The sci-fi foam party you didn’t know you needed
SF never looked so chaotic. Michail Michailov's 'Self-Brainwashing' transforms Minnesota Street Project into a bubbly wonderland.
If a foam party and a dystopian experiment had a bizarre love child, it might look like Self-Brainwashing.
Michail Michailov’s event at Minnesota Street Project turns a playful foam party into a layered performance about human behavior. Combining absurdity with unease, the piece invites audiences to reflect on how easily they’re drawn into chaos under the guise of fun. It runs through February 8th.
Read the latest by Vita Hewitt
Dragcula is a black-and-white monster movie come to life
One might wonder why Dragcula — a vampire-themed drag parody — is running at Oasis in the dead of January rather than, say, Halloween time. To which this gothic theatre queen says, “Well, why not?”
The plot involves a British lawyer who inadvertently revives Dracula, whose pansexual escapades wreak havoc on the fragile moral order of 1930s London. Can Professor Van Helsing, a parapsychologist with an unusual skill set, resist the eternal temptations long enough to save the city?
Read the latest by Adriana Roberts
‘Happy Endings’ show turns pain into performances
Happy Endings isn’t a consortium of perfect people whose lives are fit for a fairytale. It’s a group of people who come together and retell shitty situations, some are personal experiences, some factual — and in other monologues, it’s unclear. Once a month, five writers work through life’s messy moments on a stage and in front of a hundred people.
If you missed out review in the Thursday newsletter, here it is again — written by Courtney Muro
What we’re doing this week
SF Sketchfest
SF Sketchfest is back for its 22nd year, with a lineup that includes a live read of "Airplane!" celebrating its 45th anniversary, a conversation with Albert Brooks hosted by Kevin Pollak, and performances by Bill Murray and His Blood Brothers. There are more than 180 shows spanning stand-up, improv, and live podcasts.
When: January 16 – February 2, 2025
Where: Multiple venues throughout San Francisco, including Club Fugazi, Cobb's Comedy Club, and the Great American Music Hall
Cupid’s Undie Run
It’s that time of year again—when hundreds of San Franciscans throw dignity to the wind, strip down to their skivvies, and jog a mile (give or take) for charity. Cupid’s Undie Run hits the streets on February 1, 2025, starting and ending at Woodbury Bar & Gastropub. It’s part bar crawl, part awkward group workout, and entirely ridiculous, all in the name of raising money for the Children’s Tumor Foundation.
When: February 1, 2025, 12 PM – 4 PM
Where: Woodbury Bar & Gastropub, 685 3rd Street, San Francisco
Chinese Flower Market Fair
The Chinese New Year Flower Market Fair is held on the weekend before Chinese New Year Day. The Flower Fair is the place to come to purchase fresh flowers, fruits, candies and brand new supplies for the home to begin the new lunar year. Delight in performances of traditional Chinese magicians, acrobats, folk dancers and opera as you take in the beautiful fragrances of spring. You will find over 120 booths and concessions making this a shopper’s paradise.
When: Jan. 25 & 26th, 2025
Where: Grant Avenue between Clay to Broadway
FOG Design+Art Fair
The FOG Design+Art Fair is scheduled to take place in San Francisco from January 23 to 26, 2025, at the Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture. This event will feature nearly 60 prominent exhibitors, including 13 galleries participating in the second edition of FOG FOCUS, which highlights emerging artists. Additionally, the fair will introduce FOG MRKT, a curated installation showcasing artisanal products and crafts with an emphasis on the Bay Area. A Preview Gala benefiting the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) is set for January 22, providing early access to the fair's offerings.
The gala is on the same night as the SF Ballet’s! But The Bold Italic will likely make it to both. Read our review from last year.
When: January 23–26, 2025
Where: Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture, San Francisco
What’s on our mind
We keep content mostly fun and light at The Bold Italic, but the future of the Bay Area interests us, too. Here’s what we are thinking about in local news. Brought to you by GrowSF.
$3.6 million gift surprises San Francisco parks
San Francisco’s parks are getting a $3.6 million upgrade, thanks to a donor who left the funds to build more benches. It’s going to make a huge difference for anyone who loves spending time in the city’s green spaces.
Longtime resident William “Ben” Bobo left the money for the upgrades in his will. According to SF Chronicle, he was a quiet man who loved walking his golden retriever, Chad, at Alta Plaza Park. He wanted to fund new park benches across the city, so now 81 new ones will be installed, including 31 in Alta Plaza.
The rest will spread out to places like the Great Highway park and Golden Gate Park’s JFK Promenade. The donation is one of the largest of its kind, so it also will go toward general park maintenance and upgrades, including sprucing up dog play areas.
“I see this gift as being about community and connections and the fact that Mr. Bobo wanted to provide comfort so you could linger in your leisure,” Rec and Park Commission President Kat Anderson said in the SF Chronicle.
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3.6 million for how many benches in the parks? The article indicates maybe 112 at the most….that is over $30,000 per bench….seems crazy expensive..