CITYWEEK

SPOKEN WORD

Forget to remember

Out of the Shadows, the installation and art show that opened at the Ricardo Vela Studio Gallery last week, features Antonio Aispuro's photography documenting San Diego protests against the war in Iraq, Vela's photographs of San Diego immigrants, Brad Erickson's paintings depicting the effects of the war in Iraq and conceptual artist Camilo Ontiveros piece commenting on the treatment of illegal immigrants. The entire gallery has been transformed into a place that isn't easy to walk away from without feeling something. From 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday, May 20, local poet Tomas Gayton will help make sense of some of those feelings by reading his poems about the war and the journey of immigrants. The gallery is located at 2923 Upas St. in North Park. 619-757-6516 or www.ricardovelaphotography.com.

SPEAKERS

The center

Lawrence Herzog always boasts a perfectly golden tan. More often than not, he's either just returned from or is soon off to somewhere in Latin America, but Herzog's going for more than the salsa and sun. The San Diego State University professor of urban planning and author of six books, including Return to the Center: Culture, Public Space and City-Building in a Global Era, is using countries like Brazil as his laboratory to study the real and dramatic effects of urbanization in a new age. At 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 23, Herzog will bring what he's learned to NewSchool of Architecture and Design, 1249 F St., Downtown, in a lecture about fast versus slow urbanism. Free. 619-235-4100 or www.newschoolarch.edu.

ALT SPORTS

Shin guards and sand

There's sand, nets and a ball, which makes it a lot like beach volleyball but, sadly, this sport requires a bit more clothing-the Southern California Beach Soccer Championships are coming to Oceanside, from 9 a.m. 'til 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, May 19 and 20. There'll be teams of men, women, boys, girls and some mixed-up batches of both, so pick your favorite group and prepare to develop a new favorite spectator sport. The soccer balls will be kicking up sand at 1200 N. Pacific St. in Oceanside. www.beachsoccerusa.org or 760-473-8329. Free!

ART

Beneath the line

To make a living, Charles Glaubitz used to do illustration work for the likes of Rolling Stone and the San Francisco Chronicle, but to feel like he's really living, the young Tijuana artist now paints full-time. His canvases are chaotic, just like the border town in which he lives, but somewhere within all the colors and madness there's beauty and meaning. See new works by Glaubitz in his solo show, The Eternals, opening from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Thursday, May 17, at Galeria H & H, 2651 Esteban Cantu Ave., Colonia Davila in Tijuana. www.galeriahh.com or 664-900-6133.

Importance of place: Limbo, the phenomenal gallery hidden behind Ray's Tennis Shop in Hillcrest, has been on bit of a hiatus. We felt abandoned, lost and a little hurt by the silence, but as soon as we caught wind of the comeback show, we forgave Limbo's proprietors. Symbols and Circumstance features the sociopolitical works of Brad Greenwell-bold (and, at times, hilarious) oil paintings commenting on war, religion and the absurdity of American culture-alongside artwork by Deron Cohen, Matt Forderer, Pamela Jaeger and Dave Miles. The show opens from 7 to 11 p.m. Saturday, May 19, at 1432 University Ave. in Hillcrest. 619-295-5393 or www.limboart.com.

MUSIC

The cry

You might think you heard a high lonesome sound the last time you were tracking wolves across the arctic tundra or studying the mating calls of humpback whales, but did you know that the term "high lonesome sound" actually refers to the vocals in bluegrass music? Specifically, it refers to three- or four-part harmony with a dissonant sound in the highest voice, but no matter what people are calling it these days, bluegrass music is really just a good time. Get in touch with your inner barnyard animal when bluegrass band Virtual Strangers plays in the auditorium at the Carlsbad City Library, 1775 Dove Lane in Carlsbad, at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 18. $5-$20. 858-459-3728 or www.lajollamusicsociety.org.

FILM

Picking up pieces

Hillcrest's 6th@Penn Theatre launched its Resilience of the Spirit human-rights festival just last month and since then has both staged and screened a series of plays and films that explore how art not only captures, but also makes sense of, the tragedy of torture and genocide. On Saturday, May 19, at 4 p.m., the festival presents God Sleeps in Rwanda, a film narrated by Rosario Dawson that explores the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide through portraits of five women who are trying to rebuild their lives. A discussion and photography presentation will follow the half-hour documentary. $10. 3704 Sixth Ave., 619-688-9210. www.resilienceofthespirit.com.

THEATER

Who are they?

They do look sort of nondescript, don't they, like accountants or actuaries or doctors or lawyers or theater critics or some other staid professionals with equally button-down lives. That's where the resemblance ends, big-time. Allow us to introduce you to George and Martha, an emotionally bankrupt college professor and his battleaxe fishwife. They've just invited the ingenuous Nick and Honey to their house for an evening of fun and games, but soon they'll have badgered their guests to distraction, Martha with her foul mouth and George with his crumbling façade. That's the way playwright Edward Albee meant it to happen in his landmark Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, which opens in previews Saturday, May 19, at The Old Globe Theatre's Cassius Carter Centre Stage, 1363 Old Globe Way in Balboa Park. $51. 619-23-GLOBE.

BOOKS

Summertime high

If you eventually make it to or beyond your 83rd birthday, what do you imagine might be the most memorable summer of your life? Do you think it's happened yet? For Marjorie Hart, professional cellist and formerly the chair of University of San Diego's fine arts department, being one of the first women to work on the sales floor of the now-famous Tiffany & Co. in the summer of 1945 was a distinct high point. You can read all about those exciting times-bringing diamonds to Judy Garland by day and going on romantic outings with handsome soldiers by night-in her sweet little memoir, Summer at Tiffany. She'll also be sharing her story in person at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 17, at San Diego Bay Books, 1029 Orange Ave. in Coronado 619-435-0070.