A&E priority list for Feb. 7-13

What to do this week? Here's a starter list:

 

“Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth” 

Feb. 13

Murat Theatre

Celebrity autobiographies can be traced back to St. Augustine—and probably earlier (any literary scholars out there?). And celebrities telling their personal stories on stage isn’t anything new, either. On one end of the live confessional scale, there’s Burt Reynolds and Suzanne Somers. On the other, there’s Eric Bogosian and John Leguizamo. Where does Mike Tyson—who crafted this show with the help of director Spike Lee and Tyson’s wife, writer Kiki Tyson—fit on that spectrum? We’ll find out when the tour kicks off here in Indianapolis, home to one of the more notorious incidents in his out-of-the-ring life. (I’m betting attorney/talk show host/Tyson nemesis Greg Garrison won’t be buying a ticket.) Details here.

 

 “The Lincolns: Five Generations of an American Family”

Feb. 9-Aug. 4

IndianaState Museum

This new exhibition, built primarily from artifacts in the Lincoln Financial Foundation Collection, looks at the lives of Lincoln’s family, from his mother and father through his last direct descendant. Ancillary events include a Feb. 9 “Happy Birthday, Abe” celebration, including an actor playing the part. Later months will feature Civil War re-enactors and a history baseball game on the museum lawn. Details here.

 

ComedySportz 20^th Anniversary Gala

Feb. 9

Athenaeum

For two decades now, the franchised improvisational show has been taking topic suggestions, squaring off in mock competition, and administering brown-bag fouls to audience members not following the family-friendly guidelines. For this show, it moves down Mass Ave from its headquarters to the Athenaeum for a reception, awards ceremony and an all-local-star competition, including members who have been with the company from the beginning. A portion of the proceeds go to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Details here.

 

 “Puppet Man”

Feb. 11

Indy Fringe

This free reading of Andrew Black’s play-in-progress, about an inmate looking to smuggle drugs out of a correctional facility, features puppet creations by Patrick Wigand (guest artist on the upcoming IBJ A&E Road Trip to see “War Horse” on stage in Cincinnati). There are humans in the cast, too, including Michael Shelton, Ben Assaykwee and Miki Mathioudakis. Details here.

 

Also this week

 

Larry the Cable Guy brings his act to the Murat Theatre Feb. 8. Details here.

“Noise!,” the monthly open mic piano gathering at the White Rabbit Cabaret, features local performers from the Indy theater community singing the songs they love. Details here.

The Sankofa Black Heritage Festival at the Indiana State Museum Feb. 9 features storytelling, music, a community fair and more. Details here.

ButlerUniversitypresents the world premiere of “Pigeons,” a play by Dan Barden (“John Wayne: A Novel,” “The Next Right Thing”) Feb. 13-23. Details here. 

Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre presents “9 to 5: The Musical,” Feb. 7 through March 24. Details here. 

Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre presents “Alice and her Bizarre Adventures in Wonderland,” Feb. 8-24. Details here.

The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra's "Best is Yet to Come" pops concerts celebrates the music of Sinatra and more with Broadway's Montego Glover ("Memphis"). Details here.

Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre offers the Ken Ludwig farce “The Fox on the Fairway,” Feb. 8-23. Details here.