Now See This

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Published: Apr 17, 2007

You probably already know, so this is just a reminder: This weekend's Book Festival is huge. Among the readers/signers/speakers/Weiners: Jennifer Weiner, Kim Deitch, Sasha Issenberg, Bill Giles, Robin Roberts, Lee and Bob Woodruff, Karen Quinones Miller, Tony Auth, Francine Prose, Mark Bowden, Mark Doty, Sonia Sanchez, Patti Smith, R.L. Stine and both Higgins Clarks. That's not even half of 'em.

—Patrick Rapa

Sat., and Sun., April 20 and 21, 11 a.m.-7 p.m., free, Free Library of Philadelphia: Central Branch, 1901 Vine St., 215-686-5322, www.philadelphiabookfestival.org.

Attention chatty Philadelphians with extremely amazingly interesting lives: Cabaret L'Etage is hosting monthly First Person StorySlams, in which anyone can get up and tell a personal story (April's theme: "firsts"). Each month's highest scorer will compete for Philadelphia's Best Storyteller at a Grand Slam at the sixth annual First Person Festival of Memoir and Documentary Arts in November.

—Rachel Frankford

Tue., April 24, 8:30 p.m., $5, L'Etage, Sixth and Bainbridge streets, www.firstpersonarts.org.

Some of the abstract paintings in Ivan Stojakovic's "Global Nature" exhibition are simple, classic things, a series of colorful, parallel lines sprouting from the bottom before gently entangling and dispersing. But others seem to be cropped peeks at something endlessly vast, with webbed technicolor structures looming or hovering on the horizon.

—Patrick Rapa

Through April 28, Bridgette Mayer Gallery, 709 Walnut St., first floor, 215-413-8893, www.mayerartconsultants.com.

I honestly cannot recall how many times I have seen Mozart's Don Giovanni. A lot. When the wonderful Temple Opera Theater performs it this week, I shall see it again, with joy. If there ever comes a time when this astonishing masterpiece fails to thrill me with its wisdom, pathos and beauty, well, just shoot me. See it for the first time, and begin the journey.

—Peter Burwasser

Fri., April 20, 7:30 p.m., Sun., April 22, 3 p.m., $12.50-$20, Tomlinson Theater, 13th and Norris streets, 215-204-7600, www.temple.edu.

A study in photo-genetics tucked away in the Free Library's West Gallery, the Continuum exhibit matches the work of five established shooters teaching in Philadelphia art programs with five of their former students. Motifs are passed down between some — Penn graduate photography director Gabriel Martinez and Penn grad Brent Wahl both share an abstract, shape-driven aesthetic — while other pairings reveal generational free thinking. The lively "At Work" series shows former UArts student Manuel Dominguez Jr. tightly composing sharp, colorful portraits of twentysomethings in their workspaces. His onetime mentor, Aldia Fish, uses large format black-and-white film and intense perspectives to produce the scariest floral still lifes you've ever seen.

—John Vettese

Continuum: Photography in Philadelphia, Past, Present and Future, through July 6, West Gallery, Free Library of Philadelphia: Central Branch, 1901 Vine St., www.library.phila.gov.

White boys can't rap? Think again. Four local actors take on 21 different roles and rhyme their way through a rap version of The Comedy of Errors. This contemporary spin on the Bard's tale of long-lost identical twins pays tribute to urban sights and sounds, from breaking to Eminem. It figures that this was the brainchild of NYU grads Jordan Allen-Dutton and Erik Weiner, of Nerds://A Musical Software Satire fame.

—Mickey Jou

Runs through April 29, $15-$25, The 11th Hour Theatre Company, Spirit Wind Performance Space, 213 New St., 267-987-9865, www.11thhourtheatrecompany.org.

Things That Matter To People Who Matter
Fight This Generation
Robin Rice on Visual Art: Fresh Scars
Ugly Stepsister
Tuned Up
Well Met
Delight Fantastick
Bone to Pick
Alison Saar
Postcard From Morocco
Pennsylvania Ballet