notes from the weekend

• I never miss an opportunity to mention that I named my late great Cardiff-cat after artist Janet Cardiff, who has been one of my faves for decades now. So of course I had to squeak in her latest show with her husband George Bures Miller on its closing day at Fraenkel Gallery. Titled Ambient Jukebox & Other Stories, the exhibition featured many buttons to push and earphones to listen to in a delightfully analog outing for the artists. While it was wonderful to hear the familiar tones of Cardiff's voice in many of the pieces, I also thoroughly enjoyed the ambient jukebox of the title that played drone-like compositions off of actual records and the "cosmic disco" room that recreated the literal music of the spheres.
• Central Works has another winner in Gary Graves's Boss McGreedy, a play that cleverly finds parallels between Gilded Age New York and our current political crooks. Michael Ray Wisely is fantastic as the main character you love to hate, with excellent performances from Anna Ishida and Brian Herndon as well. I am always amazed at what Central Works can do with a good script, a few actors, and a small room in Julia Morgan's Berkeley City Club.