Whether you're looking for indie theater, fresh choreography, or something a little more, um, debauched, this weekend has all of the above.
Ballet Arizona's founding a new tradition this year. Instead of having artistic director Ib Andersen present another work of his own, Andersen is putting the spotlight on emerging choreographers among the company's dancers.
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Under Andersen's direction, dancers Tzu Chia-Huang, Nayon Iovino, Myles Lavalee, and Astrit Zejnati will present new, original works during Innovations. "All four of these artists have a passion that we have seen come through in their extraordinary performances on stage in such ballets as Cinderella, La Bayadère and the many other works we present each season," Andersen says in a release.
These première performances run through Sunday, June 1, at Dorrance Theatre, 2835 East Washington Street. Tickets to Friday, May 23's 7:30 p.m. performance are $55 and available through www.tickets.balletaz.org or by calling 602-381-1086. -- Becky Bartkowski
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes is the most famous sleuth the world has known, and the 1902 novel The Hound of the Baskervilles might be his most adapted outing. The gender-swapped play Bitch of the Baskervilles puts the latest twist on the tale on Friday, May 23.
Current Theatrics of Las Vegas and New York has joined forces with Toronto's Socratic Theatre Collective for this touring production that features Amanda O'Halloran as Miss Sherlock Holmes and Liz Bragg as Dr. Jane Watson. While the duo endeavors to save Lady Henrietta Baskerville from the poltergeist pooch, playwright S.R. Kriger's meta-fictionally playful script (directed by Ruth Pe Palileo) is sure to keep audiences on their toes.
Current Theatrics/Socratic Theatre Collective's Bitch of the Baskervilles is at The Trunk Space, 1506 Grand Avenue, through Sunday, May 25. Showtime is 8 p.m., and tickets are $10 in advance or $12 at the door. For more information, visit www.thetrunkspace.com. -- Jose Gonzalez
Teens: Sorry to break it to you, but prom is totally lame. It's not like the movies. Your crush probably won't ask you to dance, and even though you're dressed to kill, you're probably going to be let down. You have an opportunity to make up for that during the 10th annual Fetish Prom, because people actually want to be there -- and they won't necessarily play nice. Trade in the tux for latex, leather, chains, and pasties- the possibilities are endless. You don't have to deal with cheesy top 40 love songs thanks to live performances by Leather Strip and Sharon Needles. Needles, a spooky, fashionable drag queen, is a top contender for prom queen thanks to her misfit mantra, "When in doubt, freak them out."
Explore your fantasies at Fetish Prom at Marquee Theatre, 730 North Mill Avenue in Tempe, at 8 p.m. on Saturday, May 24. This 18-and-over event is $22. Call 480-829-0607 or visit www.luckymanonline.com. -- Melissa Fossum
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One inevitable fact of summer: the warmer it gets, the shorter the shorts. Instead of being a creep and gawking at exposed gams, focus your peepers on the short films from local filmmakers that'll be featured in Theater 13's Short Shorts with Short Leash on Saturday, May 24.
The fourth annual outing of Short Shorts brings together a smattering of Arizona-born flicks including an adaptation of the Aesop tale The Farmer and The Stork, Brandon Barnard's Paint Life Beautiful, a documentary about Phoenix-born artist Joseph "Sentrock" Perez, and Beezleborb, an animated short by Ryne Gessel. Short Leash Hot Dogs will be on hand offering up their gourmet take on the ballpark classic while live music from local bands fills the air.
Theater 13 presents Short Shorts at Medlock Plaza from 6 to 9 p.m. Admission is free, and this event is all-ages. Visit www.theater13.com for more information.
24th Annual Zuni Festival of Arts & Culture
This weekend marks the 24th annual Zuni Festival of Arts and Culture, a celebration of traditional Zuni people and culture, many of whom return to northern Arizona from their namesake pueblo in New Mexico.
The event, part open-air market and part live entertainment, draws upward of 2,500 people annually. Educational presentations, sponsored by the Arizona Humanities Council as part of the Museum of Northern Arizona's heritage program, range from conversations about bringing balance between western culture and native traditions to a history of the Zuni's migration and movement from their origins in and along the Grand Canyon. Festival-goers can expect performances from traditionally clothed dancers accompanied by the Zuni Pueblo Band.
Enjoy the weekend of festivities from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 24, and Sunday, May 25, at the Museum of Northern Arizona, 3101 North Fort Valley Road in Flagstaff. Admission is $10, with discounts available for seniors, students, and American Indians. Visit www.musnaz.org for details. -- Janessa Hilliard
