thursday
june 1
The Romance Continues The National Turkey Federation informs us that "June is Turkey Lovers' Month," and who are we to argue? The National Turkey Foundation, following the lead of the cranberry people who managed to get their food out of its holidays-only rut, says that turkey is the perfect way to celebrate summer. The Turkey Lovers' kit is full of fun facts to know and yell -- the scientific name for the wild turkey is Meleagris gallapovo; proud American turkey farmers export birds to Egypt, Germany and Venezuela; and grilled turkey tenderloins are great in salads. Turkeys have tenderloins? Who knew? Well, great then, because anything would be better than those rubbery slabs of grilled chicken currently slapped on every salad (and especially every Caesar salad) served in Houston. To learn more about the firm and healthful flesh of turkeys, send for your Turkey Lovers' kit (or have one delivered to someone at their work address): National Turkey Federation, 11319 Sunset Hills Road, Reston, VA 22090. Send an SASE.
Stephen King and Samuel Beckett, together again The absurdist master and America's number-one bogeyman author will be represented, along with other lights of 20th-century literature, in an exhibition of broadsides. Many of the broadsides (large printed pages) are of handmade paper and signed by an author. The exhibition runs through June 22. Daily, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Detering Book Gallery, 2311 Bissonnet, 526-6974.
Theatre Osobnyak The Russians are still coming; every week we see new Russian shows. This show will take place at two venues, the University of St. Thomas' Jones Theatre and the Jewish Community Center. Petrushka is the first of two one-act pieces on the program at Jones Theatre; the second Jones Theatre piece is A Russian Puppet Show. Over at the JCC will be Temptations of St. Jerome, a ballet inspired by the art of Bosch and Breugel, and Petrushka, again. 7:30 p.m. tonight at the Jewish Community Center, 5601 South Braeswood. 7:30 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday at the University of St. Thomas Jones Theatre, 3000 Yoakum. JCC tickets $9, $6 seniors and students; Jones Theatre tickets $5. Reserve seats by calling 759-1314.
friday
june 2
Seaspace '95 Everyone who's anyone in the underwater world will be featured in this little confab set up by the Houston Underwater Club. Movies, too. The Seaspace Film Festival presents new works by Jean-Michel Cousteau (son of Jacques), Ernie Brooks and Michael Madden, a professional cave diver who was, at press time, poking around in the dark and frigid depths of Nohoch Nah Chich, the world's longest known underwater cave system. Oh, but Seaspace is not restricted to scholarly discussions of harvesting the sea for its riches -- a casino party is the kickoff event. Travel prizes will be auctioned. June 2-4. Hyatt Regency Hotel, 1200 Louisiana. For ticket info, call 467-6675.
Ginger Rogers Rice Media Center begins the summer schedule with a dead-person series, in this case 14 films starring Ginger Rogers -- and not just the-singing-and-dancing-on-the-arm-of-Fred Astaire Ginger Rogers. Half the films star Rogers alone. Tonight The Gay Divorcee and Roberta, both Fred movies. Double feature begins at 7:30 p.m. The Rice Media Center, Rice University, (entrance no. 8 off University Boulevard), 527-4853. $4.50.
Accordion Kings rule A whole weekend of free accordion music -- conjunto, Cajun and zydeco. Thomas Fields and his Foot Stompin' Zydeco Band are the opening act and then Ed Poullard, who'll roll in from Beaumont, with Los Hometown Boys closing out the evening. There are people here in Houston whose cars wear bumper stickers that proclaim, "Use an accordion, go to jail: it's the law." These are obviously people who can't dance. Squeezemasters 7:30 p.m. tonight and tomorrow. Miller Outdoor Theatre in Hermann Park. Call 520-3290 or (512) 320-0022 for details or information on handicapped seating. Free.
Shootout at the Satellite Bearded Bert Wills and red-headed Hadden Sayers go on-stage together, with guitars, and everyone will have a blast. Nine-ish. The Fabulous Satellite Lounge, 3616 Washington, 869-COOL. $10.
saturday
june 3
Sandcastle Competition They're out on the sand, piling it high in hopes of winning the coveted Golden Bucket award. "They" are more than a thousand architects, organized into 50 teams, competing in the ninth annual American Institute of Architects/Steelcase Sandcastle Competition. In case the competing architects can't come up with anything to wow spectators, event organizers have a ringer castle ready -- world-class sand sculptor Mark Mason has been at work for a week on a record-breaking structure. There's no need to linger on East Beach (Appfel Park) for the competition's full 11 a.m.-4 p.m. run. You can take a break and head over to Pier 21, where from 11 a.m. till dusk today and tomorrow the Island Art Festival will be in full swing. The art festival has all your art festival faves and gyotaku, the art of fish rubbing. This is not a therapeutic massage for our finned friends. This is an art form. Children who attend the festival will be able to do fish rubbings, with chalk on butcher paper. (Rain date for the sandcastle competition is June 4.) For more information about sand sculpting, call 622-2081. For more information about the festival, call 521-0133.
