Take Your Pick (11)

Man in Space

From the Mercury mission with Alan Shepard to the International Space Station, Americans have been voyaging hundreds of miles above the Earth in the name of science for more than 40 years. And the Cleveland Natural History Museum chronicles American space age with its photo-essay exhibit, "Americans in Space: From Mercury to Columbia."

Approximately 40 photographs — some taken at launch, others taken on the moon — comprise the exhibit, which runs through Jan. 27, 2002. The cost of the exhibit is included in the museum admission price: $6.50 for adults, $4.50 for students and seniors.

For more information, click to www.cmnh.org.

Folk Music's 35th Anniversary

Folk music is Kent State University's old shoe. And the school that folk legends Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young immortalized celebrates its roots with its 35th annual folk music festival, and one of the performers at the inaugural fest headlines this year's events: Judy Collins.

Collins' concert is slated for Nov. 17 at 8 p.m. at Kent State's ballroom. Ethel-Caffie Austin, a gospel singer from the Nashville Mandolin Ensemble opens for Collins. Ticket prices range from $30 to $47.50 and are available at ticketmaster.com.

For more information on Kent State's folk festival, click to www.kent.edu.

"I Hate Hamlet"

"Alas, poor Hamlet, I knew ye not," should be matinee idol Andrew Rally's mantra in his "I Hate Hamlet" role. Handsome and dashing, but unemployed after losing his spot on a soap opera, Rally finds work as Hamlet in New York. Problem is, Rally can't act.

So the ghost of John Barrymore, renowned for his Hamlet interpretation, begins to dole out advice to Rally. But the advice is hardly helpful; it is more a manual on wild living than acting. And the results make for a riotous comedy.

"I Hate Hamlet" plays Nov. 17 at 4 and 8 p.m., and Nov. 18 at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $38 for the matinees and $45 for Saturday night's show. Before Saturday's matinee, actors take part in a pre-play discussion with audience members. Admission to the discussion is free.