Entertainment ideas for the coming days.
TODAY
ON THE SPOT: Once a month, The Harn Museum of Art, 3259 Hull Road, hosts a free event called Museum Nights, where the museum remains open from from 6 to 9 p.m. for an evening of activities, performances, exhibit tours, food and refreshments. This month’s Museum Night takes place today and is titled Improv Europe. The event explores how European cultures are shaped by both their deep traditions and unpredictable yet constant change. Eventgoers will then view this dynamic tension through the spirit of improvisation in art, music and dance. In addition, there will be live performances and tours of art connected to Europe.
TODAY THROUGH JAN. 21
EXISTENTIAL EXAMINATION: The Acrosstown’s newest production comes from the mind of French existential philosopher and literary author Jean-Paul Sartre titled “No Exit.” The 1944 play centers on three recently deceased strangers who expected to to be damned on dying only to find themselves in parlor from which they can not leave. As they reluctantly begin to share the details of their immoral actions, they soon realize that they have been placed together to make each other miserable, discovering that “Hell is other people,” a famous phrase that references Sartre’s ideas about the constant human struggle that is seeing oneself as an object from the view of another consciousness. Showtimes at Acrosstown Repertory Theatre, 619 S. Main St., are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets, which can be purchased by calling 234-6278, are $15 and $13 for students, educators, seniors, vets and active military.
TODAY THROUGH FEB. 11
GALVESTON GIANT: The Hippodrome’s first play of the new year, “The Royale,” was penned by Marco Ramirez, showrunner for the Netflix show Marvel's "Daredevil," and tells a story based on the life of Jack Johnson, the first African-American World Heavyweight champion boxer. Set in 1905 amid the Jim Crow-era, this play tells the story of a racially-charged fight of the century, in which an African-American boxer takes on the caucasian heavyweight champ, but it clearly tries to focus more on the mentality and personal drive of the fictional fighter. A discounted preview is being offered today for $18 general admission and $15 for youths. Regular showtimes at Hippodrome Theatre, 25 SE Second Place, are 7 p.m. on Tuesdays-Thursdays, 8 p.m. on Fridays, 5 and 8:30 p.m. on Saturdays, and 2 and 7 p.m. on Sundays beginning Friday. Tickets, which can be purchased by visiting www.thehipp.org or calling 375-4477, are $37, $25 for adults under 30 and seniors, and $15 for youths.
TODAY THROUGH JUNE
BURROWING BEETLES: Art and science meet in the Florida Museum of Natural History’s free exhibit “Bark Beetle Calligraphy,” which features a collection of large bark beetle engravings made as the insects tunnel through wood. In the interest of science, these collections allow researchers to learn more about the behavior and life cycles of the beetles. Those interested in art, however, can view the intricate and destructive pathways these beetles leave in their wake, creating patterns that often feature some semblance of symmetry or other artistic features. The collection is the result of an art-and-science initiative by the UF School of Forest Resources and Conservation and showcases original three-dimensional insect art collected from around the world. In addition to the displays, museum-goers can view high-resolution images of the beetles accompanied by scientific interpretations of the creature's actions and their significance to human life. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 1-5 p.m. on Sundays.
JAN. 14
LEND A HAND: Heartwood Soundstage, 619 S. Main St., will host "Fiesta / Concierto Para Puerto Rico," a festival and concert to benefit agricultural efforts in Puerto Rico on Sunday from 1 to 6 p.m. The event is sponsored by Plenitud PR, a nonprofit ecology-educational farm in Puerto Rico that focuses on sustainability efforts. The nonprofit, which is run by UF graduate Owen Ingley, is producing this concert and event to benefit the hurricane recovery efforts following the destruction of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. Performers include the AscenDance Aerial Dancers, Baila Caliente, Elio Piedra's Latino Sound Machine, Salsa Mundial and others. Food will be sold on site by Radha's Kitchen. Admission is $10, and children under the age of 10 get in for free.