Well bless my Star Wars! All that tassel twirling and shimmy-shimmy of burlesque, at times it seems you can’t turn around with a eyeful of curves hitting you at full speed in this town. Not that I’m complaining. But I must admit, I’ve always been concerned – when do the sci-fi aficionados get their very own night of burlesque beauties? One would think that more would follow in the steps of LA’s Devil’s Playground, which performed a mind-busting strip down of C3PO and even Jabba the Hutt this spring. Disturbing? Hot? Both? Maybe I’m worrying too much — but when does SF get a piece of that action? Leave it to Bombshell Betty to heed my heart-felt cry for our darling and economically life-affirming nerds (you know we’re a cradle for Tech 2.0 or whatever, right?). Strutting the stage on a very special night at the Elbo Room (Tues/14) will be any number of ladies loving the heroes, the bad guys, the technology, the far-fetched cleavage of the sci-fi genre that you would think just begs for a little more spec-ta-ta-tacular exploitation. Oh wait. Lara Croft. Never mind.
Man on Sex
See now, this is why Fringe Festivals exist. Though the first of these theater fairs – which usually feature randomly chosen productions for maximum wierdness – was in Scotland, San Francisco stage folk flock to our fair city like there’s no tomorrow. It all makes a wonderful backdrop for Man on Sex, James Schneider’s new solo show of sexual collage. Think Shakespearean penis, a lonely trucker, and a hetero man who can’t seem to pinpoint the allure of strippers. Fringe, right?
Through Sun/19
Wed/8 9 p.m., $10-12.99
Exit Theater
156 Eddy, SF
(415) 673-3847
Aftercare Workshop with Daddy Wendell
BDSM scenes require a different sort of after love-love. Of course, it doesn’t take a genius to suggest that those bruises and sores can be alleviated by a soak in a candlelit bathtub, but the professor behind this course – Daddy Wendell, who is offering up a phalanx of one-off classes at Femina Potens this week – is pro enough to know how to get at those subcutaneous hurts and aches. We’re talking, you know, emotional upkeep. Get down on it, you lovers and fighters.
Fri/10 7-8:30 p.m., $25
Femina Potens gallery
2199 Market, SF
(415) 864-1558
Explore Ecosexuality
“I haven’t been so excited about something since the feminist porn wars,” classic adult film star Annie Sprinkle once told me of her new project series with partner Beth Stephens. Stephens and Sprinkle are pioneering the field of ecosexuality, which recognizes the sensual relationship that one can share with the natural world. Are you down with the dirt? Elated by the ocean? Perhaps you will enjoy their class, in which they’ll detail 25 ways to love the world around us.
Thurs/9 6-8 p.m., $15-20 sliding scale
Good Vibrations
1620 Polk, SF
(415) 345-0500
Trash or Treasure: Kinky Rummage Sale
The acquisition of clothes is a funny thing. Self consciousness can drive us to binge, a desire to strut like a peacock can drive us to buy, and hell – the two don’t have to be mutually exclusive. Whatever the reason, if your closet of sexual playwear is full to bursting, you can tote those corsets and cod pieces on down to San Jose, where you will be blessed with an audience of buyers eager to rifle through the leather, lace, and love you acquired over the years.
Sun/12 1-5 p.m., $5 buyer $25 seller
Pierce Ink
48 Race, San Jose
(408) 280-6699
Sci-Fi Burlesque
Sample names of performers at this event: Madonna May-Hemm, Pearl E. Gates, Vadge O’Fonor, and… Pickles Kintaro? Somebody please explain that pun to me, I’m feeling less than vocabularic right now. Tunes by Fromagique.
Tues/14 9-11:30 p.m., $10-15
Elbo Room
647 Valencia, SF
(415) 552-7788