• Our neighbors at El Teatro Campesino are putting on one of Luis Valdez’s greatest hits, La Carpa de los Rasquachis. It follows the journey of one Jesus Pelado Rasquachi, who leaves his family in Mexico for the “fortune” to be had as a bracero in the U.S., but is beset on all sides by inequities (not to mention Satan and Death). It’s done with the musicality, theatricality and humor of classic Teatro, when a work like this galvanized the United Farm Workers. It runs 8pm Thursday-Saturday, 2pm Sunday, May 3-6, $12-$18. 623-2444.
  • “Art in the service of science.” That’s the noble description of the Illustrating Natureexhibition, an annual art show of animal and plant life by the students of CSU Monterey Bay’s Science Illustration Program. It’s got rich variety and lush detail (kind of like nature itself) by young artists who are later sought out by top scientific institutions and publications. It runs for six weeks, starting with the opening 5:30-8pm Friday, May 4, at the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History. 648-5716, pgmuseum.org.
  • You know about Salinas’ First Friday (see A&E Calendar, p. 28). But have you heard about First Saturday? Run by the John Steinbeck Library, it’s a guided history walk through Salinas, exploring its history, architecture and literary past. It’s free, 10am-noon May 5, starting at the library. RSVP. 758-7041.
  • LunaFest is a traveling festival of award-winning short films by, for and about women, covering everything from health to body image to breaking barriers. Clif Bar & Company is behind LunaFest, and as a company they support equal wages. This local iteration is a fundraiser for Junior League of Monterey County, a nonprofit that enlists women to volunteer and develop leadership skills. Its starts with a reception at the Old Whaling Station Adobe 1-2:30pm, Sunday, May 6, then moves to the Dali17 Museum for the screening 3-5pm. It’s $20 for the screening, $35 including the reception. lunafest.org.
  • The folks over at Middlebury Institute of International Studies are smart, headed for careers in international diplomacy and policy. But sometimes they communicate in code, like “global solutions” and “cross-cultural competencies,” that don’t necessarily “facilitate” understanding. So their Global Solutions Arts and Music Festival sounds impressive, corrals lots of student and community groups, and is free and open to the public 2-9pm Sunday, May 6, at various locations on campus. As to what it is, that part is elusive. I hope you’ll be pleasantly surprised. 917-9860, rnworah@miis.edu.
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