5 Best Things to Do in Metro Phoenix This Week

Jonathan Evison
Writing is not unlike talking into a void – at least until you introduce (what might be) writing’s most crucial element: the reader. New York Times bestselling author Jonathan Evison will be leading a workshop about the importance of the reader at Changing Hands Phoenix, 300 West Camelback Road. His talk “The Reader, Your Co-Pilot” will be followed by a signing of his newest novel, This Is Your Life, Harriet Chance!

Participation in the writing workshop is free with the purchase of This Is Your Life, Harriet Chance! from Changing Hands for $25.95. The workshop and signing will run from 5 to 6 p.m. on Monday, September 21. For more information, visit changinghands.com or call 602-274-0067. Katrina Montgomery

"Masterworks of Spanish Colonial Art"
It’s probably not every day you use the hashtag #spanishcolonial in your Instagram posts.

Flex your style and give it a shot on Wednesday, September 23. “Masterworks of Spanish Colonial Art” is on display at the Phoenix Art Museum, 1625 North Central Avenue, and for this exhibition the museum is encouraging social media photography.

Most artists in Spanish viceroyalties of the 18th and 19th century didn’t have Instagram, so they channeled their creativity into paintings and retablos (small devotionals on copper or tin). Religious subjects are prominent in the collection, and the Virgin of Guadalupe – as ubiquitous in Phoenix as the Mona Lisa is in Paris – makes a special appearance. #Blessed.

Admission during regular museum hours is $15 for adults, but it's free for everyone on Wednesdays from 3 to 9 p.m. For complete hours and discounted times, see www.phxart.org or call 602-257-1880 for more information. Melissa Campana

Thunder from Down Under
On Thursday, September 24, in a somewhat uncharacteristic move, Scottsdale’s Talking Stick Resort, 9800 East Indian Bend Road, will showcase a performance art piece. The moving story, about a group of young men from Australia, will examine the historical context of…

Okay, is your boyfriend out of the room? Perfect. Because we’re actually talking about Thunder from Down Under, the all-male revue that inspired the likes of Channing Tatum and Joe Manganiello to bare it all in the cinematic classic Magic Mike. But you should definitely tell him you’re going to a museum or something.

Call your girls. Doors open at 7 p.m., and these Aussies are only in town through September 26. For tickets and information, call 480-850-7734, or visit www.talkingstickresort.com/thunder-from-down-under. Then, clear your browser history. Melissa Campana

Sex with Strangers
In Sex with Strangers, Ethan is a blogger turned hot author who’s written about having sex with a different woman each week for a year. (Google “28 days” and “Tinder” if you think that’s ridic or improbable.) When he’s stuck in a cabin at a snowy writers’ retreat with poet Olivia and no Internet access, wine is consumed, lusty sparks are struck, and it looks like it’s another chapter in the making for Ethan. But time and space are applied to this liaison, and we learn about love and success while enjoying nudity and “language,” according to Arizona Theatre Company, which is presenting Stray Cat Theatre’s production of the play through Sunday, October 11.

Tickets are $21 to $61. Prices may rise based on demand. Call 602-256-6995 or visit www.arizonatheatre.org. The first of two previews, on Thursday, September 24, begins at 7:30 p.m. at Herberger Theater Center, 222 East Monroe Street. Julie Peterson

Jeff Dye
If you like going to 3-D movies, but wish they were more realistic, maybe you should go to a comedy show instead.

On Friday night, Jeff Dye will be performing at the Tempe Improv, and opening for him are two comedians with ties to Arizona. Jill Bryan lives here and runs the open mic at Dos Gringos Tempe (ever heard of it?) every Tuesday, while Brandt Tobler went to college here for a spell and still has family in town.

All three comedians will be performing live before your eyes, in all three dimensions, 3-D glasses not necessary.

The show runs September 24 through 26. Showtimes on Friday are 7:30 and 10 p.m. Tickets are $20, and there’s a two-drink minimum. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.tempeimprov.com, or call 480-921-9877. Melissa Campana