Say hello to my little friend
The Vagina Monologues
Irvine Auditorium
3401 Spruce St.
Until Feb. 9, Wed, 8 p.m.; $5
http://events.vday.org
It's time for Penn's annual production of the play that finally brought "vagina" into the national discourse. Before Eve Ensler's groundbreaking work premiered in 1996, it wasn't considered polite to talk about one's see-you-next-Tuesday in public. Contrast that to now, when you can barely walk down the street without hearing new and interesting details about some girl's hoo-ha. It's all very empowering, no matter how uncomfortable it makes us feel. Ensler's show, originally a series of real life-based personal monologues acted out by one woman, has taken on a life of its own on college campuses nationwide, where Valentine's Day has become synonymous with V-Day, a campaign to end domestic abuse against females. At Penn, for example, the student-acted and directed production raked in $20,000 last year. This year, proceeds are going to Women Organized Against Rape and Spotlight Campaign: Women in Conflict Zones. Behold the power of the vagina.
- Jacqueline Oxford
Strictly Ballroom
Dancing with the Stars
Wachovia Center
3601 S. Broad St.
Tue, 7:30 p.m.; $48.50-58.50
(215) 389-9552
www.comcastspectacor.com
If you're in the habit of making fun of people, Dancing With the Stars is basically a dream come true. What more could you ask for than has-beens, C-listers and one-hit wonders coming together to foxtrot their way towards the audience approval they so desperately seek? And if the weekly program isn't enough to satisfy your guilty pleasure quotient, a nationwide tour brings these salsa-ing stars to our own backyard. See Joseph Lawrence's newly-bald head up close in it all its shiny glory. Watch celebrity husband and wife team Lisa Rinna and Harry Hamlin further become parodies of their former selves. But most of all, be there to realize that (surprise!) for a former New Kid of Block, Joey McIntyre's still got some moves.
- Heather Schwedel
Fight for your rights
The Human Rights Watch International Film Festival
International House
3701 Chestnut St.
Wed-Sun, 7 p.m.; $5-7
(215) 387-5125
www.ihousephilly.org
Bet you thought you were done with activism in this issue, huh? Made it through a whole 19 pages, figured Gimme 5 would give you a break? Hah! Here comes a whole film festival of it! At the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival, topics range from the tale of an indigenous Chilean tribe displaced by the construction of a new dam to a catalog of oil fields in Azerbaijan to a love story involving a Tibetan government fugitive and more. The 2006 Academy Award Nominee for Best Documentary, which follows the lives of three ordinary Iraqi citizens living in an era of ethnic turmoil, will air on Sunday. So grab your reading glasses (yes, they all have subtitles) and head over to the International House. we guarantee you'll appreciate your cushy Ivy League life so much more afterwards.
- Katie Karas
This is not your
father's oldsmobile
Philadelphia International Auto Show
Pennsylvania Convention Center
1101 Arch St.
Until Feb. 11, Sat, 9 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sun, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; Mon-Wed, 12 p.m.-10 p.m.; $10-12
(215) 418-4700
www.phillyautoshow.com
Are you a man's man? Do you drool over car magazines so much that others think you were looking at porn? If so, we have the perfect event for you: the Philadelphia International Car Show. I don't know how to put this, but, this show is kind of a big deal. Representatives from nearly every car manufacturer will be on the floor to answer your questions. Your head will spin at the sheer number of cars - Lamborghinis, Toyotas and Buicks, oh my! This is a non-selling event, so there's no pressure to make that deal. Feel free to kick the tires, caress the steering wheel, or make obnoxious driving noises. Have no fear: you will be with hundreds of other people who share your love. So go on, take that imaginary test drive and feel the wind in your hair. Zoom zoom.
- Lauren Talman
Je M'Appelle Giselle
Giselle
Merriam Theater
250 South Broad St.
Until Feb. 10, Fri, 8 p.m.; Sat 2 p.m. & 8 p.m.; Sun 2 p.m.; $20-76
(215) 732-5446
www.paballet.org
February 14th is just around the corner and it's time for all you men out there to get your acts together. This is the year for you to give the perfect Valentine's gift to your special someone. Here are a few words of wisdom: candy hearts and red roses are lame. Don't give your sugar pie something that melts in the mouth or dies in a week. Instead, try something new. Peel away that tough guy exterior and show her your sensitive side. This is where the Merriam Theatre can help you out. The Pennsylvania Ballet is set to perform Giselle just in time for Valentine's Day. It's the story of Giselle, a peasant girl who dies of a broken heart, but still manages to save her true love, Duke Albrecht, from vengeful spirits. Let's just say these tickets come with tissues.
- Lauren Talman
