Photo By Shawn Womack

Shawn Womack opens up in Out of the Mouths of Moms

Mom's the Word
If, according to Shakespeare, all the world's a stage, then SHAWN WOMACK is finding new ground -- in a parking lot, for instance. The longtime choreographer/performer (and mother of a 9-year-old son) has created a triad of text-driven solos for three performers that take an unconventional yet broadly relatable look at motherhood in Out of the Mouths of Moms.

According to Womack, the pre-school parking lot holds a special significance in the hearts of mothers; it can be a precarious place.

"There was some kind of anxiety that I've experienced in the preschool parking lot," she says. "I realized that as a performer that I'm performing 'mom' in the parking lot as much I perform anything on the stage, that there's a way of performing being a good mom. So I started thinking about bad moms and who are those bad moms."

Remember Andrea Yates? At the time "Mom Troubles" was conceived, Yates' trial (for the drowning of her five young children in a bathtub) was making headlines. Considering the media stir surrounding the case, Womack explains, "I've always been interested in how personal narrative interfaces with media-driven narrative."

The triptych of dramatic, spoken word/movement pieces for three performers offers a slice of modern motherhood seen through an unexpected prism of sports metaphors that Womack describes as "pesky in a way," as they're considered so masculine and stereotype-laden.

"Mom Troubles," the piece Womack herself performs, came to fruition in 2003, comprising part of her MFA final project. Used in unexpected ways, a soccer ball becomes a fitting prop for, well, a soccer mom. "Desert Mothers" explores sacred places within landscapes, from deserts to golf courses -- think environmentalism with a touch of asceticism. "The Champ" tackles motherhood ideals pitted against the rhythms of boxing, fighting for a cause, especially social justice. Watch for stuffed animals too.

This performance also marks a sort of homecoming for Womack. Her modern dance company, Shawn Womack Dance Projects -- Cincinnati's only one at the time -- performed between 1984 and 1999 here and abroad. In the meantime, she moved to Iowa (where she teaches theater at Grinnell College) and has shifted her focus from the larger ensemble pieces of her company days to solo works.

It's decidedly not typical modern dance fare, but the diverse elements promise an entertaining and moving mom-themed mix. $10, $6 students/seniors. 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, College Hill Town Hall. 513-591-1222, ext. 2. (See Onstage.) -- JULIE MULLINS

Wolf Eyes

Thursday 19
Head to Walnut Hills and check out Anticipation and Trona, the latest edition of The Art and Design on Film Series at the MANIFEST CREATIVE RESEARCH GALLERY AND DRAWING CENTER (2727 Woodburn Ave.). The doors open at 7:20 and the screening will begin shortly after. GEORGE SAWTELL's Anticipation is a short film comprised of digital and clay animation. It's also the chosen jury selection resulting from this year's Moving Pictures short film series at Manifest. The feature Torona (2004) by director David Fester is sure to provoke introspection and incite dialogue. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. The screening is free, but donations are encouraged. While you're there, be sure to check out the amazing work of COLE CAROTHERS featured in the exhibition Tranquil Dream, on view through Oct. 27. 513-861-3638. (See Art.) -- JACQUELYN VAUGHN

FRIDAY 20
Just in time for the Halloween season, abstract soundscapers WOLF EYES invade the Southgate House Friday to deliver an evening of sonic mayhem. The brainchild of Ann Arbor, Mich., native Nate Young, Wolf Eyes' singular existence spewed forth in the late-'90s as a solo project of its creator, himself a veteran of such electronic pranksters as Nautical Almanac and Beast People. Abrasive but hypnotic, Wolf Eyes' noisy, uncompromising discharges range from atmospheric to frenzied, often leaving a trail of broken ears in its wake. The band's lineup has grown and shifted over the years (they're currently a trio), resulting in changes in the Wolf Eyes' sound if not their agenda. Extended touring and a host of underground recordings have garnered the band many a follower, one of which was iconic Seattle label Sub Pop, which released Burned Mind in 2004. The trio's just-birthed second Sub Pop effort, Human Animal, opens in appropriately sinister fashion: The clanking, shriek-and-static-infested "A Million Years" sounds like something Jason Vorhees might conjure after a ingesting a bottle of Ajax. Things get weirder from there, as song titles like "Lake of Roaches," "Rationed Rot" and "Rusted Mange" might indicate. Burning Star Core and John Wiese open the evening's festivities. $8. 859-431-2201. (See Music.) -- JASON GARGANO

FRIDAY 20
Cincinnati has always been a hockey town. Visions of the Cincinnati Stingers still reside in many a local fan's head, as well as more recent outfits like the Cyclones and Mighty Ducks. Well, after two years off the ice, the CINCINNATI CYCLONES return to U.S. Bank Arena Friday night with a tussle against the Pensacola Pilots. In a bit of cross-sports synergy, Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Justin Smith will drop the ceremonial first puck. Maybe a bit of Bengal luck (minus the last two weeks, of course) will rub off on the 'Clones, a team that remains a vital part of the Cincinnati sports landscape. Busy Friday night? Try Saturday, when they battle Toledo. $12-$22. 513-562-4949. (See Sports.) -- JASON GARGANO

FRIDAY 20 SATURDAY 21 SUNDAY 22
If Halloween safety is a growing concern for your family, perhaps this year it's time to treat your kids to ghoulish fun where wild and weird come with the territory at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden's HALLZOOWEEN! Youngsters get free treat tickets and bags for collecting goodies at various candy stations. All ages are welcome (for little ones, the most harrowing sight might just be next year's dentist bill). And since the Zoo is all about mixing fun and learning, your little demons can participate in a moon-bounce, Elephant Pumpkin Smash or "Hauntings in the Mist," a jungle trail adventure for kids ages 10 and up. An outdoor theater will show such classics as It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, while indoors a ghostly prospector leads a haunted mine tour, digging up centuries-old secrets! At a great price -- Hallzooween is free with regular Zoo admission ($7.95-$12.95) -- this is sure to be an unforgettable experience for boys and ghouls of all ages. 4-8 p.m. Also Oct. 27-29. 513-475-6124. (See ScaryBeat insert.) -- HANNAH ROBERTS

SATURDAY 21
Expose yourself in public this weekend. CARNIVALE D'EXPOSE, a fundraiser for the Carnegie Visual + Performing Arts Center in Covington, will nibble away at your last morsel of morality as it presents a decadent world where, for a small fee ($50 pre-sale; $60 day of), the Harp, Guinness and primo vino flow like water in order to wash down delectable cuisine from restaurants like Argentine Bean, Abuelos and Pho Paris. Dress (or undress) to impress, because after dancing to DJ Pillo, breathing deeply in the oxygen bar and drinking four complementary drinks, you might be loose enough to get a body part provocatively hand-painted by Anything Airbrushed. Still too modest after all that? Watch other people take it off as Quasi, Queens of the City and Barnyard Burlesque perform. Or kick the sensory stimulation up a notch in the VIP room (that will set you back $150), which features a private open bar, a private burlesque show and special treats like warming lotion. Remember, what happens at Carnivale stays at Carnivale. 9 p.m.-1 a.m. Saturday. 859-957-1940. (See Events.) -- MAIJA ZUMMO

JOE ESZTERHAS

SATURDAY 21
As ubiquitous as the Bengals are these days, there are still plenty of details to learn from local writer CHRISTINE MERSCH's new book, Cincinnati Bengals History (Arcadia Publishing). It's a picture book of the team's exploits from 1968 through today along with photos and information about the city's earliest professional football teams, the Reds and the Bengals, who played at Crosley Field in the 1930s and '40s. Mersch details Paul Brown's journey to bring an NFL expansion team here as well as all the Super Bowl and toilet bowl teams since. Former Cincinnati Post photographer Jack Klumpe provides the images, including photos of rookie players Sam Wyche, Greg Cook, Anthony Munoz and Cris Collinsworth all looking like 16-year-olds. A CityBeat contributing writer, Mersch signs her book at 2 p.m. Saturday at the West Chester Barnes & Noble. 513-755-2258. (See Literary.) -- JOHN FOX

TUESDAY 24
Hollywood is a treacherous place to do business. No one knows that better than JOE ESZTERHAS. At his 1994 height, the man behind such trash classics as Basic Instinct and Showgirls (as well as Flashdance and Jagged Edge) was making $10 million a year, including half a mil for writing a 30-second TV commercial for Chanel No. 5 perfume. How'd he do it? His The Devil's Guide to Hollywood: The Screenwriter as God! answers that and much more in a frank, funny and often incisive book that looks at what it takes to make it in one of the more unforgiving professions. The guide -- essentially a list of quotes and tidbits from a variety of Hollywood players over the years followed by the big E's take on each -- features chapters on everything from "Use Your F-Bombs!" and "Don't Take Your Clothes Off!" to "Every Good Director Is a Sadist!" and "Just Say the Fucking Words!" Eszterhas will surely discuss these intriguing topics during his 7 p.m. stop at Joseph-Beth Booksellers. Oh, be sure to ask him his opinion of William Goldman. 513-396-8960. (See Literary.) -- JASON GARGANO