Arts & Culture

When is ugly beautiful? Find out when the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum presents She’s Hideous, an original one-act musical written and composed by Eric Dienstfrey. The special, one-night-only performance begins at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 18.

WilliamsThe celebrated spoken word artist Saul Williams will give a presentation for Washington University’s Assembly Series at 11 a.m. Wed., Feb. 16. The talk is free and open to the public and will be held in Graham Chapel, located just north of Mallinckrodt Center (6445 Forsyth Blvd.) on the Washington University campus.

David Kilper/WUSTL Photo Services”Bloody Poetry”In the summer of 1816, Romantic poets Percy Bysshe Shelley and Lord George Byron, both fleeing scandal in their native England, met in Switzerland, sparking one of literature’s most storied, passionate and tumultuous friendships. From Feb. 17-20, the Performing Arts Department in Arts & Sciences will revisit those days with Howard Brenton’s Bloody Poetry, a swirling, lyrical (and darkly satirical) look at that legendary encounter and its political, emotional and artistic consequences.

Erin Brooks, a graduate student in musicology in Washington University’s Department of Music in Arts & Sciences, will speak on “Patriotic Fervor in Places West: The Role and Meaning of ‘Victory Songs’ and Sing-Alongs in World War I-Era St. Louis” at 4 p.m. Friday, Feb. 11.

The Mike Karpowics Group will perform from 8 to 10 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 10, as part of Washington University’s spring Jazz at Holmes series.

David Kilper / WUSTL PhotoWUSTL researchers are trying to infer the Egyptian climate from the fossil evidence.Earth and planetary scientists at Washington University in St. Louis are studying snail fossils to understand the climate of northern Africa 130,000 years ago. While that might sound a bit like relying on wooly bear caterpillars to predict the severity of winter, the snails actually reveal clues about the climate and environment of western Egypt, lo those many years ago. They also could shed light on the possible role weather and climate played in the dispersal of humans “out of Africa” and into Europe and Asia.

Lili Almog, courtesy Bernstein ArtistsBeiserLong recognized as a leading performer of cutting-edge music, Maya Beiser has helped to redefine the cello as a solo instrument, both through her commitment to contemporary composers and her multicultural approach. On Feb. 12, the Israeli-born cellist will present a special, one-night-only performance as part of the Edison Theatre OVATIONS! Series at Washington University.

DavisFiction writer Kathryn Davis will read from her work at 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 17, as part of Washington University’s Writing Program Spring Reading Series. In addition, Davis will speak on the craft of fiction at 8 p.m. Feb. 22.

Courtesy photoJohn DaltonFiction writer and St. Louis native John Dalton will open Washington University’s Writing Program Spring Reading Series at 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 27. Dalton is the author of Heaven Lake. His short fiction has appeared in Story, Alaska Quarterly Review and other journals.

WUSTL Photo Services*The Trojan Women*Widely considered the greatest anti-war play ever written, Euripides’ The Trojan Women (415 B.C.) remains both timeless and timely, a poignant meditation on the aftermath of battle. Ron Himes — the Henry E. Hampton Jr. artist-in-residence at Washington University as well as founder and producing director of the St. Louis Black Repertory — will direct a new production of Euripides’ enduring parable for the Performing Arts Department in Arts & Sciences Jan. 28-30 and Feb. 4-6.