New Dance Cinema

(FILM) Dayna Hanson and Gaelen Hanson bring together films made by obscure and worldly dance companies for an action-packed weekend of contemporary movement on screen. The curatorial hand of 33 Fainting Spells palpates the program, which opens with Belgian choreographer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker's company Rosas, moves to films on dance and architecture, and includes such gems as DV8 Physical Theatre's Enter Achilles, a hilarious play on British homoeroticism. Make no mistake -- these are far from static stage films: They heighten movement and cinematography to vertiginous effect. -- TRACI VOGEL

The Little Theatre, 608 19th Ave E, 686-1083, opening reception Thurs at 8, screenings Fri-Sun, at 6, 8, & 10 pm, $10.

Dante's Inferno & Black Cat Orchestra

(SILENT FILM WITH LIVE MUSIC) Watching ragged, desperate folk writhing in the torments of Hell should make for an especially swell night out, here in the last dark months of the century. Add the hypnotic, chiaroscuro sound of the renowned Black Cat Orchestra -- with its mournful cello and restrained accordion -- and it should be a memorable evening. The 1909 hour-long silent film by Guiseppi de Liguoro pays careful homage to artist Gustave Dore's airless, haunting etchings based on Dante's tale of sinners and Hades; the BCO aptly underscores the film's clumsily charming, yet striking tableaus. -- STACEY LEVINE

On the Boards Studio Theater, 100 W Roy St, 217-9888, Thurs-Sat Nov 4-6 and Thurs-Sun Nov 11-14 at 8 pm, $10 Thurs and Sun, $12 Fri and Sat.

Arthur S. Aubry

(ART) A curious and subtle observer of this area's industrial landscapes, Aubry shows the fruits of almost a decade of work documenting the Cold War ruins of the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in South Central Washington. With a clear eye, Aubry documents the physical spaces where much of our nuclear arsenal was created. -- ERIC FREDERICKSEN

Esther Claypool Gallery, 617 Western Ave, 264-1586, opening reception 6-8 pm, through Nov 27.

Vieux Carre

(THEATER) Continuing to write even while slowly wasting away as surely as his beloved Miss Dubois, Tennessee Williams in his later years never quite managed to draw the accolades that had once made him our most esteemed playwright. His final works are often florid ghosts of their poetic predecessors, hovering dangerously close to unintentional self-parody, but they're hardly without interest. As testament to that, Krying Sky Productions, a new local theater company, is staging Williams' intriguing 1978 mood piece, Vieux Carre. Watch a fetid New Orleans boarding house crumble under the weight of its metaphors and enjoy a performance accompanied by live jazz musicians; be sure to toast Tennessee if you attend the opening night champagne gala. -- STEVE WIECKING

Richard Hugo House Theatre, 1634 11th Ave, runs Thurs-Sun at 8 pm, through Nov 27, $10-14.

Terror of Tiny Town

(FILM) The midget Western is a genre that never quite took off. Made in 1938, The Terror of Tiny Town was the first of 'em; unfortunately, it was also the last. Singing cowboys, saloon girls, an evil villain, and a big chase -- it's got everything you'd want from a Western from that era (minus a good story), with the hook being that every part is played by an actor under 5 feet tall. For a late-night screening, might as well saddle up to the Grand Illusion, kick up your bootheels, and watch tiny cowboys ride their Shetland ponies and sing. -- ANDY SPLETZER

Grand Illusion, NE 50th and University Way, 523-3935, Fri-Sat Nov 5-6 at 11 pm.

Henry Louis Gates Jr.

(READING) Africa is difficult. It's too complex, too much, too far away. There are only a few writers who have the mind, time, and resources to compose a meaningful analysis of this complicated continent, and Henry Louis Gates Jr. happens to be one of them. He has traveled extensively throughout the continent, and seems committed to developing a deeper appreciation of it. Though I failed to watch his PBS show, and have yet to read its companion book, Wonders of the African World, I'm certain that during his reading he will have intelligent things to say about Africa. -- CHARLES MUDEDE

Mt. Zion Baptist Church, Downstairs Fellowship Hall, 1634 19th, 322-6500, 6:30 pm, free.

Elliott's Shellfish Extravaganza

(OYSTER ORGY) Who would've thought that ugly, slimy, mucous-filled Class Bivalvia (Lamellibranchia) would ever be considered aphrodisiacs and taste so goddamn delicious? Join the raw oyster cult and celebrate the return of crisp, peak-season oysters to the Pacific Northwest at this benefit for the Pacific Coast Shellfish Growers Association (which strives to keep Puget Sound clean and healthy for our mollusk population). Festivities include an enormous oyster feast with Guinness stout and local wines, other seafood treats, and live music. Show up and slurp shucked oysters. Say that five times real fast. -- MIN LIAO

Elliott's Oyster House, 1201 Alaskan Way (Pier 56), 623-4340, $60/person (food, drinks, all-you-can-eat oysters); call for advanced tickets.

Tom Jones

(LIVE MUSIC) To: Ms. Kathleen Wilson From: Tom Jones Enterprises Dear Ms. Wilson: Thank you very much for wanting to interview Tom Jones for The Stranger sometime in the near future. Unfortunately, Mr. Jones' schedule is completely booked and therefore he is unable to honor your request. Thank you for wanting to include Mr. Jones in your plans, and please accept our very best wishes for every success. Yours sincerely, Donna Woodward, Publicist.

Emerald Queen Casino, 2102 Alexander Ave, Tacoma, 888-831-7655, 7:30 pm, $30.

Jim Rose Circus

(FREAK SHOW) Let's be honest: Culture is dead, there is no god, your parents hate you, and you'll never have a sustained, healthy relationship. You smoke and drink too much, you're getting fat, and you have low self-esteem, which is a manifestation of your tireless self-absorption. But does all that really matter when you can go see people hang heavy objects from their penises? The Jim Rose Circus will be opening up for Godsmack, an "alternative" metal band that got its name from a fucking Alice In Chains song. Leave early. -- JEFF DeROCHE

The Paramount, 911 Pine St, 628-0888, 8 pm, $19.

Steven Shaviro

(LECTURE) There are few pleasures which surpass that of following the intricate thought paths of a creative thinker. And one follows the movement of these thoughts not for revelations, truths, or answers to the meaning of life, but because they are poetic, pleasant to listen to. This is what I enjoy most about Steven Shaviro's work: It is profoundly poetic. Before I experience the pleasures of his ideas and insights, I first feel the pleasures of his words. -- CHARLES MUDEDE

Consolidated Works, 410 Terry Ave N, 381-3218, 8 pm, $5.

I Kiss You!

(BEAUTIFUL WEBSITE) Here is a Stranger Suggests item plagued by "ifs." If you don't have a computer with Internet access, you're out of luck. If you haven't already been swamped with e-mails directing you to this site, you're in for a treat. If this website is a parody, its creator is a genius mastermind from Heaven. If this page is for real, we live in a much more wonderful world than I ever imagined. -- DAVID SCHMADER

http://members.xoom.com/_XOOM/primall/mahir/index.html, anytime you want.

Paper Magazine Party

(BOOK RELEASE BASH) Paper, the hipster magazine that celebrates the cutting edge and is often just enjoyably cutting, whoops it up at the Re-bar tonight for a book publishing bash. From AbFab to Zen: Paper's Guide to Pop Culture is a colorful swirl through the excess of the '80s and '90s and, even better, is enough to entice New York drag diva Joey Arias to walk among us. An icon of the drag scene featured in the Wigstock documentary, Arias is fast, funny, and does a mean Billie Holliday (and no lip-synching here -- he's all live, baby). C'mon, you can miss Buffy and Angel at least once; Arias is worth it. -- STEVE WIECKING

Re-bar, 114 Howell Street, 233-9873, doors at 8 pm, show at 9 pm, $12.

Salsa Finals

(DANCE CONTEST) Seven fleet-footed couples compete for a $500 grand prize in the first ever Seattle Salsa Showdown. Stumble in for lessons at 7:00 -- offered by Los Tumbadores Dance Company -- then watch the professionals show you the moves to which you aspire: performances by Los Tumbadores, Ritmos, and Nester de la Zerda's Bailadores, fresh from the World Salsa Congress in Puerto Rico. The couples who compete have gone through rigorous semi-finals; the pressure is on -- tears and glitter will litter the floor. With live music by salsa band Cambalache. -- TRACI VOGEL

Showbox, 1426 First Ave, 628-3151, 8 pm-2 am, $10/$12.