Wednesday 05 – The Texas Tribune sponsors a panel discussion on The New Scourge: A Conversation on Opioid Abuse in Texas. Two state representatives (Garnet Coleman of Houston and J.D. Sheffield of Gatesville) and an anesthesiology professor (Stephanie Jones of UT-Southwestern) will talk about the problems this epidemic poses medically and legally at 11:30am at UTA Science & Engineering Innovation & Research Bldg, 500 UTA Blvd, Arlington. Admission is free. Call 817-272-2011.
Thursday 06 – Backpage.com was at one point the internet’s second biggest classified ad service, before management was found to be facilitating sex trafficking through the site’s sex ads. I Am Jane Doe is a documentary narrated by Jessica Chastain that details the downfall of the site, though it came out before the seizure of the site by the federal government last April. The film screens at 7pm at Fort Worth Central Library, 500 W 3rd St, FW. Admission is free. Call 817-871-7701.
Friday 07 – Some of you will no doubt feel old when we tell you that Pauly Shore turned 50 this year. The comedian starred in some of the worst movies of the early 1990s, and since the appetite for his slacker-stoner brand of comedy wore off at the box office, he has devoted most of his attention to performing stand-up. He takes the stage today thru Sat at Hyena’s Comedy Nightclub, 425 Commerce St, FW. Tickets are $10-15 plus a two-purchase minimum. Call 817-877-LAFF.
Saturday 08 – The dramedy What They Had is garnering decent reviews for Elizabeth Chomko, an actress and playwright making her debut as a filmmaker. A well-feted cast including Hilary Swank, Michael Shannon, and Robert Forster fills out the story of a family trying to decide how to handle their mother’s steadily progressing dementia. The film screens Fri-Sun at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, 3200 Darnell St, FW. Tickets are $8-10. Call 817-738-9215.
Sunday 09 – It’s all about transcriptions when Rachel Cheung takes the stage at Sundance Square this afternoon. She’ll be playing pieces that were originally written for other instruments but rearranged for piano, such as Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite; Franck’s Prelude, Chorale, and Variation; and two Schumann songs, at 2pm & 4pm at 4th & Main sts, FW. Admission is free. Call 817-212-4280.
Monday 10 – Artisan Center Theatre is doing something unusual this week, holding a limited run of concert performances (meaning without staging or costumes) of Beauty and the Beast this weekend and then Aladdin on Wednesday. On a barren Monday evening, experiencing the Disney musical only through its music looks like a good bet. The performance is 6pm at Belaire Theatre, 444 E Pipeline Rd, Hurst. Tickets are available online with an access code. Call 817-284-1200.
Tuesday 11 – Silhouette of Nude hails from Tokyo, but if you think this is some bubbly J-pop act, think again. The band labels itself as prog rock and math rock, though our ears pick up overtones of Goth and metal in their music as well. They’ll play at 8pm at Lola’s Saloon, 2736 W 6th St, FW. Admission is free. Call 817-877-0666.
