Night & Day Events
13 Thursday
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf may have some of the most biting one-liners to date. Edward Albee’s play was considered sadistic, shocking, and sadomasochistic when it debuted in 1962. But Albee, in the middle of the Camelot years, knew that an underlying current was about to sweep America from its bed of innocence. Albee’s play took a critical look at America’s most valued institutions — family, marriage, success — and implied that the reality of those was actually a fantasy. The Alanz Theatre, 624 E. 63rd St., presents this timely tale today through Saturday at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10. For reservations or more information, call 816-444-2288.
14 Friday
Sometimes you just have to be the center of attention. And when you’re the executive director of the Quality Hill Playhouse, the reins are yours to pull. J. Kent Barnhart, said executive director, begins the eight-show stint tonight of his one-man show, Stop Me If You’ve Heard This. Stop us if you’ve heard that the show includes solo piano tunes by Scott Joplin and George Gershwin, songs by Cole Porter, new cabaret songs from the Big Apple, and humorous stories from Mr. Barnhart’s hometown — the illustrious Raytown. Tickets are $19. Performances continue through July 23 at 8 p.m., except for Sundays, when the show is at 3 p.m. For more information, call 816-421-1700.
15 Saturday
Whether it’s true that hormones in meats cause young girls to start menstruating at age 8 or pesticides in vegetables turn our cells cancerous remains to be determined, but the demand for organically grown produce and meats is growing at a seemingly unwavering pace. That’s why The Barstow School Organic Farmers’ Market is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a huge milestone party. The market will be transformed today into a pavilion of live music, organic culinary specialties, and chef demonstrations. There will also be literature and guest speakers for folks who want to know more about healthy diets, organic foods, and sustainable farming practices. Fun begins at 8 a.m. The Barstow School is located at 11511 State Line Road. For more information, call 816-942-3255.
The National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame in Bonner Springs is hosting its annual Farm Heritage Days and Steam Show beginning today through tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. It’s a celebration that invites partakers to “experience our past,” as Farm Town, USA, comes alive and demonstrates the way some folk used to live. The event will feature traditional farming demonstrations using antique equipment, a classic tractor pull, working steam engines, antique and classic tractors and equipment, as well as many other exhibits. The kids will be happy too with the Kiddie Pedal Pull, hayrides, horseshoes, and more. Admission is $6 for adults, $3 for children. For more information, call 913-721-1075.
16 Sunday
Today the Kansas City Royals Wives Association is bringing its gender roles to the public at Gate A and Gate B of Kauffman Stadium, where they will collect donations of nonperishable food items while their men in royal blue bat their balls and make the bucks. Fans who drop off four or more items will be blessed with an autographed photo of a Royals player — while supplies last, of course. Also, donors can sign their names on a giant check and Kikkoman will donate a dollar per signature to Harvesters. For more information on how to help out the Wives, call 816-504-4312.
17 Monday
When Brad Pitt put a rod in his hand and started casting it about in A River Runs Through It, the whole world decided that fly-fishing must be really cool. Actually, it’s been said that fly-fishing is quite therapeutic and offers participants insight into the world of spiritual hunting. All you need is wader boots, a lot of patience, and some flies that will entice the little fishies to take a bite. If you’ve always wanted to be a fly-fisher but don’t know how, the Grassland Heritage Foundation offers a Stream Side Adventures Fly Casting Instruction class today from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. It’ll take place at the Prairie Center, located at 135th Street & Cedar Niles Road. The class costs $35. For more information, call 913-262-3506.
18 Tuesday
They’re not the Marching Cobras (who is?), but the participants of the Mission Drums Drum & Bugle Competition plan to entertain all you closet band geeks today, thanks to the Sky Ryders Drum and Bugle Corps, which was founded in 1955 in Hutchinson, Kansas. The Sky Ryders won’t perform, but they will host eight drum and bugle corps from around the nation in this rhythmic pageant of precision that’s both militant and musical. It’s an audio-visual experience that has been around since the late 1800s and, apparently, is still marching onward. The competition takes place at Haskell Indian Nations University, East K-10 Highway, in Lawrence tonight at 7. Tickets range from $7 to $25. For more information, call 913-967-7120 or visit www.missiondrums.itgo.com.
19 Wednesday
Oh, my Godzilla! The Center for East Asian Studies at the University of Kansas is hosting the Godzilla Festival to put this iconical radition-beaming monster in its place: Kansas. “Godzilla Takes Kansas” begins today with a free sceening of the original 1954 film, which has been touched up with some digital technology and new subtitles. See this especially dark love triangle (unlike King Kong in that this triangle includes only humans) on Odo Island, where Godzilla has been awakened from his prehistoric sleep by the all of those damn hydrogen bomb tests. Trouble is that since he wasn’t coaxed from millions of years of hibernation by a radio alarm clock, he is now radioactive. This subtitled, irradiated flick can be seen at Liberty Hall in downtown Lawrence tonight at 7:30. The festival continues tomorrow with a panel discussion, “Understanding Godzilla,” at 7:30 p.m. in Smith Hall Auditorium on the KU campus, and through Aug. 15, you can view Godzilla and Japanese Popular Culture: An Exhibit of Godzilla Artifacts and Publications in the Watson Library Exhibit Area. For more information, call 785-864-3918.
