17 Awesome Things to Do in Dallas, April 17-20

Let's talk about this week. It's been a long one. Work has dragged on with sluggish despair and now all you're waiting for is 5 p.m. on Friday when can park yourself in front of a strong whiskey. Or maybe that's just me. I've got a plan. Let's start the weekend tonight and we'll drown ourselves in 5 Hour Energies and regret tomorrow. Or maybe your weekend does start tonight, thanks to something called Good Friday. Good, indeed.

Either way, we've compiled this list of awesome things for you to do this weekend, because no matter what you're planning to do this weekend, it's time to forget about work and focus on a swiftly approaching Friday night.

Thursday, April 17

Sammons Cabaret What good is sitting alone in your room? Come hear Joe Rogers play. Right this way, your table's waiting. The monthly Sammons Cabaret is a darn good reason to put down your knitting. Local personality Sheran Goodspeed Keyton takes the stage at 8 p.m. Thursday to channel Etta, croon some Cline and sing her way through the American songbook. It's a classy way to kick off your weekend. Tickets are available at sammonsartcenter.org for $40 and include wine, beer and light appetizers. Sammons is located at 3630 Harry Hines Blvd.

Spunk WaterTower Theatre has a mean case of the blues in its newest show. Based on three short stories by Zore Neale Hurston and adapted by George C. Wolfe, Spunk is a play with music that explores love and triumph in the lives of early 20th century African-Americans. The songs by Chic Street Man add an infectious bluesy twang to the play meant to send you back in time. For this production, WaterTower Theatre brings in some of Dallas' finest actors, including Dallas Theater Center favorites Liz Mikel and Tiffany Hobbs. See it at 8 p.m. Thursday or at one of the numerous performances through May 4 at the Addison Theatre Centre, 15650 Addison Road. Tickets cost $20 to $40 and are available at watertowertheatre.org.

Good Luck Karaoke Thursday nights at the Double-Wide are fortified with YooHoo Yeehaws and the city's most creative karaoke. So far this month, it's been Karaoke of Thrones and Speed Dating Karaoke. Who knows what the night will have in store, but there will be liquor at the bar and fools aplenty onstage. Starts at 10 p.m. at the Doublewide, 3510 Commerce St., but your songs will be selected more quickly if you throw the hosts a few bones.

Patterns of Passion Kettle Art Gallery's newest show opens tonight. This exhibit features the work of three talented Dallas artists, Corey Godfrey, Aralyn McGregor and Judith Lea Perkins. It explores vibrant color and texture. The opening reception takes place 7 to 10 p.m. Thursday at Kettle, 2650-B Main St. Miss it tonight? Catch the art through May 10.

Friday, April 18

48-Hour Stoner Film Race If you see a bunch of seemingly high filmmakers running around Dallas this weekend, you're not crazy. Demonic Chronic hosts its 48-Stoner Film Race beginning Friday night through (when else?) Sunday, 4/20. It's like any other video race, except the subject of choice is grass. Teams can register for $75 at demonicchronic.com. The winners will be announced at a special awards ceremony at the Texas Theatre, 231 W. Jefferson Blvd., on Monday, April 28.

As You Like It If Dallas theater is a one-trick pony, Shakespeare is riding the horse. Friday, TeCo Theatrical Productions in the Bishop Arts District, opens an abridged version of one of his beloved comedies, As You Like It, complete with jazz numbers. It stars youth from their Teenagers and Theater program. Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the door. Catch the show at 7:30 p.m. Friday or at 3:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday in the Bishop Arts Theatre Center, 215 S. Tyler St. Visit tecotheater.org.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead This is like Shakespeare, but better. Fun House Theatre and Film casts kids in their shows. Including this absurd existential Tom Stoppard comedy, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead that takes place backstage at a production of Hamlet. Friday's opener is at 7:30 p.m. at Plano Children's Theatre, 1301 Custer Road, Suite 706, with performances Thursdays through Saturdays until April 26. Tickets are $10 at the door or $8 in advance at funhousetheatreandfilm.com.

Of Vice & Virtue Contemporary Ballet of Dallas is describing this show as coming alive "with fantasy and fanfare." For this dance show at the Latino Cultural Center in Dallas, the company blends dance styles to bring ballet to the contemporary world. Catch the show at 7:30 p.m. Friday for tickets that start at $10 at contemporaryballetdallas.com.

Mystical Arts of Tibet We assure you, this is the only Dalai Lama-endorsed event on this list. From April 18-26, the Drepung Loseling Monastery Incs. monks will be in residence at the Crow Collection of Asian Art where they will be working on the sacred sand mandala, sipping tea and dispensing wisdom. For a full schedule, visit crowcollection.org. Saturday, April 19 Hump! Rumor has it that to snag his role in Nymphomaniac, Shia LaBeouf sent Lars von Trier a sex tape he made with a girlfriend. You can thank me for that excuse next time you try to talk your significant other into filming your intimate moments. Plus, if you're creative enough, you can submit it to HUMP!, sex advice columnist Dan Savage's amateur dirty film festival. In 2005, the author of the advice column Savage Love challenged his readers to "get their hands dirty," with some good old-fashioned porn to an overwhelming response. Now in its ninth year, HUMP! stops at the Texas Theatre, 231 W. Jefferson Blvd., with three screenings Saturday. Tickets are $20 through humptour.strangertickets.com.

Sally Warren at Liliana Bloch Gallery Nobody uses printed pictures anymore to capture life's more precious moments. Except perhaps professional photographers. Dallas artist Sally Warren, for example, who currently works in the realms of found digital images and photographs taken during her travels. Her art delves into themes of fragility, loss and distance. In her new exhibition she creates inkjet prints taken from iPhone video stills to explore the realities of a fully developed image. Liliana Bloch Gallery, 2919 Commerce St., presents Passing Image with an opening reception from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday. Entry to the gallery is free and the work remains on display through May 24. More information at lilianablochgallery.com.

Suscon's Flight to Spirit Even though you may never choose to suspend your flesh from the ceiling with hooks, this weekend there will be hundreds of people in town who choose to do precisely that. From Friday through Sunday, the Suspension Practitioner Convention, or SUSCON for short, is in town with classes and conversation on the culture of body mutilation. If you're looking for insight into this realm of counterculture, the father of modern primitives, Fakir Musafar, will be giving a talk at 9 p.m. Saturday about the history and spirituality of suspension. Flight to Spirit takes place at the Lakewood Theater, 1825 Abrams Road, with tickets on sale for $15 at lakewoodtheater.com.

Spring Swing Burlesque Spring is the time for shedding clothes and showing the year's first patches of skin. If you'd rather watch someone else perform this seasonal tease, head to La Divina Productions' 2014 Spring Swing Burlesque Revue 9 p.m. Saturday at The Kessler, 1230 W. Davis St. Tickets are $25 to $180, available on prekindle.com.

Trigger Warning Historically, this has been a pretty bad week. April 19 alone contained: the Waco Branch Davidian raid by the FBI and ATF, the Oklahoma City bombing, the start of the Revolutionary War and the start of the Civil War. These events serve as the inspiration for local artist Thor Johnson's latest work on view in Trigger Warning. The exhibit opens at Ware:Wolf:Haus, 425 Bedford St., with a reception from 7 to 11 p.m. Saturday. I've seen a few of the pieces already and they're pretty harrowing. More information at warewolfhaus.tumblr.com.

Hereafter RO2 Art's presents Adam Rowlett's newest exhibition of prints, paintings and drawings at the downtown projects space at 110 N. Akard. Rowlett's work explores elemental forms and complex atmospheres with a touch of geometric abstraction. Saturday is the final night to see the exhibition, with a closing reception from 7 to 10 p.m.

Deep Ellum Windows Have we mentioned lately how much we love this project? This Saturday Deep Ellum Windows artists take over more space in Dallas' funkiest neighborhood. Catch Randy Guthmiller's first outdoor Shape mural from 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday at 2647 Main St. (outdoors); then head to Pierre Krause's WHAT R U WAITING 4 ME 2 SAY at 2626 Main St; third, Emily Peacock's Expected Development takes place at 2810 Main St; finally, James Michael Starr's 60 Second Steinbecks happens at 2625 Main St. After all the art, stick around for an after party at 10 p.m. on the roof of 2642 Main Street with band Inferno Texino.

Sunday, April 20 Spacepark 360 In a hilarious joke from the universe, Easter finally falls on April 20. You know, the pot-smoking holiday. While it's unlikely that any special ingredients will make their way into your grandma's deviled eggs, the holidays don't need to be mutually exclusive. I mean, Jesus was a hippie, right? If you're looking for somewhere to park yourself after the surprisingly difficult family Easter egg hunt, head to Spacepark 360 at the University of Texas at Arlington's planetarium. At 3 p.m. Sunday, this customizable theme park film transports viewers around the world to virtually experience amusement park rides. The planetarium is located at 700 Planetarium Place and tickets are $6 for adults.

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