For information: 713/335-3445 or www.diverseworks.org.

December 3 (Wed.)

A Little Day Music. Pack a lunch. Da Camera of Houston’s lunchtime performance series continues with a jazz concert by the Sam Dinkins III trio with guest vocalist Vickie Davis Spears. Ticket drawings for other Da Camera events are a part of this free series, such as tickets to the upcoming concert by Brazilian vocalist Luciana Souza. If you miss this month’s free per-formance, ya gotta wait another month. The series touches down the first Wednesday of the month through May. Noon in the Grand Foyer of the Wortham Center, Texas at Smith. For information: 713/524-7601 or www.dacamera.com.

December 3–9

The Laramie Project will be staged at the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts on December 3 & 4 at 6 pm; December 5 & 6 at 7:30 pm; December 6 at 2 pm; and December 8 & 9 at 6 pm. Tickets are $6 for the 6 pm shows and $7.50 for the 7 pm shows.

December 5 (Fri.)

Portrait of Jason. Met with a wave of controversy in the U.S., this documentary about Jason Holliday, a gay African-American hustler in the late ’60s, was well received in Europe, winning prizes at festivals and high praise from Ingmar Bergman (“The most fascinating film I’ve ever seen”). The articulate, humorous, self-aware Holliday desperately seeks the viewer’s approval as he reveals his life on the street, telling XS with wit and style his harrowing tales of sordid experiences. $6. 7 pm at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, 1001 Bissonnet. For more information: 713/639-7515 or www.mfah.org/films.

December 5 (Fri.)

Brazilian jazz vocalist Luciana Souza and her quartet play Houston with jazz and bossa nova stan-dards and original work. Two of her recordings made the New York Times list of top 10 jazz CDs this year. Down Beat magazine praises her “refined, fluid voice” and her ability “to get to the core of a melody.” $25–$40. 8 pm at the Cullen Theater, 500 Texas at Smith. For information: 713/524-7601 or www.dacamera.com.

December 7 (Sun.)

A Southwest Christmas. A Christmas Songfest, a nonprofit organization, hosts this evening of Yuletide festivities galore to raise funds for groups that benefit those with HIV/AIDS. A buffet dinner and open bar serve as prelude to the holiday song sing-along competition and auction. 5 pm at the Hornberger Conference Center. For information: 713/417-5345.

December 7 (Sun.)

Dies Natalis. Soprano Dawn Monachino performs Gerald Finzi’s Dies Natalis with string ensemble, followed by the evening service of Compline with the Men of Trinity Choir. 7 pm. For information: 713/528-4100, x17.

December 8, 12, & 14 (Mon., Fri., Sun.)

Hark, the Herald, Gay Men Sing. The Gay Men’s Chorus of Houston ushers in the holiday season with Silver Bells—Holidays in the City. “Do You Hear What I Hear?,” the mirthful new work “Forgotten Carols from Other Lands,” and Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You!” highlight the songlist. To top it all off, Santa’s Workshop opens up for a visit with a special singing appearance of Mrs. Claus. 8 pm on Monday & Friday, 3 pm on Sunday. Tickets: 713/521-7464 or tickets@gmch.org or www.gmch.org/tickets.

PERFORMING ARTS

) A Christmas Carol. It’s time for the Alley’s holiday tradition, a version of Charles Dickens’s Christmas classic so spectacular, it’s practically cinematic. Spanish translation shows on December 7, pay-what-you-can shows on December 28 and 29. $37–$54. November 28–December 28 at The Alley, 615 Texas Ave. For tickets and/or more information: 713/228-8421 or www.alleytheatre.org.

) Christmas with the Crawfords. If you’re thinking about a trip for the holidays, this may be your ticket. Theatre Rhinoceros in chilly San Fran presents Christmas with the Crawfords, a musical comedy about Joan Crawford. • This historical satire finds Miss Crawford in her Brentwood mansion, Christmas Eve, 1944. Her career has taken a downturn. MGM has just let her go. Warner Bros. has reluctantly offered her a role in the film noir story Mildred Pierce. Her friend Hedda Hopper hosts a radio broadcast with Joan live from the Crawford estate to help keep her in the public eye. Unfortunately, one uninvited celebrity guest after another stops by, singing holiday tunes. The broadcast intended to boost Crawford’s image is ruined further when her children surprise Mommie Dearest with a present that sends her keeling over the edge. • Starring NYC’s drag goddess Hedda Lettuce and a gaggle of other female impersonators, this musical is a tossed salad of holiday madness. Christmas with the Crawfords plays November 19–December 31 at San Francisco’s Theatre Rhinoceros, 2626 16th St., 415/861-5079.

) Doc Moore and More. The comically unintel-

ligible Doc Moore from Dumpster, Texas, emcees

this evening of music, comedy, sketch, and improv.

If you haven’t seen Radio Music Theatre’s Rich Mills, Vicki Farrell, and Steve Farrell switch back and forth flawlessly among countless characters, you’re missing out on some amazing comic talent. $18. Through November 22 @ Radio Music Theatre, 2623 Colquitt. For tickets: 713/522-7722.

) Faust. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s German poem comes alive in this French-composed opera. Temptation, damnation, and redemption are the central themes in this dramatic whirlwind of a story. Native Texan Jason Lester plays Mephistopheles, Paul Mueller and John Tiranno play Faust. $20–$30. November 13–22 @ Lambert Hall, 1703 Heights Blvd. For tickets: 713/861-5303 or www.operaintheheights.org.

) The Full Monty. Just where did that phrase come from? Some say it traces back to field marshall Bernard “Monty” Montgomery, who did everything to the fullest. Maybe it refers to the Spanish-American card game monte or America’s three-card version. Or maybe British tailor Montague Brown, who outfitted demobilized soldiers with a three-piece suit—the full monty—for civilian life. Whatever the etymology of this phrase may be, the Broadway version of this popular film keeps its uniquely English title despite the re-setting of the story in Buffalo, New York. $25–$66. November 4–16 @ the Hobby Center. For tickets, call Ticketmaster 713-629-3700 or www.ticketmaster.com.

) Fully Committed. A play about restaurant culture for the fattest city in the country with the most restaurants in the country. It just makes sense. This off- Broadway comedy hit follows a day in the life of an out-of-work actor who answers the fiery reservation line at Mahattan’s number-one eatery. Caller after caller stops at nothing—bribes, hysterics, threats—to get a reservation or a good table. Through November 16 at The Alley Theatre. Tickets and information: 713-228-8421 or www.alleytheatre.org.

) Good Boys. Stages opens the regional premiere of “America’s best-known, unknown playwright,” the pseudonymous Jane Martin. The story opens with the meeting of two fathers who believe they are strangers to each other. As destiny would have it, one is the father of the boy who shot the son of the other father. Questions like, “Should parents be held responsible for the actions of their child?” and “How do we and should we forgive such actions?” are raised in this compelling play. $20–$35. November 5–23 @ Stages, , 3201 Allen Pkwy at Waugh Dr. For tickets: 713/527-0123 or www.stagestheatre.com.

) James Joyce’s The Dead. A musical adaptation from Joyce’s short-story collection The Dubliners, the story takes place at Christmastime during the Feast of the Epiphany in the Morkan home on Usher Island. Three music teachers invite their friends to a musical party. During the party, music recalls ghosts from the past, and one woman finds the memory of her one great love competing with her husband’s love in the present. $20–$30. Show times vary. November 1–December 7 at Main Street Theater in the Rice Village, 2540 Times Blvd. For tickets or more information: 713/524-6706 or www.mainstreettheater.com.

) Julius Caesar. Handel’s rendition of this classic tale of love, lust, and deceit is performed by the stunning cast of Laura Claycomb as Cleopatra, Brian Asawa as Ptolemny, and David Daniels (see interview on page 32) as the infamous Roman dictator. $9 and up. Through November 16 @ Cullen Theater. For tickets: 713/228-OPERA or www.houstongrandopera.org.

) Killer Karaoke and Marriage Can Be Murder. Mystery Café serves up dinner theater with a giggle. • Killer Karaoke: Who will win this karaoke competition of half-wits and crummy crooners? Moreover, who will survive the devious plots of the contest’s mysterious serial killer? • Marriage Can Be Murder: Millions of dollars in the legume industry are at stake as Phil Hocker and Stephanie Belcher (the children of two warring baked-bean magnates) await their wedding day, unless somebody kills them off to get the money. • Killer Karaoke plays Fridays; Marriage Can Be Murder plays Saturdays. Both shows presented at 8 pm at Marriott West Loop, 1750 West Loop South at San Felipe. Reservations required: call 713/944-2583 or visit www.mysterycafehouston.com.

) Relatively Speaking. By Alan Ayckbourn, this story combines one country house, six boxes of chocolates, sixteen floral bouquets, one pair of bedroom slippers and a thousand hilarious misunderstandings. Through November 15 @ The Company OnStage, 536 Westbury Sq. For tickets: 713/726-1219.

) Rhinoceros. Eugene Ionesco’s harrowing, tragicomic opus on alienation and conformity finds Berenger bemoaning his restless existence when a rhinoceros tears through the town, wreaking havoc. A riot amongst the townspeople ensues over the meaning of the event and why it has even happened. As the play progresses, each of Berenger’s intimates chooses the way of the Rhinoceros—the unthinking crowd—leaving Berenger to himself. $10–$15, $5.99 opening weekend. November 20–December 13 @ The Axiom, McKinney. For tickets and/or more information: 713/522-8443 or www.infernalbridegroom.com.

) Santaland Diaries. The story that launched David Sedaris’s career as an award-winning writer tromps the boards. Best described as how a slacker might spend the holidaze, the story follows a Macy’s elf trapped in Christmas Hell. November 22–December 20. 5 and 8 pm at Theater LaB Houston, 1706 Alamo. For tickets and/or more information: 713/868-7516.

) The Stops. From local playwright Eric Lane Barnes, author of Fairy Tales and Fruit Cocktail, comes The Stops, a musical about three ladies from NALOG (the North American Ladies Organists Guild), Ginny, Rose, and Euglena. The trio, who performs mostly contemporary Christian music abroad, finds out their mentor and arranger is gay. How gays are treated within the church is the serious issue in this otherwise campy comedy. $20. Through December 20 @ Theatre New West, 1415 California St. For tickets: 713/522-2204.

) Terra Nova. The story of Robert Falcon Scott’s ill-fated expedition to Antartica written by Ted Talley, Academy Award-winning author of the screenplay for The Silence of the Lambs. Taken from Scott’s journal of his second and fatal expedition, a race against time, weather, terrain, and a Norwegian team bent on beating Scott’s team of five at getting their flag mounted at the bottom of the world first. $10. November 14–22 @ Rice University’s Hamman Hall (MS 115). For tickets and/or more information, call 713/348-7529 or visit www.rice.edu/players.

) The Texas Renaissance Festival brings together families, history buffs, theater geeks, and lovers of turkey legs and sausages on sticks for outdoor revelry. If the chivalrous men with their spirited jousting or the unwieldly cleavage prove not to rouse ye well enough, keep thine eyes bare-strip’t for the occasional wandering Ren-Fest tranny. They’re an elusive lot. Free for children aged 4 and under, $10 for children 5–12, and $21 for everyone else. Through November 16, 9 am–dusk. Six miles south of TX Hwy 105 on FM 1774 between Magnolia and Plantersville. 45 miles NW of Houston. Tickets and information: 1-800-458-3435 or www.texrenfest.com.

) They Sing Christmas Up in Harlem. The Ensemble Theatre hosts this new adaptation of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol. Set in Harlem, a gangster named Ebenezer Scrooge who terrorizes Harlem folk by day and is visited by a gospel and jazz singing spirit on Christmas Eve. Scrooge learns to love gospel, jazz, and the joy of Harlem. $20–$35. November 20–December 21 @ the Ensemble Theatre, 3535 Main St. For tickets: 713/520-0055.

) Uh Oh, Here Comes Christmas stars Timothy Newman, Katie Nelson, and Brenda Kuciemba. Elvin Moriarty and Judy Reeves co-direct this sardonic romp with music written by Ernest Zulia and David Caldwell based on essays by Robert Fulghum (All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergaten). Through November 29 at Theatre Suburbia.

RADIO

) After Hours. Saturdays, midnight to 3 am. Featuring the QMZ (Queer Music Zone) with Jimmy Carper. KPFT 90.1 FM, 713/526-5738.

) Queer Voices. Mondays, 8-10 pm. Features, news, music, interviews, reviews, and commentary. KPFT 90.1 FM, 713/526-4000.

ART/PHOTOGRAPHY

) Eye on Third Ward: Yates High School Photography. This 9th annual exhibit features 25 photographs by student photographers from Yate’s Magnet School of Communication, many of which are accompanied by creative writings that reveal how the students developed their own sense of self in the process of discovering the Third Ward community. Through December 29 @ the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, 1001 Bissonnet. For information: 713/639-7300 or www.mfah.org.

) Haze. Rice University’s Art Gallery is the only Southwest venue for Tara Donovan’s installation. Her creative process begins with the close observation of mundane objects like Scotch tape, pencils, or toothpicks. These items, multiplied by millions, form the basis of her visually stunning works that recall the growth processes of the natural world. November 6–December 14 @ Rice Gallery, ground floor of Sewall Hall, off Rice University entrance 1.

) The Heroic Century. Houston is the exclusive town to exhibit 208 of the best examples of the giants of modern art, including works by Dali, Picasso, van Gogh, Lichtenstein, and Matisse. Normally, to see such an exhaustive collection you’d have to travel the globe. The MFA will even throw in some Warhol. Now how much would you pay? All the giants, one big collection, one great museum, all for under 15 bucks. $12.50 ($7.50 for seniors, students with valid ID, and children 6–18; $5 for members). Through January 4 at The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. 1001 Bissonnet. For information: 713/639-7300 or www.mfah.org.

) Molas: Quilted Treasures of the Kuna Indians. Every society strives to immortalize its heritage. For the Kuna Indians, this is done through the mola, a method of quilting that incorporates reverse appliqué technique. Often worn by the Kuna women as blouses, the vibrant panels display rich scenes of the animal and plant life of the Caribbean. Molas is of interest to those keen on quilting, fashion, art, and the Caribbean landscape. Through January 4 @ the Houston Museum of Natural Science, 0ne Hermann Circle Dr. More info: 713-639-4629 or www.hmns.org.

) In Pursuit of the Absolute. Monochrome and non-objective works of greats such as Lucio Fontana, Yves Klein, Barnett Newman, and Mark Rothko are featured in this exploration of abstract art of the 20th century. The focus of these artists is on an art free from the constraints of narrative and recognizable imagery, or as the quote in Jackson Pollock’s biographical film goes, “Paint is paint and surface is surface.” Through February 29, 2004, @ the Menil Collection, 1515 Sul Ross. For information: 713/524-9400 or www.menil.org.

) Kazimir Malevich: Suprematism. Long celebrated as one of the founders of non-objective art in the 20th century, Malevich developed a system of abstract painting called Suprematism, pure of form with the intention of crossing cultural and ethic boundaries. Comprised of 90 works, some have never been shown in the West. Through January 11, 2004 @ the Menil Collection, 1515 Sul Ross. For information: 713/524-9400 or www.menil.org.

) Nuestra Vida de Cuadritos (Our Lives in Little Boxes) is an exhibition of Texan Richard Rebelo’s paintings, worlds divided into smaller and smaller boxes, meditations on ethnicities, cultures, nations, and borders. A graduate of the University of Houston, Rebelo’s work can be found in collections in the U.S., Europe, and Australia. Through December @ the Daily Review Café, 3412 W. Lamar off Dunlavy. For more informationm, call 713/526-4595.

) The Paper Sculpture Show is an exceptionally unique and fun exploration of the nature of art, how it is envisioned, and how it is created. Each of the more than 30 contributing artists (including the Art Guys) lists the components of the sculpture, like a set of directions. With the help of a gallery assistant, you build the sculpture. How often do you get to go to a gallery and make the art yourself? Free. Through Nov. 15 at DiverseWorks, 1117 East Fwy off N. main at Naylor. Info: 713-223-8346 or www.diverseworks.org.

) Perspectives 139: Abraham Cruzvillegas. The first solo museum show for Mexican artist Abraham Cruz-villegas, Perspectives 139 looks at his three-dimensional, assemblage-based work. An active and influential member of a new generation of con-temporary artists in Mexico City, his curious and playful compositions of found objects include items as unrelated as feathers, seashells, photography studio props, bowling balls, and otherwise. Through January 4, 2004, @ the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, 5216 Montrose Blvd. For information: 713/284-8250 or www.camh.org.

) RISD on the Road: Jewelry exhibits the work of alumni from the Rhode Island School of Design’s jewelry and metalsmithing program. The work of these creative artisans displays a broad spectrum of vision: Sandra Enterline’s representations of the cosmos in gold and silver, Noam Elyashiv’s complex geometric designs in precious metal, Kiwon Wang and Rebecca Hannon’s juxtaposition of precious jewels to common materials like paper and plastic. Free. November 22–January 4 in the Small Gallery @ the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, 4848 Main St. For information: 713/529-4848 or www.crafthouston.org.

) Shirin Neshat. With her first major solo exhibition in the U.S., Iranian-born video artist/photographer Shirin Neshat examines the woman’s experience in traditional Islamic society. Her poetic style offers an unsettling aesthetic journey into a world of divided social roles between men and women. Look for the video trilogy, Turbulent (1998), Rapture (1999), and Fervor (2000) which explore the difficulty of being a woman in Islam and the problems it brings to sexuality and desire. Through November 30 @ the Con-temporary Arts Museum Houston, 5216 Montrose Blvd. For information: 713/284-8250 or www.camh.org.

) Tabletki: Russian Icons from the Menil Col-lection. Home to one of the world’s most significant collections of Byzantine and Medieval art, the Menil presents approximately 15 major examples of icon painting from the 13th through the 19th centuries. Among these are several “bilateral tabletki,” icons painted on both front and back, which were used in processionals and religious ceremony. Through January 25, 2004 @ the Menil Collection, 1515 Sul Ross. For information: 713/524-9400 or www.menil.org.

) Trim. Native Texan Andy Coolquit begins Diverse-Works’s visual arts season with his exhibit, Trim, in con-junction with The Paper Sculpture Show. This notorious artist (his cool part house got him dismissed from his UT grad program) includes funky sculptural furniture, text paintings, and odd collections like a collection of found cigarette lighters. Through November 15 at DiverseWorks, 1117 East Fwy off N. main at Naylor. Info: 713-223-8346 or www.diverseworks.org.

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