Gregg Hurwitz will read from his book, The Nowhere Man: An Orphan X Novel, at Murder By The Book this Thursday.
Author photo by Gary Fleder
Murder By The Book
6:30 p.m. Thursday, free
Hollywood heartthrob Bradley Cooper has already snagged the film rights to Hurwitz's Orphan X series. Come see what all the buzz is about and pick up this page-turner for young adults about the legendary Nowhere Man, who's only spoken about in hushed whispers. It's said that the Nowhere Man can and will do anything to protect and save the truly desperate and deserving, but is he just a legend? Hurwitz will be reading from his book and signing copies at Murder By The Book.
Works by New York-based artists Kate Gilmore and Heather Rowe are on view at DiverseWorks in "Only in Your Way." Shown: Wall Bearer (performance), by Kate Gilmore, Weatherspoon Art Museum, Greensboro, North Carolina.
Photo courtesy of the artist and David Castillo Gallery
DiverseWorks
7 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, free
Kate Gilmore is always putting people in awkward situations, like the time she shoved six women, all dressed in identical pink dresses, into wall cubbies. But it's all for the sake of art, and her public installations often explore issues related to identity, gender, power and endurance. Now Gilmore and another New York-based artist, Heather Rowe, have teamed up for a site-specific exhibit in Houston. DiverseWorks members get first look plus an artist talk at 6 p.m., but everybody's invited to the opening reception at 7 p.m. Come view the newly commissioned sculptural works, installation and a live durational performance this Friday. Rowe’s work often builds upon cinematic experience through the framing of space and rhythmically constructed form.
Main Street Theater presents staged readings of The Taming by Lauren Gunderson at two different locations this Friday. Shown is Bree Welch as Marie Antoinette in Lauren Gunderson’s The Revolutionists earlier this season.
Photo by Pin Lim / Forest Photography
Main Street Theater, Rice Village, 2540 Times
10 a.m. Friday, free
St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 1805 West Alabama
7 p.m. Friday, free
Queensbury Theatre
8 p.m. Friday, Pay what you can
"Let them eat cake," bellowed the power-hungry ruler with strange hair. Yes, it's Inauguration Day, but we're not talking about soon-to-be President Trump, nor are we discussing Marie Antoinette, though playwright Lauren Gunderson certainly brought her to life in The Revolutionists at Main Street Theater earlier this season. America is in a state of flux and Gunderson felt she had to do something, until she realized her play, The Taming, is the perfect all-female political farce to tell the painful truth about extremism on both sides. Now 40 theaters across the country are presenting this comedy about our country's history and its foundational imperfections, and Main Street is presenting it free with two staged readings this Friday. There's adult language and content, and Gunderson swears she wrote her Hamilton jokes before that "other" Hamilton took Broadway by storm. RSVP to [email protected]. Over in west Houston, Queensbury Theatre also is presenting the reading on Friday evening; it's directed by L. Robert Westeen, and a portion of the "pay what you can" ticket price benefits Hatch Youth Montrose.
They had us at pancakes and booze, but this ultra-hip event also has body painting, live performances and a pop-up art show.
Photo courtesy of Pancakes and Booze Art Show
Warehouse Live
8 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday, $5
Maybe Buddy the Elf was on to something with his all-sugar diet. We're not saying syrup on spaghetti will ever taste good, but syrup and booze? The line forms here. This is one of our favorite nomadic events, and they're setting up the griddles at Warehouse Live this Friday night. It's 18 and up (natch), but what could go wrong with free pancakes, a cash bar and beautiful people turning themselves into living canvases? The shows usually feature between 50 and 150 local artisans, plus live music, DJs or both.
Don't be a sap. Plant a tree and help make our planet a little bit better this Arbor Day.
Photo courtesy of Houston Arboretum & Nature Center
Houston Arboretum & Nature Center
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, free
Get back to nature and celebrate the Houston Arboretum's 50th anniversary with Arbor Day. It's more than just sticking a sapling into the ground in a feel-good effort to right your recycling wrongs: This back-to-nature shindig includes guided tree hikes, woodturning demonstrations, crafts and food trucks. But just in case you do get green-thumb fever, the arboretum will be holding giveaways for seed and saplings.
