Listings for February 21 to 27

visuals

LYDIA FAIR. Over 35 local artists, writers, songwriters and other performers have assembled to create a smorgasbord of talent and inspiration geared toward women. This creative two-act forum produced by local musician Eunice Sim explores women’s aspirations in the art world and beyond through drama, poetry, fiction, dance, singing and art. Friday, Feb. 21 at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, Feb. 22 at 3 p.m. Gallery opens an hour before each show time. All proceeds from ticket sales go to “Cradles to Crayons,” an organization which distributes clothing and toys to underprivileged children in the Boston area. $10. Morse School, 40 Granite Street, Central Square. (617) 225-7772. (ESH)

BETWEEN ROCK AND AN ART PLACE. In keeping with the trend of interdisciplinary art, check out a group of creative minds whose lifestyle of rock music has spilled over into other art forms. This exhibit is a multimedia, 21-artist display which includes video, photography, furniture and painting. Features such mainstays as Roger Miller and Reeves Gabrels as well as new arrivals like former Weezer bassist Mikey Welsh. Through March 2. Zeitgeist Gallery, 1353 Cambridge St. (617) 876-6060. (ESH)

THE COLOR YELLOW: BEAUFORD DELANEY. The 20th-century African-American expatriate artist Beauford Delaney is probably the least known or understood talent among the Abstract Expressionists. Pigeon-holed as a “Negro artist” by early critics, Delaney nonetheless lived a life of love and art. This retrospective of his work, from the portraits and cityscapes done in New York’s Greenwich Village in the 1940s to the abstract work that followed his 1953 move to Paris, demonstrate his wide vocabulary of topics and emotional colors. Through May 4. Hours: Mon.-Sat., 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Sun. 1–5 p.m. Free admission. Sert Gallery, Carpenter Center, 24 Quincy St. (617) 495-9400. (PKF)

PAPER, WOOD AND BAMBOO. Weakness can also be a strength—or so Shigeru Ban would say. This innovative Japanese architect, whose philosophy is that beauty should be available to the masses, has built entire homes, pavilions and churches (some of them permanent), using little more than cardboard tubes. Many of Ban’s paper-based masterpieces have been used in disaster relief, such as U.N. refugee shelters in Turkey and Rwanda and community houses in Kobe after the 1995 earthquake. This exhibit features 16 of Ban’s projects documented through architectural and engineering drawings, images and text, as well as special installations and prototypes. See full story in Feb. 7 section. Through March 16. Hours: Mon-Fri 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Free admission. Gund Hall G Gallery, Harvard Graduate School of Design, 48 Quincy St. (617) 495-4315. (PKF/RC)

IMAGE AND EMPIRE: PICTURING INDIA DURING THE COLONIAL ERA. The exhibit feature about 50 different works of art that capture different views of colonial India. The paintings, decorative objects, figurines, photographs, and sketches not only document the colonial era (17th-20th centuries) in India, but also demonstrate the cross-pollination between British and Indian artistic traditions. See full story in Feb. 7 section. Through May 25. Hours: Mondays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sundays, 1 to 5 p.m. $6.50, $5 students/seniors, free to Harvard ID holders, Cambridge Public Library card holders and to people under 18. Group rates available. Sackler Museum, 485 Broadway, (617) 495-9400. (CWP)

BUDDHIST ART: THE LATER TRADITION. Also at the Sackler is this comprehensive exhibit of Buddhist art from China, Korea, Japan, Tibet, and India that spans over a thousand years. Surveying the transmission of Buddhism throughout East Asia from the 10th through the 18th centuries, the exhibit features 72 pieces, including scroll paintings, Buddhist “sutras,” or sacred texts, Chinese censers, and Tibetan bell handles. See full story in last week’s issue. Through Sept. 7. Hours: Mondays through Saturdays, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Sundays, 1–5 p.m. $6.50, $5 students/seniors, free to Harvard ID holders, Cambridge Public Library card holders and people under 18. Group rates available. Sackler Museum, 485 Broadway, (617) 495-9400. (CWP)

readings

POETRY READINGS GALORE. Inspiration abounds for the poetically inclined at the Wordsworth Bookstore this weekend. Poets Daniel Bouchard, author of Diminutive Revolutions, and Joanna Fuhrman, Freud in Brooklyn, are giving readings on Friday, Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. Poets Maria Tarrone and Joan Houlihan are featured at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 22. Wordsworth Books, Cambridge. (ESH)

BEFORE THE DELUGE: A DISCUSSION. Study-abroad hopefuls and geography aficionados will be enthralled by author Deirdre Chetham as she talks about her visits to and experiences with the Yangtze River, which is showcased in her new book on China’s longest river, Before the Deluge: The Vanishing World of the Yangtze’s Three Gorges. Thursday, Feb. 20 at 7 p.m. Harvard Square Coop, Level Three. (ESH)

ADVOCATE/GAMUT POETRY READING. The Gamut and the Harvard Advocate present a poetry reading featuring Sarah K. Burke ’05, Anton V. Yakolev ’03, Caitlin E. Barrett ’03, Catherine V. Moore ’05, Kamila M. Lis ’04, Leslie Jamison ’04, Kevin B. Holden ’05, Jennifer L. Nelson ’03, and Lily L. Brown ’04. Feb. 25, 9 p.m., Adams House library. (TIH)

music

SUBJECT TO CHANGE. You’ve seen them at the Undergraduate Council Battle of the Bands. Now check them out at Club Passim as they headline Harvard Student Music Night. “Subject to Change” is a group of juniors and seniors with a laid-back acoustic rock sound, including Janet L. Kim ’04 on the violin. Saturday, Feb. 22 at 10 p.m. Tickets $7. Club Passim, 47 Palmer St., Cambridge. (ESH)

COED NAKED A CAPPELLA. The rivalry returns to the stage as two of Harvard’s most renowned coed a cappella groups offer a night of high-energy performances, though without nudity. The Callbacks and the Opportunes will both feature innovative new arrangements and their trademark soulful styles. Friday, Feb. 21 at 8 p.m. Tickets $10 general, $7 for students/senior citizens, and available through the Harvard Box Office (617) 496-2222, or from any Callback/Opportune. Sanders Theater, Memorial Hall. (PKF)

GREEK GALORE. The Award-winning Ensemble Chanterelle, which specializes in highly dramatic 17th century music for voice and continuo instruments performs a special evening of Greek music, myth and poetry presented by The Greek Institute. Titled The Heirs of Orpheus, the program explores the connections between ancient Greek myths and drama and the emotionally charged music of the 17th century. Works featured include songs by Henry Purcell, the Monteverdi’s opera L’Orfeo, and Nicholas Lanier’s dramatic lament of Hero, “Nor com’st thou yet.” Friday, Feb. 21, 2003, at 8 p.m. Admission $20. Edward M. Pickman Concert Hall, Longy School of Music, 1 Follen St. (617) 547-4770. (PKF)

theater

IT’S A WONDERFUL AFTERLIFE. Where would you like to visit after you die? The Hasty Pudding Theatricals’ 155th spoof takes you through Heaven, Hell, and Limbo in a production of Divine Comedy proportions. Meet Rabbi Noah Fense, Nun Taken, and the Roman General Curtis Interruptus. Hilarious. Wednesdays through Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., Sundays at 3 p.m. Tickets $25 weekdays, $27 weekends. Group discounts available. Through Wednesday, March 19. Hasty Pudding Theater, 12 Holyoke St., (617) 495-5205. (TIH)

CULTURAL RHYTHMS. The Harvard Foundation presents the 16th annual Cultural Rhythms Festival, with hip-hop artist Queen Latifah as emcee. Featuring performances by over 30 student organizations, including the Kuumba singers, the Chinese yo-yo team, the kung fu club, and other ethnic groups. Should be stunning and diverse as always. Saturday, Feb. 22, 3–5 p.m. Food reception to follow in the Science Center, and a free student-emceed second show at 7:30 p.m. Tickets $10 for Harvard ID-holders (limit 2 per person) at the Harvard Box Office, (617) 496-2222. Sanders Theater, Memorial Hall. (TIH)

IGP. Harvard’s Immediate Gratification Players (IGP) join forces with a number of other comedy troupes to overload you with their hilarious stand-up improvisations and witticisms. Friday, Feb. 21, and Saturday, Feb. 22, 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Tickets free at the Loeb Box Office. Loeb Experimental Theater. (ESH)

LA CENERENTOLA. See opera review. Through Saturday, Feb. 22 at 8:30 p.m. Tickets $8, $7 students, $6 Dunster House residents, $10 at the door, available at the Harvard Box Office or by phone (617) 496-2222. Dunster House Dining Hall. (NKB)

LA DISPUTE. To decide which sex is least faithful, several men and women are raised in total isolation from everyone but their caretakers—and then let loose in the outdoors. The human subjects eventually pair off and swear undying love to their partners. But there is soon trouble in paradise. Though the play is allegedly a comedy, the story contains plenty of sadism and bitterness. See full story in Feb. 7 section. Through Saturday, Feb. 22 Tickets $34-$68. American Repertory Theater, Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St. (617) 547-8300. (ADH)

film

NO MAN’S LAND. Bosnian director Danis Tanovic’s debut film about the recent Balkan wars won Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards last year. With Rene Bitorajac and Branco Djuric as two enemy soldiers trapped in the same trench. Bosnian and French with English subtitles. Free admission, with an introduction by director Tanovic. Wednesday, Feb. 26, 7 p.m. Harvard Film Archive, Carpenter Center, 24 Quincy St. (617) 495-4700. (TIH)

HARVARD SQUARE LOEWS

10 CHURCH ST., (617) 864-4580

ABOUT SCHMIDT. About Schmidt, in a bizarrely somber, comedic fashion, is possibly the most depressing film of Jack Nicholson’s long career. His performance as a retired insuranceexecutive is a deeply complex and hilariously tragic portrayal of the most banal aspects of one man’s post-mid-life crisis. Director Alexander Payne, famous for his digressions on suburban angst in films such as Election and Citizen Ruth, keeps the tone light and the characters archetypally and delicously bizarre. About Schmidt screens at 12:15, 3:15, 7 and 10 p.m. (CJF)

ADAPTATION. At its core, Adaptation is an analysis of the intellectual diseases that plague every writer, from editorial pressure to sibling rivalry to unrequited love. But its narrative edges make it a unique experience. Nicolas Cage plays writer Charlie Kaufman (the real-life writer of the film), who becomes consumed by his assignment to adapt Susan Orlean’s meditative nonfiction novel The Orchid Thief and his own personal eccentricities. Like Kaufman and director Spike Jonze’s previous film Being John Malkovich, several plots overlap and intertwine with surprising at dramatic twists, creating a frustrating, complex film that is infinitely insightful and weirdly moving. Adaptation screens at 12:30, 3:30, 6:15 and 9:15 p.m. (CJF)

THE LIFE OF DAVID GALE. Kevin Spacey stars as Professor David Gale, an anti-death penalty crusader accused of murdering a fellow activist (Laura Linney) in this issue movie from Alan Parker (Angela’s Ashes). Once Gale reaches death row, he gives his side of the story to an ambitious reporter (Kate Winslet). The film’s trio of Oscar darlings and hot social topic should lend some class and relevance, respectively, to the reportedly twist-heavy story. The Life of David Gale screens at 12, 3, 6:30 and 9:30 p.m. (BJS)

CHICAGO. The potential revival of the Hollywood musical is upon us with Chicago—for better or worse. Ignoring its politicized ramifications as a genre revival, Chicago on its own is a pretty wild ride, showcasing once and for all that the new school of glitzy film stars can sing better than Jennifer Lopez. Catherine Zeta-Jones, Renee Zellweger, and especially John C. Reilly are surprisingly watchable in this furiously edited, expensive adaptation of the murderous Broadway classic. Die-hard Bob Fosse fans may leave screaming in disgust, but fortunately for the rest of us director Rob Marshall knows the difference between film and theater, and milks it with remarkable excess. Chicago screens at 1, 4, 7:30 and 10:10 p.m. (CJF)

THE HOURS. This adaptation of Michael Cunningham’s Pulitzer-winning novel is unapologetically Oscar bait, a solemn, century-spanning “what is life?” treatise backed by a triumvirate of A-list actresses (Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore) and directed by Billy Elliot vet Stephen Daldry. Yet for a film of its ostensible weight, The Hours certainly takes easy shots at its lead trio—three colossally boring straw women who rediscover their lost vitality in drearily obvious ways as the picture progresses. Perhaps The Hours’ greatest value rests in its side-by-side comparison of Moore, the greatest actress of her generation, and Streep, the most acclaimed actress of hers; when judged head-to-head, Moore ends up easily topping Streep, if for no other reason than that Streep persists in being an actress onscreen while Moore is content to be a person. The Hours screens at 12:45, 3:45, 6:45 and 9:45 p.m. (BJS)

KENDALL SQUARE CINEMA

ONE KENDALL SQ., (617) 494-9800

25TH HOUR. 25th Hour screens at 4 and 9:10 p.m.

BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE. Bowling for Columbine screens at 1:10 and 9:25 p.m.

CITY OF GOD. City of God screens at 1, 3:50, 6:35 and 9:35 p.m.

FAR FROM HEAVEN. Far from Heaven screens at 4:10 and 6:45 p.m.

GANGS OF NEW YORK. Gangs of New York screens at 12:50, 4:20 and 7:50 p.m.

THE PIANIST. The Pianist screens at 2:45, 6 and 9:15 p.m.

LOST IN LA MANCHA. Lost in La Mancha screens at 2:35, 5, 7:30 and 10:05 p.m.

THE QUIET AMERICAN. The Quiet American screens at 2:15, 4:40, 7 and 9:50 p.m.

RABBIT-PROOF FENCE. Rabbit-Proof Fence screens at 1:50 and 6:50 p.m.

RIVERS AND TIDES. Rivers and Tides screens at 2:35, 5, 7:20 and 9:40 p.m.

TALK TO HER. Talk to Her screens at 2, 4:30, 7:10 and 10 p.m.

—Happening was edited by Tiffany I. Hsieh and compiled by Nathan K. Burstein, Patricia K. Foo, Benjamin J. Soskin, Clint J. Froehlich, Alexander D. Hoffer, Christopher W. Platts, Rebecca Cantu, and Emily S. High.