Event highlights in Santa Cruz County for the week of April 12, 2017
Green Fix
‘Lose Your Lawn’ Workshop
The long California drought is over, but the next drought may be just around the corner. As governor Jerry Brown said last week, “Conservation must remain a way of life.” Learn how to make that a reality with Santa Cruz County’s “Lose Your Lawn” workshop to convert an existing lawn into a beautiful and colorful drought-tolerant Monterey Bay-friendly garden. The workshop will cover converting overhead spray irrigation to efficient drip irrigation, proper selection of water-wise California native and Mediterranean plants, and how to save money and time by using sheet mulching method for lawn removal.
Info: 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, April 15. County of Santa Cruz, 1080 Emeline Ave., Building D, Santa Cruz. Free.
Art Seen
Pure Pleasure Comedy
A “Joisey” native and veteran of the Bay Area comedy scene since 2001, Ronn Vigh once worked as a flight attendant and didn’t smother any of his passengers with a pillow. Vigh has been performing stand up for 13 years and his acerbic wit landed him a writing gig on Joan Rivers’ “Fashion Police” on E! Entertainment Television. With Vigh headlininga, Pure Pleasure is bringing six of the funniest folks from the Bay Area to Santa Cruz: Emily Catalano, Liz Stone, Emma Haney, Ta’Vi, and Aviva Siegel will bring the house down this Friday, April 14.
Info: 8 p.m. Friday, April 14. Pure Pleasure, 111 Cooper St., Santa Cruz. purepleasureshop.com $25.
Friday 4/14 – Saturday 4/29
‘The Nether’ at Center Stage
It’s a virtual wonderland that provides total sensory immersion. The Nether only requires a login, choosing an identity, and indulging in every desire. But a young detective uncovers a disturbing brand of entertainment, and when she does, she triggers an interrogation into the darkest corners of the imagination. “This is a disturbing play, but also one which rewards by generating conversation on the topic and providing much food for thought,” says director Brian Spencer. The crime drama won the 2012 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, Los Angeles Ovation Award in 2012, and the 2014 ATCA Francesca Primus Prize. For mature audiences only.
Info: 8 p.m. Center Street Theater, 1001 Center St., Santa Cruz. $20.
Saturday 4/15 – Sunday 4/16
12th Annual Secret Film Festival
“The titles are a secret. The awesomeness is not.” That’s the promise of this year’s Secret Film Festival, this area’s coolest movie event for more than a decade running. Founding SFF mastermind Scott Griffin brings a mix of genres to his 12-hour movie marathon every year, and always gives audiences a sneak peek of highly anticipated films that don’t premiere until later in the year. The catch: you don’t get to know what they are! The titles are only revealed as each film begins. Last year’s festival included the premieres of Hunt for the Wilderpeople, The Invitation and the best overlooked gem of last year, Operation Avalanche. Concessions are open all night; pillows and PJs are encouraged.
Info: 11:59 p.m., Del Mar Theater, 1124 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $25.
Tuesday 4/18
‘The Fluidity of Status’ Conversation
Migrant domestic workers are those whose legal residency is dependent on their continued employment as live-in workers with a designated sponsor; since 1996, five million people have been deported from the U.S. With two Ted-style talks, Tanya Golash-Boza and Rachel Parreñas close UCSC’s seminar on non-citizenship. They’ll be discussing what they see as some of the most critical issues framing migration right now, including gender, deportation, incarceration, slavery, human trafficking, structural violence, and global apartheid. The event will be followed by a Q&A; attendees are asked to register in advance.
Info: 6:30-8:30 p.m. Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History, 705 Front St., Santa Cruz. ihr.ucsc.edu. Free.
