CRAFT
The American Craft Show
More than 250 craft artists from across the country will come together in St. Paul this weekend to exhibit and sell their handmade jewelry, clothing, furniture, and home décor. Peruse the exhibits, learn about their craft, and take home a little something to remember them by. The American Craft Show will include on-site demos of mokume jewelry making with George Sawyer, ceramic demonstrations on the wheel with Northern Clay Center, “New Wave Craft” with Minneapolis artist Tia Keobounpheng, and haute-couture knitting with Steven Berg.
Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., St. Paul RiverCentre, 175 West Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul; $12 one day, $18 two days.
THEATER & PERFORMANCE
Dancing with Contagion
Expect bizarre, if nothing else. "Come to the meeting hall where an itinerant family of obsessive drifters and codependents invite you to step over the line, embrace your inherent weaknesses, become a little foolish and dance with the joyous contagion." This weekend marks the start of puppetmaster Michael Sommers’ new work, Dancing With a Contagion, directed by George Sand and composed by Eric Jensen. This is one puppet show that won’t be for kids.
Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 4 p.m., Open Eye Theatre, 506 East 24th St., South Minneapolis; 612-874-6338; $15 (students/seniors $12).
Have You Seen Steve Steven? 
Marketed as a scromedy — a scary kind of comedy — Ann Marie Healy’s new play, Have You Seen Steve Steven?, is a disconcerting comic drama that questions the places we call home. Set in Midwest Suburbia, the play shows how a couple of new neighbors can upset the entire order of people’s lives by transforming the familiar to something frighteningly unrecognizable. Artistic Director Steve Busa joins long-time design collaborators Ron Albert (lights) and Liz Josheff (costumes and set decoration), set designer Erinn Huntley, and cast members Bruce Abas, Ariel Dumas, Katrina Hawley, Lief Jurgensen, Lisa Kindall, John Lilleberg, Miriam Must, Ross Orenstein, and Maggie Scanlan.
Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m., Red Eye Theater, 15 West 14th Street, between Nicollet and LaSalle, Minneapolis; 612-870-0309, ext. 1; $18 ($15 on Sunday), Saturday is a pay-what-you-can performance.
Also this weekend, the Minnesota Dance Theatre joins forces with Nautilus Music-Theater to present Orpheus and Euridice at the Pantages Theater (April 18th through 27th).
MUSIC
Brenda Weiler
After four years, Brenda Weiler
is finally at it again with her new album End The Rain.
Weiler’s sultry
voice and melodious guitar work come together in this collection to
form songs that sing
right to the heart — perhaps a result of the recent loss of her sister.
During the last four years, Weiler has focused on healing, using her
writing
and music as therapy. When she finally got into the studio, she turned
out her album in one week, and it’s
no surprise she’s recieving rave reviews. Joining her for her 400 Bar
show this month are David Huckfelt (the Pines) and Michael Rossetto (S/Mother Banjo). —Hannah Simpson
Friday at 9 p.m., 400 Bar, 400 Cedar Ave., Minneapolis, 612-332-2903.
Also this weekend, Holly Long at Bunkers on Saturday, and Pictures of Then at the 400 Bar on Sunday.
FILM
First Saturday in May
The First Saturday in
May tells the story of six
contenders for the 2006 Kentucky Derby. The most impressive part of
this documentary is the well-told personal stories of the relatively
anonymous trainers, jockeys and owners that toil in the stables and
racetracks of America, with the common goal of qualifying for the Kentucky
Derby. With the pomp and circumstance of
such a huge event, you would expect to hear about superstars and the
thrill of victory. But with 19 of 20 participants destined for disappointment,
most of the stories surrounding Kentucky Derby end in defeat. While
filmmakers John and Brad Hennegan were fortunate enough to document
the journey of 2006 Derby winner Barbaro and his trainers, for the most
part they exercised restraint from making this a Seabiscuit-esque biopic, and spread the story line
across all six featured teams. —Christopher Kelleher
Opens Friday at the Lagoon Cinema.
Also this Friday, Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden? opens exclusively at the Uptown Theatre.
BENEFIT
Hard Hat and Black Tie Gala
Support Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity this Saturday with an evening of dinner and dancing. Emceed by Kare-11 News anchor Julie Nelson, the event includes a VIP party and dinner, live and silent auctions, free casino games, and the music of local band Heartbreaker.
Saturday from 5 to 11:30 p.m., Minneapolis Hilton, 1001 Marquette Blvd., Minneapolis; $200, $149, & $30.
EARTH DAY
Green, Green, Green Green
Celebrate Earth Day in any number of ways this weekend. On Saturday (10 a.m.-4 p.m.), head over to the Midtown Global Market Earth Day Celebration for local food samplings, cooking demonstrations, children’s activities, and music. Or head over to the Minnesota Zoo for Earthfest. And on Sunday, make Wishes for the Sky. Inspired by the ancient Chinese tradition of flying wishes on kites — and incorporating music, sculpture, poetry, interactive sound collage, and visual arts — this free event promises to be a most beautiful display — kites and all.
Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Harriet Island Regional Park, downtown Saint Paul.
BOOKS & AUTHORS
What the Vatican Didn’t Say about the New Deadly Sins
Meet author/philosopher Austin Dacey this Sunday at Nina’s. You may have heard that the Catholic Church recently released an upgrade to the Seven Deadly Sins. Appropriate to the age of globalization and biotechnology, the new list includes such supposed social vices as contributing to extreme poverty, accumulating extreme wealth, trafficking in or consuming hard drugs, despoiling the environment, and engaging in "morally debatable experiments" or "genetic manipulation." But can morality be equated with a list of Shalls and Shall Nots? According to Dacey’s new book, The Secular Conscience, a list cannot anticipate future moral quandaries, and a list cannot tell you why you should follow it rather than some other list. For that we need conscience.
Sunday at 2 p.m., Nina’s Coffee Cafe, 165 Western Ave., St, Paul; 651-292-9816.
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