North by Northwestern

Dance Marathon is over. Reading Week is coming up. (You can make it to Wednesday! We believe in you!) And finals are not far behind. To procrastinate for that sociology paper or reward yourself for acing a chem final, here are the next few weeks in Northwestern entertainment.

That awkward middle part of not reading week: March 6-7

March 7

Gallery Talk: Mining Pictures

If you’re in the mood to escape Winter Quarter in Evanston, head to Arts Circle and explore the lives of miners in the late 1800s and 1900s. Talia Shabtay, a fellow at the Mary & Leigh Block Museum of Art, will give visitors a tour of a current exhibit, Mining Pictures: Stories from Above and Below Ground. 4 p.m., Block Museum. Free.

Reading week: March 8-12

March 8

Anubhav Family and Friends Night

Wait, Northwestern has a Bollywood fusion dance team called Anubhav that has won national awards? And the members are showing off their competition dance for just 10 minutes, on the first day of Reading Week? And it’s free? Everyone storm the auditorium! 6 p.m., Cahn Auditorium. Free.

Death by Design

Four Northwestern sustainability organizations are sponsoring a screening of Death by Design, a documentary about the environmental costs of the electronics industry. When your mom asks if you’ve been studying, distract her with your new knowledge (from the post-screening discussion) of where to recycle electronics in Evanston. 7 p.m., McCormick Auditorium. Free with registration.

Une Soirée Française

Everyone should watch a Bienen show at least one time in their Northwestern career – if not just to hear some super-talented student musicians, then to prove the venues are some of the nicest buildings on campus. Take a classy break from studying and listen to the Northwestern University Chamber Orchestra performing pieces from four French composers. 7:30 p.m., Pick-Staiger Concert Hall. $4.

THUNK Flunks Winter Quarter

With possibly the most relatable a cappella show theme ever, THUNK rhymes well and the members sing too. The group promise on Facebook that you will enjoy its musical interpretation of “the boundless joy of disappointing our parents and shitting on our futures.” 9 p.m., Seabury’s Great Room. Also March 10, 8 and 10 p.m. $5 for students.

March 10

Loss and Response: Etans Assis

It’s a Friday night and you’ve got nothing to do. How can you fix that? The Renaissance Singers, a classical choral group, are having their winter concert. Their show, Loss and Response: Etans Assis, will explore humanity’s relationship with loss, and they’ll make sounds that normal humans cannot even dream of. 7:30 p.m., Seabury Hall. Free.

WAVE Turns 30

Middle-aged birthday parties don’t have to be depressing. WAVE Productions is celebrating 30 years of shows with 30 one-minute plays, themed around the ideas of late/early and beginning/ending. Stay for as many as you want. 7:30 p.m., Shanley Pavilion. Free.

By The Way We Lost: F15, you guys won Best Picture!

Y’all are going to be up to your ears in amazing a cappella this week. Freshman Fifteen isn’t all freshmen, and there are seventeen of them. But once you’ve gotten over that linguistic betrayal, you can soothe yourself by watching some skilled college boys make music. 11 p.m., Lutkin Hall. Also March 11 at 11 p.m. $5.

March 11

The Blackout with Ryder Chasin

Northwestern’s late night variety show is back. Medill junior Ryder Chasin will host The Blackout again, interviewing celebrity student guests from the Northwestern community. Hilarious taped segments will join a live dance performance to make up for that time you couldn’t get into The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. 8 p.m., Harris 107. Free.

Norris is Burning: A Drag Show

Rainbow Alliance is hosting its annual student drag show with professional guest performers Lucky Stiff, Wanda Screw and The Vixen. If fear of finals is paralyzing your soul, take some notes from the Norris is Burning performers and be set free. 8 p.m., Louis Room. $5, or $3 with a clothing donation.

Finals week: March 13-18

March 14

New Music Showcase

Bienen majors will be performing contemporary pieces solo and in small groups as part of the Institute for New Music’s annual showcase. The Institute is an initiative within Bienen to present educational events on music within the last century. Come on, you know you want to check this out and support your talented peers. 7:30 p.m., Galvin Recital Hall. Free.

March 16

FAB! 2.0: EDE Dances the Beatles!

Delightful is a word mostly used by elderly people and pretentious cooking show judges. But it’s actually the perfect word for this joyful performance by the Evanston Dance Ensemble. Try to avoid singing along as these talented teenage dancers take on the Beatles. 7:30 p.m., Josephine Louis Theater. Also March 17 at 7:30 p.m.; March 18 at 4 p.m.; March 19 at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. $24, $15 on March 16.

March 18

Tufaan 2017

If you missed your spring break flight or you’re just staying in Evanston for as long as possible, Tufaan Entertainment has an event for you. The group is holding a Bollywood fusion dance competition with teams from across America. Proceeds will go to Shanti Bhavan Children’s Project, which educates children in rural India. 5:30 p.m., Cahn Auditorium. $20.

Happy half-reading week, and good luck with the last dregs of Winter Quarter.