Arts & Culture

Todd Barry wants to make fun of you, and you should let him. Here’s why: He’s moving away from the traditional stand-up routine and exercising his crowd work skills in his most recent tour, the appropriately named “Todd Barry: The Final Crowd Work Tour.” He’s done this before, and he’s…

If you aren’t a fan of all-you-can-eat pancake bars, booze and “underground art” — including live body-painting — then steer clear of The Pancakes & Booze Art Show in Deep Ellum Friday. (Seriously, what is wrong with you?) After launching in Los Angeles in 2009, The Pancakes & Booze Art…

Get your DIY on at the Etsy Dallas Spring Bash. There will be free crafts to make and take, music, a photobooth and some of your favorite online shops in person. The first 50 shoppers will receive free collectible bash bags. More information at handmadebash.com. Sat., April 26, 11 a.m.-6…

Whether you’re stocking up on rainwater in preparation for a climate apocalypse or denying global warming, you’ve got to admit — there’s no place like home. And our (relatively) little sphere of crazy — full of lurking volcanoes, shifting crusts and cell-signal dead zones — is an impressive residence, no…

Growing up in the ’90s, I have a very distinct memory of going to a friend’s house to watch a movie that involved boobies and the tall girl from Saved By the Bell. Earlier that week, he’d brought his dad’s VHS copy of Showgirls to school, letting people touch it…

Photography used to be such an intimidating art form — all darkrooms and pricey lenses and f-stops. Those things are all still an important part of the artistry, but now induction into the photo club is much more accessible than it was even a decade ago. Today, the most famous…

Mixing music, fashion and art often finds all three diluted to appeal to a broader audience. But WAAS Gallery’s Recess sparks a bit of curiosity and the hope that they just might pull it off. One of Dallas’ most creative minds, rapper -topic, is in charge and he brings along…

Other than the never-ending construction on Elm Street, there is very little not to like about Deep Ellum. This neighborhood of bars, restaurants, music and art has plenty of parking and is by far the most colorful area in Dallas. If you don’t believe me, head to the Deep Ellum…

Urban planning gets a lot of attention. In Dallas, forward thinkers are mapping out ways to tear down highways and build parks in thin air. If these progressive minds have their way, this will be the city of the future, complete with walkable neighborhoods, well-traveled bike trails and sustainable resources…

It’s an archetypal sci-fi story: Science, in its reckless search for knowledge, intrudes on nature. Nature retaliates by kidnapping science’s girlfriend and slaughtering anyone dumb enough to stick around after the first mutilated corpse turns up. Director Jack Arnold’s quintessential tale of unrequited amphibian love, The Creature From The Black…

We know you have unfulfilled fantasies. They’re vivid and personal. And private. No really, please don’t tell us. Daydreams are better when shared, but that’s what the Bondage Expo Dallas is for. Friday through Sunday, enter a safe space where you can unleash your inner kink. There will be sessions…

When I was a very surly teenager of 15, my mother dragged me, kicking and sulking, to a production of Stephen Sondheim’s musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street at the Kennedy Center. The underhandedness of the plot and all of the blood (so much blood!) made me…

In a month long celebration of Rahr-B-Q, the brewery is hosting various events including one at 3 p.m. Sunday, April 27 that will benefit the Hope Center for Autism. Sonny and Friends provide music and there will be beer and meat. Tickets are $35 and available at hopecenterforautism.org. Sun., April…

In a city filled with creativity and entrepreneurship, self-starting good ideas come along in Dallas nearly everyday. And they’re all on Kickstarter begging (er, I mean crowdsourcing) for money. The Sophistication of the Old-Fashioned is a bit different. To launch the new theater “experience,” this creative group is throwing a…

This spring the Dallas Symphony celebrates the music of Beethoven with concerts featuring the composer’s symphonies as well as some of his more intimate chamber works. A chamber concert featuring the music of Beethoven and Haydn kicks off the festival across the street from the Meyerson at Dallas City Performance…

There are few moments as frustrating in a young teenager’s life than trying to decipher the works of William Shakespeare. They use what appears to be English but in a totally unorthodox order with words that look like they are only used by people who really want to prove that…

The three string players that make up Time for Three met when they were students at Philadelphia’s renowned Curtis Institute for Music. Two violinists and one double bass, they soon discovered that their talents lay beyond just performing classical music (which they do brilliantly). This group’s eclectic, energetic sound bounces…

Whenever a comic like Doug Stanhope comes to town, comedy clubs or hole-in-the-wall bars with pseudo-stages will post warnings intended to scare away the easily offended. That really doesn’t do justice to a comic of Stanhope’s caliber. He’s not out just to offend for the sake of offending. He’s there…

Seminar is a comedy that once appeared on Broadway with Alan Rickman (yawn) as the lead. But get this, Rickman was replaced by Jeff Motherfucking Goldblum (opposite-yawn)!! The guy from Jurassic Park!!! OK, I’ll calm down. Seminar was written by Theresa Rebeck and opens at 8 p.m. Thursday at Theatre…

A man walks into your office with white, chalky powder on his fingers, a nervous twitch and bags under his eyes. Obviously, he’s a school teacher. It’s elementary. Next case, Watson. Um … unless, of course, he’s just some slob who snarfed too many powdered doughnuts with his espresso after…