To Fort Worth filmmaker Philip R. Fagan, short films dont mean short attention span. Though his seven works clock in at about an hour together, theres a lot to digest here: silent Chaplin-style slapstick, heroin addiction portrayed through Ghoultowns Count Lyle, Jekyll and Hyde retold at a circus sideshow, skateboarding to a soundtrack by Darlington (then called Mess) and a creepy house inhabited by Bugman. Its all sex, drugs and rock and roll. Fagans films will be screened at 10 p.m. at the Wreck Room, 3208 W. Seventh St., Fort Worth. Call 817-830-4900.
Friday, May 2
Neil LaButes Bash is the theatrical equivalent of sticking a pair of tweezers up a nostril and ripping out a huge clump of hair. The collection of three plays is about the evil lurking in everyone (except sweet lil us, of course), and it bashes the audience with some shocking revelations. In the first play, Iphigenia in Orem, a businessman discloses a secret to a stranger in a hotel room. Two college sweethearts each tell their version of a violent night during an anniversary party in A Gaggle of Saints. And, finally, a woman looks for revenge on the teacher who seduced her in Medea Redux. Those who have seen LaButes films such as Your Friends and Neighbors or In the Company of Men can expect an equally dark and unsettling view of modern life. Kitchen Dog Theater presents Bash as part of its Cabaret Series of plays. Tickets are $7, and only general admission seating is available. In the Black Box Theater at the McKinney Avenue Contemporary, 3120 McKinney Ave. Call 214-953-1055.
Saturday, May 3
Prairie fest makes us want to plait our hair, wear body-concealing flower-print dresses and call everyone pa just like Laura Ingalls Wilder. But White Rock Prairie Fest is all about dirt, grass and other thrilling botanicals. But, truthfully, it is important (if not spine-tingling) because White Rock Lakes grounds contain many of the remaining 5,000 acres of Blackland Prairie out of 1.2 million acres. To draw attention, several groups including the North Texas Master Naturalist Chapter, the Botanical Research Institute of Texas and Texas Nature Conservancy are hosting a family day with buffaloes grazing, guided tours, information booths and performances by Native American dance groups from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The area, near the Bath House Cultural Center at 521 E. Lawther Drive, is also nominated as a site for the new Prairies and Pineywoods Wildlife Trail. The event is free. Call 214-320-1848.
Sunday, May 4
Despite years of research about the latest elements of hip, such as where to buy the least practical and tallest strappy sandals and which salon offers the best mother-offending hair dyes, we still must geek out once in a while. OK, weekly. But our dorkitude isnt even about something trendy and classic like comic books. Oh, no, mummys the word. Were all about ancient Egypt (and the proof is permanently tattooed on our back). But, fortunately for us, the Kimbell Art Museum also likes to get its mummy on. From Sunday through September 14, the museum hosts The Quest for Immortality: Treasures of Ancient Egypt, a collection of treasures from historical societies not seen before outside of Egypt. The 100 artifacts demonstrate the ancient Egyptians beliefs in the afterlife, and the final stop in the show is a reconstruction of a tomb with a sarcophagus and an 8-foot model of the pharaohs boat. Theres also the earliest known copy of the amduat, the journey to the afterlife. Brendan Fraser not included. The museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays and Saturday, noon to 8 p.m. Fridays and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. Admission is $16 for adults, $14 for students and seniors, $12 for children 6 to 11 and free for kids under 6. Admission is $7 to $9 on Tuesdays. Call 817-332-8451.
Monday, May 5
In rock and roll, castanets arent usually included in the standard four-piece band setup. Neither are Mexican cowgirl outfits or flamenco hand and feet movements. But Patricia Vonne, who uses all three, still rocks (and not in a kitschy, El Vez type of way). The singer/songwriter combines her Mexican and Spanish ancestry with her love for modern rock, singing in both Spanish and English and backed by accordion and electric guitar. Her debut, self-titled album was released in January on her own Bandolera Records, and her first video (directed by brother Robert Rodriguez of Spy Kids and El Mariachi) is for Wont Fade Away, the records opening track. Vonne performs to celebrate Cinco De Mayo and her CD release at the Virgin Megastore, 5307 E. Mockingbird Lane in Mockingbird Station, at 7:30 p.m. Call 214-615-3887.
Tuesday, May 6
To a child, the existence of a giraffe probably sounds as unlikely as that of a unicorn. Fifteen feet tall, covered in spots and uses a long, sticky tongue to eat leaves. Whatever, Mom. But in Jorge Luis Borges 1957 book The Handbook of Fantastic Zoology, creatures such as minotaurs, centaurs and sphinxes are as real as any captive in the city zoo. Now contemporary Mexican artist Francisco Toledo has translated Borges words into 46 watercolor paintings called Fantastic Zoology (Zoologia Fantastica) on display Sunday through June 15 at the Meadows Museum. Presented in English and Spanish, the exhibit features Toledos interpretations, not exact copies of Borges ideas. The museum, located at 5900 Bishop Blvd. on the campus of Southern Methodist University, is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursdays and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays. Admission is free. Call 214-768-2516.
Wednesdau, May 7
Weve never participated in a maypole celebration because it combines two things we cant do separately let alone at the same time: braiding ribbons without lumps or spaces and running without falling down or knocking people over. However, the Dallas Arboretums Mayfest, though it does include a maypole, also features walking through gardens of spring flowers (tripping or stumbling not forbidden), listening to classical music and viewing demonstrations by the Herb Society. Even the clumsiest visitors can have stress-free fun; just be sure to tiptoe through the tulips, not on them. Special events happen Mothers Day and Memorial Day and during Sunday garden parties, Mommy & Me Mondays and the neighborhood garden tour. Mayfest opens May 1 and runs through May 31 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Admission is $7 for adults, $6 for seniors, $4 for kids 3 to 12 and free for kids under 2. Parking is $4. Dallas Arboretum, 8525 Garland Road. Call 214-327-8263.
