Once upon a time, before the age of specialization, performers prided themselves on cultivating a jack-of-all-trades mentality. Acting, dancing, singing, and even comedy were skills practiced in tandem with one another — sometimes within the confines of the same production — making for performances and performers as well-rounded as they…

5/1-5/11 The Tale of the Mandarin Ducks, a powerful Japanese folktale turned children’s play, begins when a cruel lord captures a Mandarin duck because he covets his exquisite plumage. When a kitchen servant sees that the enforced captivity is destroying the bird’s beauty, she frees him, causing the evil lord…

4/25-4/27 One of the more interesting aspects of this particular planet’s people is the way we compartmentalize ourselves into identifiable groups. Nations are formed; flags are waved; and beliefs, customs and practices become identifiable over time as part of individual cultures. The word “culture” also can mean the enlightenment and…

4/184/19 Americans identify strongly with athletes, gaining a sort of secondhand machismo that’s often lacking in our own workaday lives. It’s funny, then, that the athletes we prop up as modern-day gladiators often are eclipsed on the toughness scale by participants of lesser-known sports, including a select group of athletes…

Fri 4/11 At first glance, the worlds of rock ‘n’ roll and golf couldn’t be more disparate. One represents rebellion; the other remains the domain of gentlemanly comportment. On certain occasions, however, a dash of leather with your polyester, and a three-wood with your six-string, can be just what the…

A trip to the movies can be both an escape and an arrival, transporting us to different worlds and aligning us with the kinds of experiences that can enlighten and illuminate our everyday existence. There is one caveat, however; chances are it won’t be happening on mainstream Hollywood’s dime. Is…

Sat 4/5 At times like this, we all have, at least briefly, the instinct to turn away from the news. Perhaps this would be a good week to get reacquainted with your favorite book while discovering the Arizona Book Festival, set for Saturday, April 5. This is actually the Sixth…

4/3-4/6 The macabre tale of Tosca – strewn with love, murder, jealousy and evil, exacting revenge from beyond the grave — has left audiences weeping for two centuries.Allan Glassman, the tenor playing Mario Cavaradossi in Arizona Opera’s production, has played the role many times but jumped at the chance to…

4/5-4/12 While bicycle commuting seems like such an ecological, politically correct practice, here in the Valley, any thought of pedaling through the duress of summer is just impractical. So what better time for fair-weather environmentalists to make a point than just before the Arizona heat launches its offensive?Valley Bike Week…