Jackalope Ranch's top picks for ways to spend your weekend are here.
When you (allegedly) lose your virginity to a prostitute at the age of 12, there are two roads to take: hit rock bottom or turn to stand-up comedy.
See also: 3 Easy Ways Guys Can Up Their Dating Game
Dov Davidoff chose the latter, and audiences seem glad he did. Tackling well-versed topics like relationships and love, the Jersey-born comic goes beyond the common ground -- joking about the expected while show-goers take a harsh look at themselves between the clinking of empty glasses. He's been able to reach audiences as a regular on Chelsea Lately, guest appearances on both Chappelle's Show and Whitney, and his well-received hour-long Comedy Central special, Filthy Operation.
Catch the comedian at 7:30 and 10 p.m. Friday, April 18, at Tempe Improv, 930 East University Drive. Additional shows take place at 7 and 10 p.m. Saturday, April 19. Tickets to the 21-and-over show are $20, and there's a two-drink minimum. Call 480-921-9877 or visit www.tempeimprov.com for more. -- Janessa Hilliard
Geoffrey Chaucer was England's greatest poet, a celebrated author best known for The Canterbury Tales, but also for promoting the English language at a time Latin and French predominated the British Isles. That said, joy to the man who gave us speech at the fourth biennial Chaucer Celebration. The event examines Chaucer's brand of comedy with discussions, music, art and a screening of, naturally, Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
The celebration opens with a roundtable (think King Arthur) discussion on "Medieval Sensuality and Chaucerian Comedy" that examines, among other things, Chaucer's importance in the development of comedy in medieval cultural history. Additionally, the Phoenix Early Music Ensemble will perform 12th to 15th century sacred and secular music, while an art exhibit features Chaucer holdings. Later, a second discussion looks at the use of storytelling -- something Chaucer perfected -- in the classroom. The Python film closes the event.
Celebrate the old-fashioned way from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, April 18, at ASU Tempe's Hayden Library, 300 East Orange Mall. Admission is free. Visit www.english.clas.asu.edu/chaucer for a complete event schedule. -- Glenn BurnSilver
Soothsayers have been predicting the end of the world since the dawn of time and we're still here. It's an entirely different matter, though, when the government sounds the alarm and tells us that even duck-and-covering can't save us as in Binary Theatre Company's latest production, Earthlings, on Saturday, April 19.
We may have made it through Y2K and misinterpreting the end of the Mayan Calendar, but in Beth May's play an asteroid destined for earth is slated to trigger an extinction-level event. Bummer. The resultant New York City riot sends seven people seeking shelter to an East Bronx church where they find that a secret about the disaster means contemplating possible survival.
Earthlings lights up the sky tonight at 970 East University Drive starting at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, April 20, with performances continuing next weekend. Tickets are $8. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/BinaryTheatre. -- Jose Gonzalez
Arizona Rattlers vs. Pittsburg Power
Here's how the Arena Football League works. It's pretty much a passing league. There are only a handful of top-flight quarterbacks. So there are only a handful of contenders. The Arizona Rattlers have been entrenched as the team to beat largely because they have the best QB in the league in Nick Davila. This simple logic also explains why the Pittsburgh Power could go from being the most hapless team in the league to being a serious threat to the Rattlers' dominance. The Power added quarterback Tommy Grady -- who, as recently as two years ago, was clearly the best quarterback in the AFL -- and, suddenly, they're a contender.
Put more simply, Saturday, April 19's matchup between the Rattlers and Power at US Airways Center, 201 East Jefferson Street, could very well be an Arena Bowl Preview. The game will kick off at 6 p.m. Tickets start at $5 and are available through www.ticketmaster.com. -- Ed Kummerer
3D chalk art is pretty impressive. Not only are these floor installations you've seen passed around on Facebook worthy of being displayed in a gallery, some are so realistic that you may find yourself watching a step. Chalk art transforms mundane sidewalks and cityscapes into a slice of beautiful nature or a funny glimpse into the life of Ninja Turtles. The worldwide phenomenon takes over a few malls for a local art showing. Shoppers can appreciate the chalk murals or test their mettle on the seven community murals that will be created throughout the day. The Chalk Art Festival is also kid-friendly, so encourage the little ones to get creative.
Chalk it up at the Chalk Art Festival at Tempe Marketplace, 2000 East Rio Salado Parkway; Desert Ridge Marketplace, 21001 North Tatum Boulevard, and Glendale's Westgate Entertainment District, 6770 North Sunrise Boulevard, on Sunday, April 20, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is free. Call 480-966-9338 or visit www.tempemarketplace.com/chalk. -- Melissa Fossum
