If you want to stuff any more into this weekend, you're going to have to pack it to the point of bursting. There are so many art events, we're struggling to zip it all together. There are gallery openings, farmer's markets, festivals, dance show, theater productions, a huge film festival, a huge art fair. We've narrowed it down as much as possible, but you're going to be busy.
This weekend, Prism Movement Co. previews its newest show Galatea. It's a wordless, acrobatic, potentially stunning piece of theater that we're pretty excited about. Performances officially open at 8 p.m. Friday and run through April 27 at the big green warehouse at 2919 Bataan St.. We recommend you attend Saturday because it will be a happening night in the Trinity Groves arts district. TheaterJones.com hosts an after party for Galatea and just down the street, the alternative gallery Ware:Wolf:Haus, 425 Bedford St., hosts a closing reception for its latest painting exhibition, 5 Guys.
Thursday, April 10
Hunting + Gathering A grown man who lives with his parents; your cousin who has no desire to keep her day job. A psychologist nicknamed them "kidults." Everybody knows a few. Hell, I've dated a few. These stunted adults are the subject of Brooke Berman's sharp new play Hunting + Gathering, about characters swiftly approaching middle age. When it opened on Broadway, The New York Times called it, "[a] slim and winsome comedy of urban nomads in search of stability." The show opens at Amphibian Stage Productions Thursday with a cast of Dallas' finest actors. See it opening night at 8 p.m. or catch the show through May 4. Tickets start at $18. More info at amphibianproductions.org.
Fort Worth Arts Festival There are few things in life I like more than a block party. Back me up on this. Dancing and drinking in the street is a gateway to a good time. This year, Fort Worth's Main Street Fort Worth Arts Festival takes place Thursday through Sunday and features over 60 musicians, live performers and other artistic activities. "Music on Main" features performances by Robert Cray, Mingo Fishtrap and The Mavericks and Raul Malo. Plus, food and beer stands will be open. The festival takes place along Main Street in downtown Fort Worth between Weatherford and 9th Street.
DBDT II: Spring Fiesta Dallas Black Dance Theatre's astounding dancers mix it up with modern, jazz, ethnic and spiritual musical works by nationally and internationally known choreographers. This particular show features the students of the Dallas Black Dance Academy who will perform new works by director Nycole Ray, Jamie Thompson, Joshua Peugh and Bridget L. Moore, alongside guest companies Dark Circles Contemporary Dance and DBDA's performing ensemble, Allegro. Spring Fiesta! takes place at 8 p.m. Thursday at City Performance Hall, 2520 Flora St. Visit dbdt.com for tickets ($30) and information.
Friday, April 11 Dallas Art Fair Collecting art is like raising race horses: a real knack for it is rare and you need a ton of money to raise a good one. But unlike speedy thoroughbreds, it's never to late to take up an interest in building your collection or window shop. This weekend the Dallas Art Fair takes of the Fashion Industry Gallery, 1807 Ross Ave., with 93 exhibiting art galleries from all over the world. Discover new artists, strike up conversations with gallerists and get started on dumping all that "art" you bought at a furniture store because it matches your couch. The Fair is open 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday through Sunday and tickets start at $25. Visit dallasartfair.com.
Cirque de la Symphonie The breathtaking musical performances of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra meet the jaw dropping acrobatics of cirque in Cirque de la Symphonie. Lawrence Loh of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra conducts the DSO when the Meyerson Symphony Center, 2301 Flora St., transforms into a magical big top. Claim your seat in the ring at 8 p.m. Friday or Saturday at the Meyerson Symphony Center, 2301 Flora Street. Tickets are $39 to $199 at dallassymphony.com.
Richard Phillips / Julian Schanbel There aren't many artists with the balls to install a set of neon Playboy bunny ears on the side of the road. That's exactly what Richard Phillips did out in the wild West Texas town of Marfa. Of course, it encouraged the rest of the world the to debate the fine line between advertisement and art before Phillips was forced to take the sculpture down. Dallas Contemporary was quick to sweep up the piece and give Phillips an exhibition to boot. See his exhibition Negation of the Universe opening at 9 p.m. Friday and running through August 10. Julian Schnabel's An Artist Has a Past (Puffy Clouds and Strong Cocktails) runs concurrently. The gallery is at 161 Glass St. Saturday, April 12
Festival of Chariots If you've been looking for an excuse to visit a Hare Krishna Temple, this is it. Kalachandji's not only serves up delicious vegetarian food, but once a year it hosts a vibrant festival, complete with a children's carnival, henna and face-painting, free Asana Yoga, live entertainment, delicious vegetarian food and a parade. Stop by 5430 Gurley Ave. for the parade at 10 a.m. Saturday and stick around in the park until 4 p.m. for the Festival of Chariots.
Nasher Sightings: Bettina Pousttchi It's not every day that a museum announces an exhibition that is a recreation of a gasoline service station, but those are the exact words the Nasher Sculpture Center used for Bettina Pousttchi's Sightings installation that opens Saturday. The first American exhibition for German-Iranian artist Pousttchi will be a "drive-thru" experience that recreates an urban landscape with sculpture, architecture and photography. Walk down the black top road and fill up your artistic tank at 11 a.m. Saturday. The exhibit remains on display at 2001 Flora St. through July 13. Admission is $10 for adults.
City of Hate Last year we commemorated the 50th anniversary of a tragic event that colored the history of Dallas and earned it a reputation as the City of Hate. But did Dallas ever really deserve the nickname?Local filmmaker Quin Matthews explores that question in a new documentary City of Hate: Dallas and the Assassination, which will be screened at 2 p.m. Saturday at The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza. It will be followed by a discussion between Mathews and Bill Minutaglio, co-author of Dallas 1963. Tickets are $10 for the program only or $5 when combined with museum admission. They can be purchased at jfk.org.
Story Corners For centuries, the spoken word has been known to reinvigorate, to inspire. Think the epic poets of ancient Greece, or Mel Gibson in Braveheart. Saturday, you'll have a chance to see a more realistic example at Story Corners, the second project of Activating Vacancy. At the intersection of S. Cliff and E. 11th Streets, there will be an afternoon of open-air storytelling, performances, and a neighborhood fish fry that celebrates the past, present, and future of the historic Tenth Street District. Come by from 1-6 p.m. to enjoy a beautiful day in the neighborhood. The event is free.
Oak Cliff Earth Day You've probably heard the alarmist statistics about the swiftly approaching demise of the Earth. We're treating the planet poorly and our lifestyles are evidence of our guilt. And no, driving a Prius does not exempt you. Once a year, groups of Earth's inhabitants gather in remorse. On Earth Day, we plant trees, feign interest in honeybees and rescue puppies. If you're looking for contrition with a bit of fun, Oak Cliff Earth Day takes place 12-5 p.m. Saturday at Lake Cliff Park, 1200 N. Zang Blvd. The third annual Mutt Strut costume contest starts at 1:45 p.m. Admission is free.
Motionhouse They glide, they spin, they leap up and down the curved stage as water is thrown at and poured over them. The British dance company Motionhouse defies predictability in Scattered, which will be on stage at City Performance Hall, 2520 Flora St., 8 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. You've never seen anything this.
The Passing Show If you've not yet made it to Ochre House Theater to see a show, shame on you. When you step into the tiny storefront in Exposition Park, you enter the crazy mind of Matthew Posey. It's a strange and beautiful place. The shows are dark, zany adventures and the latest, The Passing Show, tells the story of vaudevillian performer, philosopher, musician and 1950s icon Lord R.M. Buckley. During his heyday, Buckley updated Shakespeare with modern "jive" talk. We're predicting speedy dialogue, an overload of jokes and a two-piece jazz band (well the jazz band is more fact than prediction). The Passing Show opens at 8:15 p.m. Saturday at Ochre House, 825 Exposition Ave. and runs through April 26. Tickets are $15 and available at ochrehousetheater.com.
The Starck Club So, technically this is sold out and I'm just teasing you. But at some point, it will hit theaters and you will be able to say, "I almost saw that at the Dallas International Film Festival." File this information away: filmmaker Michael Cain made a flick about the legendary Starck Club that was wildly popular in the 1980's. At 7:30 p.m. Saturday, lucky ticket holders will head to the Texas Theatre for a screening of the film and then to an after party at the original location of the club. In true 80's style, I'll be crashing the after-party. Who's with me?
Sunday, April 13
Little D Farmers Market Local. Veggies. Fruit. Open-air market. Need I go on? Visit the Little D Farmers Market from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on the first, second or third Sundays of the month in the parking lot of the Four Corners Brewing Co., 423 N. Singleton Blvd. This will only be the second weekend, so no need to beat yourself up for not knowing about it sooner.
Scarborough Renaissance Festival Ladies, don your finest wig, tighten your corset and wiggle into silk knickers. The medieval revelry returns to the sweeping plains of Waxahachie April 5, and this time the monarch is available. The only caveat? The king is Henry VIII. If you don't want to fall in love with a lunatic, or if you've already got a crazy man of your own, there are turkey legs to be consumed, to beer to get drunk on and old English to speak. The Fest is open through May 26 Fridays-Sundays from 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. on the festival grounds: 2511 Farm to Market 66, Waxahachie. Tickets for adults are $22.
Barona Bus Project Everyone has an inner artist they're waiting to unleash. This Sunday, hop on the Barona bus and create imaginary plants with a purpose. Barona Botanicals is an art project that invites normal people (that's you) to create a plant that has healing properties or stories to be part of a collaborative book sold to raise money for the first children's hospital in Botswana. Stop by RO2 Art, 110 N. Akard St. from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday to be part of this incredible project created by artist Leah Foster and Dr. Unami Mulale, who are driving the Barona Bus cross-country to raise support for the hospital. Barona Botanicals was instigated by members of art as social wormhole.
