CLASSICAL MUSIC

rePLAY: The Art of Video Games
Friday at 7:30 pm, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
With "the Symphony of Heroes," the Oregon Symphony does music from The Legend of Zelda, Halo, Portal, Journey, theElder Scrolls, and more! It's a multimedia show that unites some all-time favorite video games with stunning visuals. Are you game? 

BOOKS & TALKS

Carson Ellis
Saturday at 2 pm, Powell's City of Books 
Carson Ellis rocks by more than association. The spouse of Decemberists frontman Colin Meloy, Ellis has earned her own fame as the illustrator of children's books by Lemony Snicket, Trenton Lee Stewart, Florence Parry Heide, and, with Meloy, the bestselling Wildwood series. Released on Feb 24 from Candlewick Press, Home—Ellis's first foray as both illustrator and author—explores concepts of home including "beehives, birds’ nests, wigwams, undersea palaces, and space stations." 

DANCE

Les 7 Doigts de la Main: Sequence 8
Thursday–Saturday at 7:30 pm, Saturday at 2 pm, Newmark Theatre
Montreal knows how to put on a good circus, and White Bird knows how to bring us the best. With Sequence 8, the eighth production from Montreal's world-acclaimed Les 7 Doigts de la Main (The 7 Fingers of the Hand), circus spectacle is distilled into a potent show featuring just eight performers—who juggle, spin and perform acrobatics like dancers "who know no fear." 

CLOSING Oregon Ballet Theatre: Cinderella
Thursday–Saturday at 7:30 pm, Saturday at 2 pm, Keller Auditorium
Ben Stevenson’s 1970 version of the timeless folk tale has been universally adored since its premiere. It’s the ultimate “something-for-everyone” production: kids will be drawn to the familiar story and entrancing movement while adults warm to Sergei Prokofiev’s lush and exciting score. 

THEATER

Mary Stuart
Thursday–Saturday at 7:30 pm, Shoebox Theatre
Look no further for strong female leads than NWCTC’s adapted production of Friedrich von Schiller’s circa-1800 tragedy. It is a battle royale as Elizabeth I and her cousin Mary, Queen of Scots, face off in Peter Oswald’s Tony-nominated political potboiler. 

CLOSING The God Game
Thursday–Saturday at 7:30 pm, Shaking the Tree Studio
The stakes for playwright Suzanne Bradbeer's 2014 drama start with the Republican presidential ticket. Over the course of one play-length conversation between a political power couple and an unexpected friend, the issues metastasize to include religious faith, gay rights, and the all-too-real possibility that belief systems can cost you your loved ones. Brandon Wooley directs the Portland premiere; the hard-working Leif Norby stars alongside Laura Faye and Kelsey Tyler. 

CLOSING Tribes
Thursday–Saturday at 7:30 pm, Saturday & Sunday at 2 pm, Artists Repertory Theatre
Through the story of a deaf man raised by hearing parents who meets a hearing woman born to deaf parents, and consequently is introduced to the deaf community, this British drama explores ways that “families,” both related and otherwise, pass down ideologies, hierarchies, and unique languages. (Read our review.) 

ART

OPENING Gathering Autonomy: Justseeds Artists' Collective
Thursday–Sunday from 9 am to 9 pm, Pacific Northwest College of Art
PNCA opens the doors of its shiny new building for its first-ever First Thursday exhibit. The Justseeds Artists' Cooperative—a "decentralized" network of 30 print artists—contributes art to grassroots social, environmental, and political struggles across North America. 

Living With Glass
Thursday–Saturday from 11 am to 6 pm, Museum of Contemporary Craft
In a bid to create an exhibition "about and for collectors," the MoCC has cleverly installed an array of highly-collectible Italian glass pieces into homey scenes. Whose home? Glass fanatic (and owner of some of the exhibited pieces) Dane Nelson's residence inspired the unique scene. 

Words, Word, Words
Thursday–Saturday from 10:30 am to 5:30 pm, Elizabeth Leach Gallery 
Twenty-two artists use words to build—and burn—bridges between a variety of media as well as the commercial, literary, political, and personal registers. This show offers a truly impressive range of international artists including iconic conceptual artist Jenny Holzer.