San Diego weekend arts events: Ghost taxis, an alien painting and a new indie film series

'Empty Ride'

Theater | Playwright Keiko Green's "Empty Ride" follows the story of a woman who returns home to a small town in Japan, after the 2011 tsunami, to take care of her father — and continue his (haunted) taxi route. This play was commissioned by The Old Globe and was part of the 2024 Powers New Voices Festival. Green, known for "Exotic Deadly: Or the MSG Play" and "Sharon," is one of my favorite contemporary playwrights, with complex, relatable characters, sharp-but-warm wit and meaningful stories. You can listen to my full interview with Green here.

San Diego Ballet: 'Carnival of the Animals'

Dance, Music | San Diego Ballet has tapped local jazz icon Gilbert Castellanos to compose a brand new jazz score for its fan-favorite "Carnival of the Animals" ballet (traditionally set to music by composer Saint-Saëns). The dancers will also perform "Tangata," a tango and ballet piece set to the music of Argentina's Astor Piazzolla.

Canela Photography

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San Diego Ballet

Scanners Archive/Burn All Books Film Series Launch

Film, Books | Lamenting the loss of yet another independent cinema in our region? Every Sunday, Burn All Books and Scanners Archive kick off their new film series in the recently expanded Burn All Books space in Normal Heights. Dubbed the "Scanners Screening Room International," they plan to host film screenings most Sunday evenings throughout the year. This weekend, they'll have back-to-back doubleheaders both days. At 3 p.m. Saturday, catch "Where Is the Friend's House” (1987), followed by "Distant/Uzak" (2002) at 5 p.m. On Sunday, watch "One Way or Another" (1974-77), followed by "Perfumed Nightmare" (1977). Bonus: Pick up a few zines or prints while you're there.

Robert Xavier Burden: 'The Alien Painting' Unveiled

Visual art | If you visited Oceanside Museum of Art (OMA) during Robert Xavier Burden's 2023 exhibit, "Relics," you might have happened upon Burden painting on-site. That painting, "The Alien Painting," is an intricate, weird and captivating piece, with familiar aliens and space lore details adorned with brightly colored, textile-inspired flourishes. Burden's work is inspired by the toys and action figures of his youth.

John Janca

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Oceanside Museum of Art

In this limited pop-up showing, "The Alien Painting" will be accompanied by another new work.

Daygo Eatz

Food, Music, Art, Family, Black Culture | The San Diego Black Arts & Culture District presents its annual festival to spotlight food, art and community. In addition to food trucks and street food vendors, you'll find live music, live visual art, an art walk, local shops, family-friendly activities, yoga and more. Our very own Rap Diego podcast team will be there with a "mini-museum" of local hip-hop history and artifacts.

The Lamoise New Works Festival

Theater | Moxie Theatre is joining the ranks of San Diego theater companies with intentional new play development festivals. Their first-annual Lamoise New Works Festival will feature and develop new plays written by women+ playwrights through a two-week intensive followed by a reading. This year's selected full-length works are by playwrights Agyeiwaa Asante (2 p.m. Saturday), Erin Dietsche (11 a.m. Sunday) and Jessica Hilt (2 p.m. Sunday). Saturday's first session is a block of four short plays by Kailey Madoka Agpaoa, Carla E. Navarro, Dylan Malloy and Lisette Serano. The festival's final public readings are Feb. 15-16. Each play is free to attend, but reservations are required. If you stick around for both performances, lunch will be served

San Diego Symphony: 'Street Song' and 'Winter Daydreams'

Music, Classical | While Michael Tilson Thomas is no longer conducting this performance, the San Diego Symphony will still perform his three-part, folk-esque "Street Song for Symphonic Brass." Stepping in to conduct is Teddy Abrams, who worked with Thomas as a fellow at the New World Symphony.

Also in the program is Tchaikovsky's "Symphony No. 1 in G Minor (Winter Daydreams)" and Rachmaninoff's familiar "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini," with Parker Van Ostrand on piano.

Tsikuri Workshops / 'Ventana Huichola'

Courtesy of the artist

Visual art | Artist Natalie Gonzalez continues her workshops making traditional Huichol "tsikuri" pieces using fiber and wood. The community project will be part of the upcoming "Ventana Huichola" exhibition at Oceanside Museum of Art this spring.