Half Dozen the Other (cast pictured right) is a stage show on speed: All Out Rep and Secret Theatre offer six 10-minute plays by local authors that range "from the comical to the macabre." secrettheatre.net. July 15-24, 8 p.m. Thurs.-Sat.; additional 11 p.m. performance Sat., July 24, silver Meteor Gallery, Ybor City, $6 and $12 in advance; $9 and $15 at the door.
Sacred Grounds, Tampa's own indie, LGBT-friendly coffeehouse, hosts two installments in the New Seeds Salon tonight. First, Dr. Joanne Waugh presents Feminist Philosophy at 8 p.m.; then at 9 p.m., Floridian author, poet and musician Q-Fraz waxes poetic, accompanied by the cultural rhythms on Djembe drums from Grenadian percussion artist Najah. newseedsfest.org, Sacred Grounds Coffeehouse, Tampa, free.
Pulitzer-winning St. Petersburg Times journalist Thomas French discusses and signs Zoo Story: Life and Death in the Garden of Captives, his behind-the-scenes look at Lowry Park, one of the country's most popular — and controversial — menageries. The animals aren't the only residents of this wild kingdom — they're everywhere, from boardmembers, to caregivers, and a "visionary CEO whose ambitions bring the zoo to its breaking point." inkwoodbooks.com. Thurs., July 15, Inkwood Book, Tampa.
This article appears in Jul 8-14, 2010.