Thu, Oct 2

Dave Eggers Social satirist and author appears. 7:30pm. $25-$30. Carriage House Theatre, Villa Montalvo, 15400 Montalvo Rd, Saratoga, 408.961.5858 or www.villamontalvo.org.

The Mousetrap South Bay theater group Easy Street Theatre Company presents the Agatha Christie classic whodunit. Opening night, 8pm. Also plays Fri, Oct 3, 8pm, Sat, Oct 4, 2pm and 8pm. Thru Oct 11. $15-$25. Morgan Hill Playhouse, 17000 Monterey Rd, Morgan Hill, 408.236.2129.

Fri, Oct 3

Antigoni Goni Celebrated young classical guitarist. 8pm. $25. Carriage House Theatre, Villa Montalvo, 15400 Montalvo Rd, Saratoga, 408.961.5858 or www.villamontalvo.org

James Welch Santa Clara University faculty member James Welch present an organ recital, "Bach to the Future." 8pm. $5-$10. Mission Church, Santa Clara University, 500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, 408.554.4015.

Surf Film and Music The San Jose Museum of Art and Giant Creative Services offer a fresh-air screening of the surf film "The Seedling." The film's director Thomas Campbell will be on hand to introduce his film. 8:15pm. San Jose Museum of Art, 110 S. Market St, San Jose, 408.294.2787.

Sat, Oct 4

California Theatre Center Plays for the whole family. "The Ugly Duckling," 11am. Also Sat, Oct 11, 11am and 7:30pm. $11 advance/$12 at the door. Sunnyvale Community Center Theatre, 550 E. Remington Drive, Sunnyvale, 408.245.2978 or www.ctcinc.org.

Ginger Kroft Barnetson The clarinetist and Santa Clara University faculty member presents a recital. 8pm. $5-$10. Recital Hall, Santa Clara University, 500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, 408.554.4015.

Omar Sosa Quintet A jazz concert with Cuban pianist Omar Sosa presented by the San Jose Jazz Society. 8pm. $30-$35 show only/$65-$75 reserved seating and dessert reception with Omar Sosa. Theatre on San Pedro Square, 29 N. San Pedro St, San Jose, 408.288.7557.

Princess Ida Lyric Theatre presents a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta about a princess who starts a university for women. Opening night, 8pm. Also plays Sun, Oct 5, 2pm. Thru Oct 12. $23-$25. Mayer Theater, Lafayette and Franklin streets, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, 408.986.1455.

A Little Night Music Japanese American drumming and cultural group San Jose Taiko celebrates its 30th anniversary with a special concert that features guest performance by fellow pioneering taiko groups San Francisco Taiko Dojo and Kinnara Taiko of Senshin Buddhist Temple in Los Angeles. 8pm. $30-$40. San Jose Center for the Performing Arts, 255 Almaden Blvd, San Jose, 408.293.9344 or www.taiko.org.

Sun, Oct 5

Cypress String Quartet As part of its residency at San Jose State, the string quartet performs Beethoven's Quartet in C-sharp minor, op. 131. 3pm. Call for ticket information. Beethoven Center, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Library, 150 E. San Fernando St, San Jose, 408.808.2058.

Audra McDonald The Broadway star sings pop and showtune favorites. 7:30pm. $45-$85. Carriage House Theatre, Villa Montalvo, 15400 Montalvo Rd, Saratoga, 408.961.5858 or www.villamontalvo.org

Wed, Oct 8

Ladysmith Black Mambazo Well-loved African a cappella group. Wed, Oct 8-Thu, Oct 9, 7:30pm. $32-$42. Carriage House Theatre, Villa Montalvo, 15400 Montalvo Rd, Saratoga, 408.961.5858 or www.villamontalvo.org.

Stanford's Cantor Arts Center Opening day for "Hudson River School Masterworks," an exhibition of 55 paintings that include works by Thomas Cole, Frederic Church and others. Thru Jan 18. Wed-Sun, 11am-5pm, Thu, 11am-8pm. Cantor Arts Center, Stanford University, Museum Way (off Palm Dr), Stanford, 650.723.4177 or www.stanford.edu/dept/ccva.

Ongoing

Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story San Jose Stage Company presents a play that tells the story of early rock & roll legend Buddy Holly, featuring Holly's music. Thu, Oct 2-Sat, Oct 4, 8pm, Sun, Oct 5, 2pm. Extended thru Oct 26. $28-$38. San Jose Stage Company, 490 S. First St, San Jose, 408.283.7142 or www.sanjosestage.com.

Bye Bye Birdie Sunnyvale Community Players present a 1950s comic musical about the trouble a teen idol's publicity stunt causes a small town. Thu, Oct 2, 7:30pm, Fri, Oct 3-Sat, Oct 4, 8pm. Closes Sun, Oct 5, 2;30pm. $13-$18. Sunnyvale Community Center Theatre, 550 E. Remington Drive, Sunnyvale, 408.733.6611 or www.sunnyvalecommunityplayers.org.

d.p. Fong Galleries "Ancient Roots," mixed media and acrylic works by Mary Medrano. Thru Nov 8. 371 S. First St, San Jose, 408.298.8877.

de Saisset Museum "Theatrical Realism: The Art of Inez Storer," a new exhibit of works by noted painter and printmaker Inez Storer. Thru Dec 7. Hours: Tue-Sun, 11am-4pm. Santa Clara University, 500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, 408.554.4528.

Don Juan in Chicago City Lights Theatre Company opens its season with a comedy that puts Don Juan in modern-day Chicago, and suggests that his womanizing was due to a deal with the devil. Thu, Oct 2-Sat, Oct 4, 8pm, Sun, Oct 5, 7pm. Thru Oct 18. $15-$28. City Lights Theater Company, 529 S. Second St, San Jose, 408.295.4200 or www.cltc.org.

Euphrat Museum of Art "Daily Dramas: Currents and Undercurrents," an exhibit of works by six artists who depict people or imply human presence in various dramas of our day, some chosen freely, others imposed by systems or regimes. A reception featuring artist presentations will be held Tue, Nov 11, 6pm-8pm. Thru Nov 26. Hours: Mon-Thu, 10am-4pm. De Anza College, 21250 Stevens Creek Blvd, Cupertino, 408.864.8836 or http://www.deanza.edu/euphrat/

Japanese American Museum "1942: Luggage From Home to Camp." Thru June 2004. Tue-Fri, 11am-3pm, Sun, 11am-2pm. 535 N. Fifth St, San Jose, 408.294.3138 or www.jamsj.org.

Keeble & Shuchat "Hakone Gardens," photographs by Cheryl Pope. Thru Oct 13. Mon-Sat, 9am-5:30pm. 290 California Ave, Palo Alto.

The King and I Saratoga Drama Group presents Rodgers and Hammerstein's beloved musical. Fri, Oct 3-Sat, Oct 4, 8pm, Sun, Oct 5, 2:30pm. $18-$20. Saratoga Civic Theatre, 13777 Fruitvale Ave, Saratoga, 408.882.5099 or www.saratogadramagroup.com.

Montalvo Gallery "Bean Finneran: Arcs in Time," an exhibition of site-specific installations in ceramic sculpture by artist Bean Finneran. Thru Nov 2. Regular gallery hours are Wed-Sun, 1pm-4pm. Montalvo Gallery, Villa Montalvo, 15400 Montalvo Rd, Saratoga, 408.961.5813.

Noises Off San Jose Repertory Theatre opens its season with the popular farce about a bad play. Thu, Oct 2-Fri, Oct 3, 8pm, Sat, Oct 4, 3pm and 8pm. Closes Sun, Oct 5, 2pm. $18-$52. San Jose Repertory Theatre, 101 Paseo de San Antonio, San Jose, 408.367.7255 or www.sjrep.com.

San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art
"I'm the Pretty One," a nighttime installation by Kerry Loewen, thru Oct 25. Tue-Fri, 10am-5pm, Sat, noon-5pm. Closed Sun and Mon. 451 S. First St, San Jose, 408.283.8155 or www.sjica.org.

San Jose Museum of Art "Keith Carter: Poet of the Ordinary," an exhibit of black-and-white photography. Thru Sep 14. "Bean Finnerean Installation," sculptures of thousands of hanmade clay cylinders (thru Oct) and "Hidden Lives: Eleanor Prager and Don Martin," works from the museum's permanent collection (thru Jan 2004). "Beyond Tradition: Permanent Collection Photographs," a survey of new and less-recent acquisitions from the museum's permanent collection. Thru Aug 22, 2004. Tue-Sun, 11am-5pm, Fri, 11am-10pm, closed Mon. 110 S. Market St, San Jose, 408.271.6840 or www.sjmusart.org.

San Jose Museum of Quilts "Under Cover: Political Expressions in Traditional Quilts," an exhibition which focuses on traditional American quilts that give voice to political viewpoints or support political movements or social causes. Museum admission $4-$5. Thru Oct 26. Tue-Wed, Fri-Sun, 10am-5pm, Thu, 10am-8pm. San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles, 110 Paseo de San Antonio, San Jose, 408.971.0323 or www.sjquiltmuseum.org.

The Seagull The Pear Avenue Theatre opens its second season with Chekov's classic drama, in a translation by Tom Stoppard. Thu, Oct 2-Sat, Oct 4, 8pm, Sun, Oct 5, call for time. Thru Oct 12. The Pear Avenue Theatre, 1220 Pear Ave, Unit K, Mountain View, 650.254.1148 or www.thepear.org.

Stanford's Cantor Arts Center "Print Matters: Explorations With Paper in Contemporary Prints." Ongoing thru Oct. "The Changing Garden: Four Centuries of European and American Art." Thru May 2004. The center also features free docent-led tours of the Stanford campus' outdoor art collection. Two different tours are offered, one on the first Sun of the month, the other on the third Sun of the month. Both tours begin at 2pm. Tours are held rain or shine on an ongoing basis. Wed-Sun, 11am-5pm, Thu, 11am-8pm. Cantor Arts Center, Stanford University, Museum Way (off Palm Dr), Stanford, 650.723.4177 or www.stanford.edu/dept/ccva.

Triton Museum of Art An exhibit of abstract works by Mike Henderson. Thru Nov 2. "New Works by California Artists: Ron Guzman." Thru Nov 9. Works by Theodore Wores. Thru Feb 2004. Mon-Wed, 11am-5pm, Thu, 11am-9pm, Fri-Sun, 11 am-5pm. 1505 Warburton Ave, Santa Clara, 408.247.3754 or www.tritonmuseum.org.

Upcoming

Talking Art The San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art presents the first in a series of monthly salon-style discussions focusing on issues of importance to the Bay Area artistic community. Every second Thu, Oct 9, 6pm-7pm (schmoozing), 7pm-9pm (discussion). Free to SJICA members/$5 nonmembers. San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art, 451 S. First St, San Jose, 408.283.8155.

Picasso at the Lapin Agile The Campbell-based Studio Theater of California presents a comic play by Steve Martin which imagines a meeting between Picasso, Elvis Presley and Albert Einstein in a Paris bar in 1904. Oct 10-11 and Oct 17-18, 8pm. $6-$8 advance/$8-$10 door. Congregational Community Church, 1112 Bernardo Ave, Sunnyvale, 408.370.6639 or www.stoc.org.