Museum curators acquire new pieces for their collections by shopping; the annual San Francisco Tribal & Textile Arts Show at Fort Mason Center from Friday through Sunday is one place they do it.Artifacts ancient and contemporary, plucked from civilizations across the globe, are on view in an eclectic array of folk and ethnographic art. The range is wide, from contemporary Moroccan rugs to 19th-century Swedish wedding weavings or a 12th-century Buddha. Read More

“How can you honor the dead if you have no faith?” demands Isaac, the gay, born-again-Jewish son of an architect, Michael.Insists Michael, “I know how to encapsulate grief!”Workaholic Dad, famous for building memorials, has left his heritage so far behind that he never circumcised his son, much to Isaac’s everlasting chagrin.That phrase — “encapsulate grief”— appears more than once in American Conservatory Theater Artistic Director Carey Perloff’s new play, “Higher,” now premiering at ACT’s second stage under Mark Rucker’s generally smooth direction. Read More

Second Wind Productions has a winner of a show in “Vigilance,” a gripping drama about friendship, modern living, revenge and justice. The show, onstage at the Phoenix Theatre, is directed by San Francisco playwright Ian Walker, whose deft, realistic dialogue brings his social and political themes to life. Read More

Taylor Armstrong shared some painful memories on the “Today” show while promoting her new memoir. The “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star, whose estranged husband, Russell, committed suicide shortly before the show’s second season premiered, recalled the relationship she says was abusive.“The good times were the best I ever had. The worst times were the worst I have ever had,” the ‘Housewife” mused. Read More