Thursday-Sunday • 19-22
Tesserae One-Act Play Festival
THEATER
Teenagers tackling Molière? Don't run for the door just yet — the Mosaic Youth Theatre in Detroit swears their young actors have risen to the occasion, taking on difficult one-act plays such as Molière's The Flying Doctor, Chekhov's The Bear, William Inge's The Bobolink, David Ives' The Universal Language and Rich Orloff's Playwriting 101: The Rooftop Lesson. The event is the Tesserae One-Act Play Festival and the mixed bag of plays is designed for audiences of all ages. Performances are 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. 610 Antoinette, Detroit; 313-872-6910.
Friday • 20
The Lush Sounds of the Midwest
MUSIC
The word out of the Contemporary Art Institute of Detroit (that's the long way of saying CAID, a wide-ranging arts organization based in the former Detroit Contemporary gallery space) is that 2006 will be a year of living more dangerously. That means more avant-rock and live electronic shows along the lines of Adult., Tamion 12 Inch, Acid Mothers Temple, Fennesz and other weird performances held in the building. This Friday, Detroit experimental indie pop-rockers Hairshirt headlines The Lush Sounds of the Midwest, a night of live strangeness topped off with a dance party. Hairshirt features international sound stylist Amir Hasek, a native of Bosnia who has soaked up the music scenes while living here and in Berlin. Also appearing is Chicago's Coltrane Motion, a trio that recombines jazz, noise and raw rock power into what one critic calls "an exuberant seizure." With Jon Moshier's Indoor Park and guest DJs spinning until 4 a.m. Door at 9 p.m. 5141 Rosa Parks Blvd., Detroit; 313-899-2243.
Friday • 20
Nnenna Freelon
MUSIC
Her approach to the songs of Billie Holiday on last year's Blueprint of a Lady proves that Nnenna Freelon isn't afraid to dip her feet into many pools. She dabbles with fusion, tackles bebop, flirts with Latin and grooves with reggae. It's not everyone's cup of tea — so-called purists will likely hate it — but Freelon's modern take on some of the most memorable jazz music ever recorded is worth a listen. The Detroit Institute of Arts, 5200 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-833-7900.
Friday • 20
Stylize
FASHION
On the heels of the Auto Show, the Detroit Artists Market keeps the focus on design with Stylize, an exhibition featuring custom motorcycles, fashion, furniture, jewelry and functional, sculptural and ornamental objects. There will also be a "gas tank boutique" with handcrafted tanks from well known local artists such as Speedcult (Len Puch), Kate Silvio, Camilo Pardo, Slaw and Padded Cell. Opens at 7 p.m. 4719 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-832-8540.
Saturday • 21
Women's Woven Words
LITERATURE
Artist T. Evadne Currie was always a poet, but when she joined a quilting class at her local community center in southeast Ohio, the wordsmith found a new way to communicate. Over the years, Currie developed a style of quilting, knitting and crocheting her poems into various textiles. Her works will be on display at the Redd Apple Gallery in Detroit. From 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Currie and special guests will entertain audiences with a spoken-word performance. Admission is $7, or $5 with a donation of canned food. 227 Iron St., Suite 116, Detroit; 313-567-0712.
Saturday • 21
Winter Fencing Tournament
SPORTS
The American sports diet is rich with football, baseball, basketball and hockey, but what's missing from our palate is a dash of sophistication. Fill the void with a helping of swordplay. The age-old sport of fencing requires strategy, athleticism and a competitive nature — not so unfamiliar after all. Check out the Winter Fencing Tournament at Ferndale's Renaissance Fencing Club, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. 1371 Academy St., Ferndale; 248-336-0225. Instructors and knowledgeable volunteers will be on hand to answer questions.
Sunday • 22
Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis
MUSIC
John Coltrane's suite A Love Supreme was a musical high point of the '60s: a meditative prayer, a cry of freedom, music that launched a thousand poems. And Coltrane played it live in its entirety just once. Now we have Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra turning what sounded spontaneous for Coltrane's quartet into a charging big-band vehicle and hitting the road, which is either a populist homage or a sacrilege depending on your point of listening. On last year's A Love Supreme (Palmetto), LCJO pulled it off with the abundant energy and precision that's made it a jazz-world institution. Hill Auditorium, 825 N. University Ave., Ann Arbor; 734-763-3333.
Monday • 23
Monday Movies At The MCBW
FILM
Film wonks will be pleased to know that their brethren — other film wonks — are hosting a weekly movie event. The night will be hosted by local promoter (and dude with an encyclopedic knowledge of music and film history) Ben Hernandez, and spoken-word artist (and sometimes Metro Times contributor) Dan DeMaggio. Each week, the two will pick a theme and two movies from the genre. This Monday's theme is War Movies. Hernandez presents The Manchurian Candidate (Ol' Blue Eyes, not Denzel), and DeMaggio has chosen Stanley Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove. Snarky banter is very likely. 9 p.m. Motor City Brewing Works, 470 W. Canfield St., Detroit; 313-832-2700.
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