This Weekend in SD: Identity, Sleeping Beauty and Puppies

Comic-Con may be over, but fans or those unable to secure a ticket to the weekend event can still see how it all started. Others will be able to enjoy some delicious food, catch a brilliant play or even adopt a dog. In San Diego, anything is possible.

San Diego Theater

La Jolla Playhouse puts a new spin on an old classic with the play “Sleeping Beauty Wakes.”  When a father brings his sleeping daughter to a sleep disorder clinic, the staff and patients mysteriously find themselves sharing the same dream. “With beguiling characters, hypnotic lyrics, and a rocking score from GrooveLily, this musical about a father, a daughter and an unlikely suitor dives into the magical space between dreaming and waking,” the website claims. Performances are Thursday and Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Theater fans can also catch the last weekend of “Poster Boys” at the Diversionary Theatre. According to the play’s website, “Caroline is struggling with the choices she has made to make it to the top of her field, while remnants of a heartbreak she tried to bury resurface and threaten to destroy everything she has worked to build. At the same time two men find themselves in the spotlight as their personal lives become a political controversy when they are asked to become the spokesmen for a movement they weren’t prepared to join. This piercingly funny play was inspired by real events.”  Performances are Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Local Museums

Did you know that Comic-Con was robbed and had to ask for donations to pay its bills in 1979? If you didn’t, you should check out “Comic-Con: The Early Years, Memorabilia from the Shel Dorf Collection” on display at the San Diego History Center. The exhibit showcases items from the personal collection of Dorf, the original founder of Comic-Con. Items include some of the earliest promotional material used for the convention as well as revealing some little-known facts about one of the city’s most treasured annual events. This will be the last weekend to view the gallery.

Those more interested in themselves can check out the exhibit “Identity: An Exhibition of You” now at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center. The feature will allow you to explore your unique physical, psychological and social identities with a series of hands-on interactive experiences. See what you would look like as a member of the opposite sex or a different race and discover how science is providing new insights into the ways you think about your personal identity. Prices range from $9.75 to $11.75. The museum opens at 10 a.m. and closes at 7 p.m. on Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday, 7 p.m. Saturday and 6 p.m. Sunday.

Weekend Events

On Friday, head to Sycuan Resort for Blues Brew, part of its Friday night food and music series. From 5-9 p.m., diners can choose from features off the grill including beef, pork, chicken or seafood, and the choice of a homemade barbecue sauce. The selections will be served with a house salad, baked beans, corn on the cob or baked potato, plus a choice of cornbread or Texas Toast, and dessert. Dinner is $21 per person, and reservations are recommended.

Animal lovers can then head to the Hilton at the San Diego Bay on Sunday for the third annual Doggie Street Festival, which is Southern California’s largest dog adoption-focused festival. The event is designed to be an informative experience that promotes public awareness and education on issues of responsible dog adoption and on decreasing overpopulation and random breeding through spaying / neutering and conscientious pet guardianship. The event is free to the public and open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.