Playwright and performer Eve Ensler, most famous for her steamroller hit The Vagina Monologues, can be counted on for expressing outrage and lacing it with love and laughter. Such is the case with her play Necessary Targets, a compelling and richly dark theatrical work that addresses war from a woman's point of view. Ensler's play begins after the bombs and battles end. "That's when the real war begins." The Women's Theatre Project, a collective of professional and nonprofessional artists, brings the tragicomedy to Miami Dade College North Campus (11380 NW 27th Ave.) for its local premiere. The story revolves around the relationship between a psychiatrist and a writer who work with war victims in a Bosnian refugee camp. Tonight's performance begins at 8:00 p.m. Tickets cost $10 and $20. Call 305-237-1438.
FRI 20
The good folks at Gillette will be bringing their Legs of a Goddess Contest back to town today, with a bevy of leggy Miami gals competing for $500 and the chance to be the national title holder. In fact last year's grand prize winner was from Miami. How's that for inspiration? Judging the contest is none other than the former Mr. J.Lo, and reality TV star, Cris Judd. Registration starts at 1:00 p.m., contest begins at 2:00 p.m. at Lummus Park at Tenth Street, Miami Beach. Free. Call 646-528-6737.
SAT 21
For a bit of hilarity, check out "It's Debatable! The Political Cartoon Art of Chan Lowe and Jim Morin." Lowe and Morin, award-winning political cartoonists from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and the Miami Herald, respectively, will exhibit some of their most hard-hitting and hilarious renderings. The show is on view at 10:00 a.m. at UM's Lowe Art Museum, 1301 Stanford Dr., Coral Gables. Admission is $5. Call 305-284-5587.
SUN 22
Photographer and filmmaker Edward Quinn most likely has one of the most important collections of home movies in the world. That is because the home he had the privilege of filming was none other than Pablo Picasso's. Quinn's footage captures the famed artist as few saw him -- at home with the family between 1943 and 1973. Picasso: The Man and His Work, a collection of Quinn's films, will screen at the Bass Museum today as part of the museum's "Picasso's Suite 347" exhibit. If you've ever been curious about what inspires the creative process, this film should not be missed. The screening starts at 2:00 p.m. at the Bass Museum of Art, 2121 Park Ave., Miami Beach. Free with $5 museum admission. Call 305-673-7530.
MON 23
Whether you're craving a genuine jazz jam session or looking for a spot to express yourself creatively, Churchill's weekly Jazz Jam and Theatre d'Underground provides a loose and free-flowing atmosphere where you are bound to see the likes of local jazz legends Mel Dancy or Mike Gerber improvising with young up-and-comers, or spoken-word artist Oscar Fuentes turning the genre on its ear. The jazz is played in the front room while the poetry takes place outdoors. Either way, the night is full of surprises and spirited performances. The event starts at 9:00 p.m. at Churchill's, 5501 NE Second Ave. Cover charge is $3. Call 305-757-1807.
TUE 24
The end of summer during an election year is the beginning of the political high season. That's when anybody who has enough insider credentials to get a publishing deal, be it an ex-mistress or covert agent, comes out with a book. Among this season's most riveting accounts is former ambassador Joseph Wilson's tell-all, The Politics of Truth: Inside the Lies that Led to War and Betrayed My Wife's CIA Identity. If the title doesn't remind you about the scandal that continues to rock the Dubya White House, it is Wilson's fearless first-person account of his and his wife's experience after he questioned the Bush administration's claims about Iraq. Wilson appears at 8:00 p.m. at Books & Books, 265 Aragon Ave., Coral Gables. Admission is free. Call 305-442-4408.
WED 25
It is scary to think what Psychedelic Furs frontman Richard Butler's whiskey-hued and gruff squawk must sound like nearly twenty years after his Top Ten heyday. Just imagine all the cigarettes, the postpunk debauchery, the sheer damage, not to mention midlife crises. Still you have to admit it could work with the drawn-out, groggy groan of "Love My Way." Well, Butler and the Furs are still at it, touring and recording and keeping the Eighties plastic-pop flame burning bright. From the ethereally saccharine "Ghost in You" to the breakthrough "Pretty In Pink," the bony Butler will be cranking the hits out for those of us who still spike our hair and get a thrill from double-wrapped studded belts. The Psychedelic Furs play at 9:00 p.m. at the Culture Room, 3045 N. Federal Hwy., Fort Lauderdale. Tickets cost $18. Call 954-564-1074.
