Night & Day Events

Thursday, November 4
Bill Clause says he found the task of reading through the 600 or so 5- to 10-minute scripts submitted to his second annual Five and Dime Playwriting Contest “both exhilarating and very painful.” Clause originally set up the Five and Dime, he says, on “a wild-haired notion,” posting the call for entries on all of the online writing contest sites he could find. He was just hoping to receive a few shorties worthy of a $50 prize and a production by the CrossCurrents theater group. Obviously, Clause received more than a few submissions. He’s winnowed the pile down to eight winners, most of them comedic, which see the spotlight for the first time tonight in Random Acts at Just Off Broadway (3051 Central, 816-784-5020). Admission is $10 in advance, $12 at the door.

Friday, November 5

Technological advances have enabled young, single men who lack the talent, drive and luck to participate in the real deal to enjoy the same basic emotional and physiological rewards by engaging in a two-dimensional, video replication of the action. Some young men even prefer this auto-stimulation to real human-to-human contact. Indeed, video games, especially of the sports variety — what else could we be talking about here? — are keeping more adolescent asses glued to couches than ever. But thanks to the people at EA Sports, makers of the enormously popular Madden NFL 2005, game junkies can make their skills pay off in a big way. Madden Challenge hits KC today at 5 p.m. on Westport Road, in the parking lot between McCoy’s and the Hurricane, where playoffs commence to select a regional champ to compete for $50,000 and sports-geek glory in the national championship. Register online at www.maddenchallenge.com or call 816-531-4370 for more information.

Saturday, November 6

We suspect that traditional forms of dance, such as salsa, tango and, um, belly, are popular right now because the kind of dancing that has been going on at most nightclubs every weekend since the death of disco continues to baffle white people. Traditional dances, on the other hand, offer something known as steps, which a person can memorize, practice and eventually master, thereby never having to demonstrate any nonexistent improvisational skills. We somehow doubt, though, that we could ever master the sort of Nritya Indian dancing that’ll be going on today at 5:30 p.m. at the Shawnee Mission South High School auditorium (5807 West 107th Street in Overland Park). After all, Hema Sharma, the Nritya expert who’s directing the event, has spent her entire life studying dance, learning from teachers described in her online bio as “renowned gurus” and performing more than 700 times in India and the United States. Go ahead, Hema, shake that thang. Call 913-488-2719.

Sunday, November 7

Antiques Roadshow has given many of its viewers the impression that just about any dope with an attic full of inherited junk could be sitting on some heirloom worth 15 grand. Real antiquers, however, know that it takes research, cunning and financial savvy to lay hands on a true treasure. Just ask Kaye Miller, owner of Charlecote (337 East 55th Street), who specializes in 18th-century English furniture. “Use discipline in buying,” Miller advises — it’s better to stretch the budget and buy just one excellent piece a year than a truckload of mediocre bric-a-brac. Miller also recommends reading up before going into the fray; after all, knowledge is power. When it comes to furniture, look at condition, originality and color — mahogany and formal furniture are especially collectible these days. In china, botanical-painted porcelain is all the rage. We’ll keep this in mind today as we size up the wares at the Overland Park Antique Show, open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Overland Park International Trade Center (6800 West 115th Street). Call 260-925-4689 for more information.

Monday, November 8

The block of 31st Street that’s home to the Velvet Dog, Café Trocadero and the Empire Room has been dubbed “the Martini Corner.” Now comes the Buddha Bar (409 East 31st Street, 816-756-3400), an Asian-inspired lounge that boasts a menu of Japanese robata (skewers of meat, fish or veggies grilled and served with dipping sauces) and a kickass happy hour. To celebrate, its very welcoming neighbors agreed to join the fun, which includes $3 cosmos and $2 wells as well as specials on margaritas and — cringe — appletinis. (Call the Velvet Dog at 816-753-9990 for details.) Yeah, we realize it’s only Monday. We’re simply getting a head start.

Tuesday, November 9

Tonight at 8 p.m. at the Westport Coffee House (4010 Pennsylvania), meet the members of Kansas City’s newest movie group, Unreel. Made up of filmmakers from KC, Lawrence and the outlying area (whatever that means), the group engages in experimental film, documentaries, animation and motion graphics, for starters. Best part? Admission is $3. But because it’s their coming-out party, wearing a dress gets you in for a buck. Hey, any excuse to break out the little white gloves is good for us. Call 816-756-3222 for more information.

Wednesday, November 10

We had this totally weird dream the other night about a huge snake eating a dead baby. All we could do was watch, rooted to the ground and unable to scream. When we woke up — fucking creeped out — we lay awake for an hour trying to figure it out. The huge snake … well, um, we get that part. It’s the dead baby we can’t decipher. We’re hoping David Hupe can help. He hosts a dream meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesdays at the Unity Church of Overland Park (10300 Antioch, 913-649-1750, ext. 3057). His class promises to help us interpret shit like this, better understand what’s going on in our lives, open up inner resources and skills, and understand the dream process. We’re just left wondering: Should we feel guilty mentioning the snake part in a church?