Wed 22 – A bicycle accident ended the life of the composer Ernest Chausson in 1899. A careful craftsman who did not finish many works, the 44-year-old Frenchman was only starting to come into his own, but he left behind a few pieces of high quality and originality. You can hear his imposing yet graceful Symphony in B-flat major when it’s performed by the UNT Concert Orchestra at 8pm at Winspear Hall, 2100 I-35, Denton. Tickets are $8-10. Call 940-369-7802.
Thurs 23 – Just as the Dallas International Film Festival ends, the USA Film Festival begins this week with screenings of Frédéric Tcheng’s acclaimed fashion documentary Dior and I, Shira Piven’s mental illness comedy Welcome to Me (starring Kristen Wiig), and Mr. Holmes, which stars Ian McKellen as an elderly Sherlock Holmes. The festival runs Wed-Sun at Angelika Film Center, 5321 E Mockingbird Ln, Dallas. Single tickets are $10. Call 800-745-3000.
Fri 24 – Kim Rosenstock is a writer on TV’s New Girl, and you can see the flavors of that in Tigers Be Still. A story of two sisters fighting an ongoing battle against their family history of depression, her acclaimed 2010 play deals with the subject matter through lots of whimsical comedy, but it has enough gravitas to keep from being too light. Tigers Be Still runs Thu-Sun at TCU Studio Theatre, 2800 S University Dr, FW. Tickets are $5-10. Call 817-257-8080.
Sat 25 – A full day of feature films is on tap for Q Cinema’s Lesbian Film Festival, which includes Stacie Passon’s provocative Concussion and Thom Fitzgerald’s 2011 comedy Cloudburst, about an elderly couple who run from their nursing home to get legally married in Canada. Nowadays, they wouldn’t have to travel so far. The festival runs 1-10pm at Amphibian Stage Productions, 120 S Main St, FW. Single tickets are $6-8, passes are $25-30. Call 817-723-4358.
Sun 26 – The Japanese reserve their biggest celebrations for spring, and if you’ve ever seen the cherry trees blossoming to welcome in the season, you can understand why. The Japanese Garden Spring Festival may not be able to match that, but it will have music, theater, dance, and demonstrations in origami, calligraphy, ikebana, and martial arts. The festival runs Sat thru today at Fort Worth Botanic Garden, 3220 Botanic Garden Blvd, FW. Admission is free. Call 817-392-5548.
Mon 27 – Not many comedians gain in stature after they die, but such has been the case with Bill Hicks. Ever since his death from pancreatic cancer at age 32 a little more than 20 years ago, a generation of stand-ups has cited his misanthropic, envelope-pushing work as an influence. You can witness him on the job when Fathom Events runs a concert film of a 1992 performance of his at 8pm at various movie theaters. Check Calendar for locations. Tickets are $10.50-12.50. Call 818-761-6100.
Tues 28 – Made into a 1981 film that was much honored in its time, Ernest Thompson’s play On Golden Pond has proven to be a vehicle that can descend into deadly sentimental stickiness in the wrong hands but can be amusing and affecting in the right ones. Artisan Center Theatre will try to steer on the right side of that when it mounts a production Fri thru May 16 at 420 E Pipeline Rd, Hurst. Tickets are $11-20. Call 817-284-1200.
