Books & Talks

Serial: Sarah Koenig and Julie Snyder
7:30 p.m. Fri, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, $29.50–49.50
With its breathless, smart telling of the 1999 murder of a Baltimore teenager, Serial rewrote the rules of true crime—and proved that “podcast sensation” can be a thing. In this live performance, the show’s cocreators recount personal tales and offer insight into their storytelling process.

Comedy

LOFI at Hifi
7 p.m. Thu, Mar 16, McCormick Mansion, $12
A co-production of storytelling show Back Fence PDX and cannabis cultivation company Hifi Farms, this quarterly variety show promises “comedy, music, stories, poetry, video, and weird stuff.” Beer and nibbles (but no marijuana) provided, with all proceeds to benefit the YWCA of Greater Portland.

CLOSING The Aces
8 p.m. Thu–Sat, Siren Theater, $15–25
Sound the alarm: Shelley McLendon and Michael Fetters bring back their sketch comedy fire to the Siren. Claiming not to have liked each other when they met, this hilarious duo proves that laughter is the bridge that brings people together. Don’t miss one of eight performances by the group that describes themselves as “the tallest sketch comedy in America.” 

Dance

Carmen
7:30 p.m. Thu–Sat, Newmark Theatre, $34–58
In NW Dance Project’s Carmen, resident choreographer Ihsan Rustem, know for forceful and often dark work, transports Bizet’s opera of passion and murder to modern-day hair salons and barbershops. Costumes are by revered Portland designer and Project Runway winner Michelle Lesniak. Plus, we've got a Q&A with Lesniak.

Duality: Dance Ballet of India
4 p.m. Sun, Newmark Theatre, $21.25–42.50
Bridging classical Indian dance forms and modern styles, local choreographer Jayanthi Raman’s newest production follows a young woman who moves from the subcontinent to Portland. Expect an international cast and original music—mandolin and percussion, as well as the voice of star Bollywood singer Hariharan.

Film

Women Working for the Wild/Portland EcoFilm Festival
7:30­–10:30 p.m. Sun, Mar 19, Hollywood Theatre, $9
Grab some popcorn and settle in for an evening of films that feature women protecting wild places, from a Peruvian farmer who shut down the Conga gold mine (Water Song) to a photographer who documents the environmental impact of the Mexico/U.S. border wall (Think Like a Scientist: Boundaries).

Music

Indigo Girls
7:30 p.m. Thu, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, $40–125
The iconic folk-rock duo joins the Oregon Symphony for a performance of their fan favorites. For extra credit, see if you can get the entire Schnitz to belt “Closer to Fine.”

Kevin Burke
8 p.m. Fri, Alberta Rose Theatre, $25–30
The 66-year-old fiddle player, who grew up as the son of Irish immigrants in London and now calls Portland home, is this city’s giant of traditional Irish music. For more, check out our story on Burke.

Japandroids
8 p.m. Fri, Revolution Hall, $21–23
It’s been five long years since the Canadian pop-punk duo released their last album, the amped-up Celebration Rock. They’re back with Near to the Wild Heart of Life, which eases up on the gas pedal and swirls in acoustic guitars, synthesizers, and shoe-gaze.

Jesca Hoop
7 p.m. Sat, Aladdin Theatre, $15
Singer-songwriter Jesca Hoop—who draws inspiration from the likes of Paul Simon and Joni Mitchell—shares songs from her latest album, Memories Are Now. 

Portland Gay Men's Chorus
8 p.m. Sat and 3 p.m. Sun, Reed College's Kaul Auditorium, $16–42
In Peace, Love, and Misunderstanding, the chorus "reflects on the current state of the nation and offers a message of hope for the future." Especially notable: the 10th-anniversary performance of a commission called "BraveSouls & Dreamers," whose librettist, Robert Espindola, died last year.

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
9 p.m. Sun, Mississippi Studios, $18–20
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, a label-less band that rose to popularity via music blogs (thanks, Internet), performs songs from their fifth full-length album, The Tourist. 

Theater

OPENING Lydia
7:30 p.m. Thu–Sat and 2 p.m. Sun, Milagro Theatre, $18–27
The winner of the 2008 Henry Award for Outstanding New Play, Octavio Solis's powerfully moving story follows a girl mentally crippled in a tragic accident who can only communicate with her caretaker, Lydia. 

OPENING Playhouse Creatures
7:30 p.m. Fri–Sat and 2 p.m. Sun, CoHo Theater, $20–28
Set in England in 1669, April de Angelis’s play follows the travails of four women trying to make it in a previously male-only domain: the theater.

CLOSING Trifles and Dutchman
7:30 p.m. Thu–Sat, Back Door Theater, $15–25
Defunkt presents an evening of challenging one-acts: Amiri Baraka’s Dutchman and Susan Glaspell’s Trifles, two plays that dig deep into America’s complicated path through race and gender inequality.

Resist! The Variety Show!
7 p.m. Sun, Mar 19, Clinton Street Theater, $5–10 sliding scale
This monthly variety show aims to teach tools for effective resistance through music, theater, comedy, poetry, and skill sharing. Tonight’s theme is intersectional activism, and proceeds will benefit Don’t Shoot Portland. 

Visual Art

Parting Shots: Minor White's Images of Portland, 1938–1942
10 a.m.–5 p.m. Thu–Sat, Architectural Heritage Center, $5
It was a plum gig for an upstart photographer: in 1938, a 30-year-old named Minor White was commissioned by the Works Progress Administration to document the architecture of downtown Portland. This exhibit brings together White’s photography—35 prints in total, of both commercial buildings and opulent mansions—and physical artifacts from some of the buildings he documented. The show's opening reception is this Thursday from 6–8 p.m. For more, check out our story.

Adrian Landon Brooks
1–6 p.m. Thu–Sat, Stephanie Chefas Projects, FREE
In Golden Age, the Texas-based artist uses reclaimed wood, bright colors, and geometric patterns to create paintings that evoke folklore and Greek mythology.

CLOSING NXNE: The Skanner Photography of Julie Keefe, 1991–2008
Thru Mar 17, Emerson House, FREE
Julie Keefe started working as a photographer for the Skanner, Portland’s African-American newspaper, in 1991. This exhibit gathers nearly two decades’ worth of her work of North and Northeast Portland.

Special Events

Art+Feminism Wikipedia Edit-a-thon
10 a.m.–5 p.m. Sat, PICA, FREE
Want to help close Wikipedia's gender gap? A 2011 survey found that less than 10 percent of the online encyclopedia's contributors identify as female, which has led to the spread of these edit-a-thons, where folks gather for in-person, communal editing jams to expand Wikipedia entries on art and feminism. Tutorials, reference materials, childcare, and snacks provided.