Trivia, Traitors, and Torches in This Week’s Recommended Events
Venture forth on the weekdays
By James Scott, Cat McCarrey, Carys Anderson, Kimberley Jones, and Richard Whittaker, Fri., May 9, 2025
Sev Coursen: “Portable Objects”
Monday 12 - Sunday 18, ICOSA Collective Gallery
For the 45th in their ongoing Window Dressing series, ICOSA pretties up their outward facing exhibition space with the work of Austin-based artist Sev Coursen. Viewable from this coming Monday until next Sunday are Coursen’s many foldable objects, created by him to be “self-contained sculptures” which may collapse, travel, and expand at the whims of their presenting environment. These expansion and collapsing points come from multiple features, including hand-milled wooden articulated hinges. Swing by to see these wonders through ICOSA’s front window, or pop in on May 16 to meet the artist at his reception, 7-9pm. – James Scott
Hailee Catalano: By Heart: Recipes to Hold Near and Dear
Tuesday 13, First Light Books
The friends of mine who brag an Italian heritage are serious about their cuisine. No surprise, then, that this Tuesday’s initial author talk with cookbook author Hailee Catalano – whose culinary culture was cultivated at the knee of her Italian American grandmother – got such a powerful response that First Light bumped its prestige to a booksigning party. Maybe you’re a fan of Catalano’s cooking videos or maybe you just wish to partake in the outdoor drink specials, DJ, and signed copies of her recipe Rolodex featuring sumptuous yet approachable dishes such as pasta alla norcina with roasted squash, hearty seeded rye bread, and malted milk butter cookies. Whatever the case, you’ll leave hungry for more. – James Scott
The Heartbreak Kid
Wednesday 14, Hyperreal Film Club
True story: On first viewing, I watched the third act of director Elaine May’s dark rom-com with my fist in my mouth. A real seat squirmer, this one. Most attribute the cringe comedy power to lead actor Charles Grodin, whose feckless salesman groom leaves his new bride sunburnt in their honeymoon suite in order to pursue a young Cybill Shepherd. However, the magic here is all May: Her empathetic yet clear-eyed portrayal of her films’ boorish Peter Pans makes for great – if nerve shredding – cinema, as does her bold choice to cast her own daughter, Jeannie Berlin, as the shunned bride. – James Scott
Star Wars Trivia
Wednesday 14, Pinthouse Pizza
Star Wars Day has come and gone (May the 4th Be With You, now and forever), but Get It Games has found another reason to celebrate: George Lucas’ birthday. Prove just how much of your brain has been ceded to George’s iconic space opera franchise with a night of trivia hosted by Get It at Pinthouse Pizza’s South Lamar location. The questions will be mostly focused on the film properties, costumes are encouraged, and you’ll need to come with a fully charged phone for contactless mobile scoring. Also, you’re probably going to want to cram all of Tuesday’s Andor drop in one sitting; we’re betting the spoilers will be strong with this crowd. – Kimberley Jones
One Crazy Summer
Wednesday 14, Alamo South Lamar
In a special pre-summer session of Drafthouse’s midweek weird-out, local filmmaker Andrew Bujalski presents an Eighties oddball object known best perhaps by the talents it begets. There is, of course, John Cusack in the lead role – also playing as director Savage Steve Holland’s muse despite his claim that his first outing with Holland, Better Off Dead, was “the worst thing I have ever seen.” Granted, that’s a paraphrased quote from the director, but despite previous objections, Cusack still returned to him as high school grad Hoops McCann, whose lack of a b-ball scholarship fuels a balls-out summer. Hijinks, as you might imagine, ensue. – James Scott
Hail Satan?
Thursday 15, Hyperreal Film Club
Every time a god botherer starts talking about “religious freedom,” it’s a no-brainer that they mean “... for evangelicals, preferably Southern Baptist or some kind of wacky prosperity gospel megachurch.” But what if they were forced to take those words literally? That’s exactly what happened when the Satanic Temple told the Oklahoma Legislature, “OK, you can have the Ten Commandments on the Capitol grounds, but only if we can have a statue of Baphomet.” Catch director Penny Lane’s brilliant examination of political pranksterism in the name of the First Amendment. Presented by Serpent Tattoo and Occult Shop. – Richard Whittaker
Austin Shakespeare presents Julius Caesar
Through May 25, Zilker Hillside Theatre
Friends, Texans, Austinites, lend your ears and eyes to Shakespeare’s classic coup, as tortured and brutal as tactical Brutus can offer. Or shall I say bodacious Brutus, since Austin Shakespeare’s production of Julius Caesar offers a tantalizing twist – Caesar’s inner circle is mostly women, adding what might be seen as righteous rage to raw revolution. This Caesar’s served with a cunning corporate aesthetic. No need to clutch your pearls though. There’s still the mired malaise of what best serves the collective good. Grab your friends and family, and “get-tu” Zilker for this free show. – Cat McCarrey
Nikki Glaser
Thursday 15, ACL Live at the Moody Theater
Nikki Glaser killed at the roasts of Rob Lowe, Bruce Willis, and Alec Baldwin years before her set at Tom Brady’s 2024 lampoon went viral, and rightfully so: Her put-downs punch up, critiquing celebrities’ biggest blunders – from Alec Baldwin’s voicemail to Ann Coulter’s everything – without swiping at low-hanging fruit. Plus, she throws it back to herself plenty, too. Also a seasoned podcast host and actor, the stand-up’s Alive and Unwell solo tour rolls into Austin with a 7 and 9:30pm show at the Moody. – Carys Anderson
Torch Wildfire Reading Series: Kendra Allen
Thursday 15, BookWoman
Nonprofit Torch Literary Arts publishes and promotes the creative writing of Black women both emerging and experienced. This week’s subject of their new BookWoman-partnered reading series definitely falls into the latter category, with Dallas-born author Kendra Allen already having two published tomes to tout. Her most recent is poetry/prose hybrid memoir Fruit Punch, which treks through her Aughts-era coming-of-age and all the hard truths she’s learned. Thursday’s event promises a reading, Q&A, booksigning, and conversations around what generational trauma does to a body. – James Scott
Want to see all of our listings broken down by day? Go to austinchronicle.com/calendar and see what's happening now or in the coming week.
