SPECIAL EVENTS
National Coming Out Day
Feeling a little repressed and in the closet? Today is the perfect day to step on out. This afternoon, OutFront Minnesota will join dozens of Twin Cities businesses and organizations in celebrating what may be the most difficult and important act a GLBT person can do: coming out. The afternoon will feature inspiring messages by Open Arms of Minnesota Executive Director Kevin Winge, University of Minnesota Office for Equity and Diversity Vice President and Vice Provost Dr. Nancy “Rusty” Barceló, and Quorum Scholar Joe Wright. Come out and get some encouraging words, or simply go and offer some much-needed support. Ignoring what’s behind those closet doors doesn’t do any of us any good. I mean, we really don’t need to be generating any more Larry Craigs now, do we?
Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Minneapolis Convention Center, 1301 Second Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612-335-6000; $45.
Pillow Fight Minneapolis
After last year’s Pillow Fight success, droves of us have been anxiously awaiting tonight’s sequel. Grab your least favorite pillow and head out the door. It’s time to let off a little steam, get whacked upside the head a few times, and end the evening in laughter. Don’t let your age hold you back. This event is for everyone; and the longer it has been since your last pillow fight, the more you probably need this. Don’t fret; there are plenty of rules in play to protect you: soft pillows only, light swings, no glasses, and no swinging anything but a pillow. Spectators are welcome, but how lame is that?! I guess you can help clean up. Everyone is encouraged to bring garbage bags for this purpose. If you can’t quite figure out why you’d need them, check out these photos from last year’s pillow fight. (Thanks to MNSpeak for the link.)
Friday at 6 p.m., Outside the Walker Art Center (grass circles), 1750 Hennepin, Minneapolis; free.
FILM
Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Cate Blanchett reprises her role as Elizabeth I, virginal queen of England. As usual there’s all sorts of innuendo about her hunger to get shagged by this or that prince or pirate. This time, England is under threat of Spanish invasion, and who should come to the queen’s aid but Clive Owen’s lusty Sir Walter Raleigh, eager to plunder both the Armada and her highness’s treasure chest (and we’re not talking doubloons here). The acting, as in the original Elizabeth, is robust and slightly silly; everyone appears to be on the verge of smirking. With the same strong production and costume design as the first Elizabeth, The Golden Age should be superb entertainment. –Peter Schilling Jr.
Friday-Sunday at 2:10, 4:45, 7:20, and 10 p.m., Lagoon Cinema, 1320 Lagoon Ave., Minneapolis; 612-825-6006; $8.25.
THEATER & PERFORMANCE
The Deception
Its 2006-07 season was chock full of chestnuts, but now, finally, Theatre de la Jeune Lune opens its new season with an original production. The Deception is an adaptation of Pierre de Marivaux’s La Fausse Suivante, a dark eighteenth-century French comedy in which a young woman disguises herself as a man so that she can better learn about her new love. On discovering his true nature, scheming, lying, and hilarity ensue. Adapted by artistic director Dominique Serrand and longtime collaborator/acting ace Steve Epp, The Deception premiered in California this summer to positive reviews, so count on classic Jeune Lune fare: a bold, stylish adaptation rendered with vigorously physical performances. –Danielle Kurtzleben, photo by Dominique Serrand
Saturday at 8 p.m., Theatre de la Jeune Lune, 105 N. First St., Minneapolis; 612-333-6200; $30
BOOKS & AUTHORS
Twin Cities Book Festival
The stalwarts at Rain Taxi once again put together this full day of lit love for the seventh annual Twin Cities Book Festival, which is now firmly entrenched as an autumn tradition and a welcome respite from the paralyzing onslaught of seasonal affective disorder. Think of the day as a sort of Renaissance Festival for bibliomaniacs. You probably can’t get a turkey drumstick or a unicorn painted on your face, but there will be the usual convergence of writers, publishers, book artists, and used-book peddlers, as well as readings, discussions, and events for kids. This year’s roster of authors includes novelists Chris Abani and Diane Williams, poets Laura Moriarty and Bin Ramke, and graphic novel writer/editor Andy Helfer. –Brad Zellar
Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Minneapolis Community and Technical College, 1501 Hennepin Ave. S., Minneapolis; free.
ART
Bruce Tapola: Paintings for Germans, Sculpture for Snobs
If you’re going to be in Rochester for your annual colonoscopy, brighten the occasion with a trip to the Rochester Art Center to see the always interesting work of Bruce Tapola, Minnesota’s most famous somewhat-obscure artist. Venues ranging from esteemed institutes of art (in Milwaukee and Minneapolis) to a rented U-Haul parked in front of the Walker Art Center have spread his fame. Recent outings in Miami and Minneapolis, and a collaborative installation with his wife and daughter called I’m With Stupid, have enabled Tapola to further develop his broad range of media-inflected moody imagery. Here he again hammers on the closed gates of American culture, with his ambivalent cry: “I love you! I hate you! I love you!” –Ann Klefstad
Saturday at 8 p.m., Rochester Art Center, 40 Civic Center Dr. S.E., Rochester; 507-282-8629; $12 (members $10).
A Lovely Union of Food and Art
The only thing better than good art, is good art combined with good food and drink. Barbette and Placement Gallery figured this one out and have joined forces to present a series of new exhibitions at Barbette every other month. This Sunday marks the official opening with a reception featuring artist John Schuerman. Join Shuerman for complimentary snacks and happy hour prices on beverages as you peruse his work about his reckoning with nature, consciousness, and the unknown. According to Shuerman’s own artistic statement, “This kind of art renders the unnamed, and language follows, creating new levels of consciousness, which in turn produces new art.”
Sunday from 3 to 6 p.m., Barbette, 1600 West Lake Street, Minneapolis; 612-827-5710.
If you yourself are an artist, head over to the Como Park Zoo & Conservatory on Sunday morning (8 to 10 a.m.) for a special Artist and Camera event. Marjorie McNeely Conservatory will be open before public hours to allow artists and photographers a chance to bring in tripods and easels, which normally are not allowed. The cost is $5.00 per person.
WEB SHOW “AUDITION”
Bring That Awful Gift to the Mall of America
We’ve all gotten a gift at some point in our lives that has left us wondering, “What the hell were they thinking?” Now, you finally have a chance to make it work to your advantage and maybe get a few questions answered in the process. Comedian, writer, and political satirist Lizz Winstead is looking for people for a new web show she’ll be hosting for Lifetime. Yes, I know it’s Lifetime, but I promise Meredith Baxter won’t be anywhere nearby. I mean, it’s Lizz Winstead, right? If Lifetime is calling on Winstead to host a show, it’s because they’re looking to do something a little different here. The show, Gift Intervention, will come in 6 minutes snippets, each show exploring the thought behind a horrendous gift, with both the recipient and the giver present. That’s right, folks, Winstead will be doing a little gift intervention here to get to the bottom of the matter. So take your bad gifts down to the Mall of America this weekend (11 a.m. to 4 p.m.), along with an awesome story, and see if you can get your six minutes of fame. If nothing else, it’s a great opportunity to meet a stellar woman.
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