If you're an NFL fan living the Valley, you're in hog heaven right now. Well, pigskin heave anyway. Aside from forgoing costly airfare to catch the big game, 2015 also marks only the third time that the Pro Bowl is being played in the same city as the Super Bowl. So you can stash those frequent flier miles for next year's trip to Honolulu. As if that weren't enough, the Pro Football Hall of Fame is bringing its largest traveling exhibition ever to downtown Phoenix's Arizona Science Center, 600 East Washington Street, just in time for the festivities.
See also: New Times' Complete Calendar of Events in Metro Phoenix
Who wants to go to Canton anyway? Check out "Gridiron Glory" in all its, ahem, glory on Monday, January 26, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Adult admission is $16.95. Visit www.azscience.org or call 602-716-2000. Rob Kroehler
"Lady Macbeth and Ophelia: Beyond Drowning and Sleep-walking"
The mental undoings of Lady Macbeth and Ophelia, one power-hungry and the other pushed around, have inspired performances and interpretations far and wide. But what makes these characters so intriguing? In the lecture "Lady Macbeth and Ophelia: Beyond Drowning and Sleep-walking," Shakespeare expert Cris Busato Smith investigates the women and the particular footholds they've secured in popular culture. Changing Hands, 6428 South McClintock Drive in Tempe, is the spot to delve deeper into their stories at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, January 27. Admission is free and open to the public. Visit www.changinghands.com. Becky Bartkowski
Peter Hutton might be the best filmmaker that even your movie buff friends haven't heard of. The lauded film artist holds court at Phoenix Art Museum for a screening of his 2007 film At Sea and for a conversation and Q&A on Wednesday, January 28.
The enormous container ship that Hutton follows overwhelmingly dwarfs any humans in its vicinity, but it's those relatively tiny specks of humanity that ready the ship for its journey across the Atlantic. Silent and meditatively paced, At Sea is mesmerizing and a fascinating reflection of Hutton's five decades in film.
An Evening with Peter Hutton is at 1625 North Central Avenue, and starts at 7. Admission is $12. For more info, visit www.phxart.org. Jose Gonzalez
"Weaving War: The Aesthetics of Contemporary Afghan Rugs"
Rugs kind of get a bad rap. It's not good if you lie like a rug or if you sweep something under the rug. But people forget that rugs can do more than just cover that pesky worn part of the floor. They can be used as a medium for storytelling, like a tapestry. Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art and the Arizona State University School of Art's visiting artist/scholar series have teamed up to present "Weaving War: The Aesthetics of Contemporary Afghan Rugs" with a panel of speakers discussing the popularity and role of war rugs dating back to the 1980s at ASU's Grant Street Studios, 605 East Grant Street, on Thursday, January 29, at 7 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, visit smoca.org. Evie Carpenter
See also: ASU Announces Visiting Artist/Scholar Lecture Series Lineup at Grant Street Studios in Phoenix
Kevin Hart has reached a level in his career few comedians ever do: He no longer needs an introduction. Whether they've seen his hilarious stand-up, TV cameos, or one of the seven (seven!) movies in which he's had a part this past year, people know Kevin Hart. Which makes our job pretty easy; we just say, "Kevin Hart's coming," and people go, "Oh, we should go to that!" So, on that note:
Kevin Hart's coming to Comerica Theatre, 400 West Washington Street, with sets on Friday, January 30, at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, January 31, at 7:30 and 10:30 p.mt. Tickets start at $74.50. Call 602-379-2800 or visit www.livenation.com for more. Zachary Fowle
