8 DAYS OUT ONGOING Holiday GIVING TREE—Pull a tag off the community tree inscribed with a list of items to meet the needs of families involved in the Women’s and Children’s Alliance. Drop off new, unwrapped gifts Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. at the WCA or participating Zions Bank locations. For a complete list and more information, visit www.wcaboise.org. The Grove Plaza, downtown Boise. TROLLEY HOLIDAY LIGHT TOURS—Hop aboard the holiday trolley for a splendid tour of the sweet city of Boise, lit by holiday lights. All passengers receive a free grande barista beverage prior to departure. Fridays, Saturdays, 6:30-8:30 & 8-10 p.m. $9.95 adults, $7.95 students, $6.95 children 12 and younger. Tickets must be purchased in advance. Contact Jill at 208-6299750 or e-mail jill@tullysidaho. com. Tully’s Coffee, 794 W. Broad St., Boise, 208-343-2953, www.tullys.com.
On Stage ANIMALS OUT OF PAPER—See Stage, this page. A flighty foray into the lives of origami artist Llana Andrews, child prodigy and calculus student Suresh, and Andy, the professor who brings them all together. Play by Rajiv Joseph. Wednesdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m. and Saturdays, 2 p.m. $12-$32. Boise Contemporary Theater, 854 Fulton St., Boise, 208-442-3232, www.bctheater. org. ANNIE—A classic story of the spunky, orphaned redhead. Thursdays, Fridays, 7:30 p.m. and Saturdays, 1:30 and 7:30 p.m. $15 adult adv., $14 senior, student and child adv., $20 door, Tickets can be purchased at www.mtionline.org or by calling 208-468-2385. Nampa Civic Center, 311 Third St. S., Nampa, www.nampaciviccenter.com. BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER—Delight in the outbreak of terrible children behaving badly during the church Christmas pageant tryouts. Fri., Dec. 4, 10:30 a.m., and Sat., Dec. 5, 7 p.m. $9, 208-426-1034. Morrison Center for the Performing Arts, 2201 Cesar Chavez Lane, Boise, mc.boisestate.edu.
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| DECEMBER 2–8, 2009 | BOISEweekly
JACOB MARLEY’S CHRISTMAS CAROL—A spin on the classic tale of Christmas, this time focusing on Scrooge’s longtime partner and only friend, Jacob Marley. “It’s like the wicked of the Christmas Carol story,” said director Jennifer Dunn. “This play
sees A Christmas Carol from a whole new perspective.” Fridays, Saturdays, 8:15 p.m., Sundays, 2 p.m. and Thursdays, 7:30 p.m. $10 Thur. and Sun.; $12 Fri. and Sat. Stage Coach Theatre, 5296 W. Overland Road, Boise, 208342-2000, www.stagecoachtheatre.com. SUBURBIA—See Picks, Page 24. Dec. 2-5, 7:30 p.m. $7 general, $5 students. Danny Peterson Theatre, Morrison Center, 2201 Cesar Chavez Lane, Boise, 208-426-3980, theatre. boisestate.edu. THE X-MAS FILES OR MIRACLE AT AREA 51—Agents Smolder and Scullery are on the scene to keep Christmas in order by solving a mysterious sleigh-andreindeer crash. Fridays, Saturdays, 7:15 p.m. $7-$13. Prairie Dog Playhouse, 3820 Cassia St., Boise, 208-336-7383, www. pdplayhouse.com.
ARTS/STAGE ANDY LAWLESS
WINTER GARDEN AGLOW—Idaho Botanical Garden is glowing with more than 250,000 sparkling lights. Families and friends will enjoy the magic of the valley’s lights with views from the top of the Lewis and Clark Native Plant Garden, holiday music, hot refreshments and roaring bonfires. Santa will make special appearances throughout the event. Proceeds benefit the Garden’s education and horticulture programs. Be sure to check out their online auction at idahobotanicalgarden. org. Daily, Dec. 4-Jan. 4, 6-9 p.m. $6 general, $4 IBG members, $4 children ages 4-12, FREE children 3 and younger. Idaho Botanical Garden, 2355 N. Penitentiary Road, Boise, 208-343-8649, www.idahobotanicalgarden.org.
A CHRISTMAS STORY—Boise Little Theater puts its theatrical spin on the classic film from 1983. Set in 1940 in the northern Indiana town of Hohman, all 9-year-old Ralph “Ralphie” Parker wants for Christmas is an official Red Ryder carbine-action 00–short range model BB rifle with a compass in the stock. But everyone’s response is the same: You’ll shoot your eye out. Fridays, Saturdays, 8 p.m., Thursdays, 7:30 p.m., Sun., Dec. 6, 2 p.m. $11 general, $9 seniors and students. Boise Little Theater, 100 E. Fort St., Boise, 208-342-5104, www.boiselittletheater.org.
Richard Klautsch and Nylda Mark in I Have Before Me a Remarkable Document Given to Me by a Young Lady from Rwanda, directed by Maureen Towey, who also directs Animals Out of Paper.
ANIMALS OUT OF PAPER, BCT Last week, Boise Contemporary Theater opened the second play of its 2009-2010 season, Rajiv Joseph’s Animals out of Paper. In it, Ilana Andrews (Renata Hirichs), a world-renowned origamist, faces loss by feeling little. She meets Andy (Nat DeWolf), a self-deprecating excitable high-school math teacher and origami acolyte who asks her to tutor 17-year-old Suresh (Debargo Sanyal), a calculus prodigy with an innate talent for paper folding. Andy protects himself by maintaining a frightfully sunny disposition and sees everything—both good and bad—as a blessing. After the sudden death of his mother, Suresh keeps the world at bay with hip-hop in his headphones and an affected urban swagger in his step. Both Andy and Suresh fall in love with Ilana, and though unable to return their feelings, she does begin to unfold some of the rigid creases in her life. Though Sanyal is a little long in the tooth to be a teen, his portrayal of a brilliant boy is rife with laugh-out-loud humor, sincerity, deep sadness and strength of character. His face is unbearably expressive at times, especially compared to both Andy and Ilana’s one-dimensionality—intentional or otherwise. Animals Out of Paper has uncomfortable moments—Andy professes his unrequited love; Suresh mistakes his misguided mother-figure feelings for sexual attraction—but that’s what BCT does best: plays in which characters are forced to face their frailties, and audience members, unwitting voyeurs that we are, have nowhere to turn. —Amy Atkins Through Saturday, Dec. 19. For more info., visit bctheater.org. WWW. B O I S E WE E KLY. C O M