Calendar for the week

thursday
february 27
The Compleat Works of Wllm Shkspr (Abridged): Playwrights Jesse Borgeson, Adam Long, and Daniel Singer have done the unthinkable: They've compressed the works of the Bard into a wild, 97-minute romp. Wllm Shkspr (Abridged) features Hamlet performed backwards, Titus Andronicus as a cooking show, and a Nineties rap version of Othello, providing a rollicking introduction for the uninitiated, or a seam-busting refresher course for those who vaguely remember it all from school. The Florida Shakespeare Theatre presents Wllm Shkspr (Abridged) at the Biltmore Hotel (1200 Anastasia Ave., Coral Gables) through March 15. Tickets range in price from $22 to $26. Performances run Thursday through Saturday at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday at 7:00 p.m. Call 446-1116. (GC)

friday
february 28
Grand Prix of Miami: The Indy cars' 1997 World Series begins with the Grand Prix of Miami, revving up this weekend at the Metro-Dade Homestead Motorsports Complex (1 Speedway Rd., Homestead). Last year's winner Jimmy Vassar returns to the speedway, along with fellow racers Al Unser, Jr., Michael Andretti, Bobby Rahal, Paul Tracy, Christian Fittipaldi, Alex Zanardi, and many others. Tickets range in price from $40 to $200, good for all three days of racing. But hurry, the event is expected to sell out. The Grand Prix runs through Sunday, with races beginning daily at 7:30 a.m. Call 230-RACE. (GC)

Carnaval Miami: Gear up for the Calle Ocho festival with a week of Latin-flavored events, beginning tonight at 7:00 p.m. with the Carnaval Miami 8K Run at SW 8th Street and 22nd Avenue, followed by a dinner dance featuring Carlos Oliva y Los Sobrinos del Juez. Registration is $20; call 666-RACE for details. Tomorrow at 8:00 p.m. the Orange Bowl (1501 NW Third St.) heats up with the Noche de Carnaval concert, headlining carnaval queen Thalia and second-generation crooner Enrique Iglesias (son of you-know-who), plus Ilegales, Azucar Moreno, Sergio Vargas, and many others. Tickets cost $13 and $17. The festival hits the beach on Sunday at noon with Carnaval Miami South Beach at Ocean Drive and Tenth Street. There will be a Latin music concert with Jerry Rivera, Marc Anthony, Mania, Eddie Santiago, and the Coco Band, plus a soccer tournament, a parade, and an attempt to break the world's record for the largest (and perhaps silliest) macarena dance. Carnaval Miami continues through March 9. Admission to all events is free unless otherwise noted. Call 644-8888. (GC)

Cheers One World Beer Festival: Beer lovers rejoice! Sample hundreds of beers created by major, regional, and micro/specialty brewers from around the world at the James L. Knight Center (400 SE Second Ave.). Festgoers can also attend seminars and panel discussions about beer-making and the beer industry, and check out equipment exhibitions and demonstrations. Admission is $25. Fest hours are 6:00 to 10:30 p.m. tonight; noon to 4:30 and 6:00 to 10:30 p.m. tomorrow; and 1:00 to 5:30 p.m. on Sunday. Call 372-0929. (GC)

The Compleat Works of Wllm Shkspr (Abridged): See Thursday.

saturday
march 1
Asian Arts Festival: Celebrate the Far East this weekend at the Fruit and Spice Park (24801 SW 187th Ave., Homestead). The seventh annual Asian Arts Festival features live music and folk dance, fashion shows, martial arts, arts and crafts, plants and fruit, and authentic cuisine from 40 nations, including Bali, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, Thailand, Turkey, and Vietnam. Admission is five dollars for adults, three for kids ages six to twelve (free for tots under six). The fest runs today and tomorrow from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Call 247-5727. (GC)

Doral-Ryder Open: Defending champ and three-time winner Greg Norman faces more than 140 of the world's top golfers as the 36th annual Doral-Ryder Open tees off today on the Blue Monster course of the Doral Golf Resort and Spa (4400 NW 87th Ave.). The tournament opens with a free Concert on the Green tonight at 6:00 p.m., featuring trumpet legend Arturo Sandoval and the New World Symphony with conductor John Covelli. Tomorrow at noon the amateurs tee off in the Bronze Circle Pro-Am. On Monday at 11:00 a.m. amateurs and pros meet in the Chase Silver Circle Pro-Am. Four of golf's most popular players -- Norman, Jack Nicklaus, Fred Couples, and Raymond Floyd -- vie for prize money in the Cadillac Skins Game on Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. And on Wednesday the Bridgestone Gold Circle Pro-Am tees off at 7:00 and 11:45 a.m., while the Mid-Week Pro-Am starts at 11:00 a.m. The Doral-Ryder Open runs through March 9, with play beginning at 7:30 a.m. on March 6 and 7, and at 8:30 a.m. on March 8 and 9. Weekly passes cost $30 and include admission to the Skins Game, Bridgestone and Mid-Week pro-ams, and the four tourney days, plus a free round of golf at the Doral. All proceeds benefit the American Cancer Society. Admission to the pro-ams on Sunday and Monday are free. Call 477-GOLF for more information. (GC)

Southeast Florida Scottish Festival and Games: Don your kilt and tam-o'-shanter for the fourteenth annual Scottish Festival, taking place today from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Plantation Heritage Park (1100 S. Fig Tree Ln., Plantation). The fest features live entertainment by the City of Dunedin Pipe Band, fiddler Natalie MacMaster, folk groups the Brigadoons and Clan Na Gael, pianist Tracey Dares, and folk singer Eric Duncan, plus highland dancing, piping and drumming, heavy athletics, and authentic Scottish food and drink. Admission is nine dollars for adults, two for kids ages six to twelve. Call 954-776-5675. (GC)