What to do in Madison this week: ‘Pieced Together,’ ‘Three Weeks’ and more Isthmus Picks

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Great Wisconsin Birdathon, Through June 15, anywhere: Ready, set, bird! The Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin invites Wisconsin bird fanatics to participate in its annual fundraiser, The Great Wisconsin Birdathon. It's a very choose-your-own-adventure style activity for bird watchers of any level, solo or in a team, to pick a time and spot as many bird species as possible, with fundraising or donations by participants encouraged. The money raised goes to the Natural Resources Foundation’s Bird Protection Fund. Find more info and register at wisconservation.org.

Three Weeks, Tuesday, April 25, Arts + Literature Laboratory, 7 p.m.: This dramatic reading from the 1907 novel Three Weeks by Elinor Glyn is powered by the erotic and the shocking (for the time) elements of this mostly forgotten work. The Falconbridge Players call it “PG-13” by today's standards. The Players have excerpted the book for the “juiciest bits” and to add to the fun, the readers were selected for their roles randomly. Free, but RSVP appreciated at Eventbrite.

Artemisia, through April 30, Overture Center-Playhouse: The play, commissioned by Forward Theater from much-sought-after American playwright Lauren Gunderson, takes every opportunity to explore themes that Gunderson has visited and revisited in her work, including sexism and violence against women. Artemisia emerges from the facts of the life of Artemisia Gentileschi, a celebrated woman painter from the 17th century whose story has largely been lost. This premiere is part of World Premiere Wisconsin. Read Linda Falkenstein’s review here. Shows at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday and 2 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, plus 2 p.m., April 22 and 29; and, just added, 7:30 pm, April 25. Tickets at overture.org.

Ghost Funk Orchestra, Wednesday, April 26, Bur Oak, 8 p.m.: This largeish soul-funk band/pop orchestra brings back the grooviness of the early '70s with cool enthusiasm. Bandleader Seth Applebaum (guitar) fronts a lineup including trumpet, bass, sax, trombone, flute and more guitar. Even the title of the band's latest album, A New Kind of Love, sounds like 1972. The band is on an extensive tour of the cooler cities in the heartland, along with soul-popster Rudy De Anda. Tickets here.

Madison's Funniest Comic, Wednesdays, through May 3, Comedy on State, 9 p.m.: Everyone knows that April kicks off with the comic's holiday, so what better way to celebrate the funniest month of the year than by finding the funniest person of the year too? (Well, in Madison, anyway.) Madison's Funniest Comic is back yet again to usurp the usual Wednesday open mic for five weeks of premier competition as local stand-ups duke it out for the crown. Competitors are winnowed to 12 on April 26 before the whole thing wraps up on May 3. Then we'll finally know who can say they're super dang funny for 365 whole days. Tickets at the door only; find more info at madisoncomedy.com.

Hand Made in America: Contemporary Custom Footwear, through May 14, UW Nancy Nicholas Hall-Mecklenburg Textile Gallery: We are so used to mass-produced shoes we have mostly forgotten that they can be made for a specific someone's foot — and be works of art. The shoes and boots in “Hand Made in America: Contemporary Custom Footwear” come from 11 makers from across the United States who are part of a renaissance of handmade footwear. Current gallery hours: 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Wednesday and Friday; 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Thursday; and noon-4 pm Saturday-Sunday.

Pieced Together, April 26-May 14, UW Nancy Nicholas Hall-Ruth Davis Design Gallery; reception April 27, 6-8 p.m.: This time of the year is always special on campus; students' studies culminate in performances and exhibitions like “Pieced Together: Perspectives in Textiles and Fashion Design.” The student-curated show highlights the work of undergraduates in fashion, textiles, weaving, digital animation and sculpture.The opening reception on April 27 features a live performance starting at 6:30 p.m. (Also, student-led tours of the exhibit and class spaces take place from 4-6 p.m. on April 27, and also from 2-4 p.m., May 12.) Gallery hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Wednesday and Friday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. on Thursday, and noon-4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. More info at cdmc.wisc.edu.

Be the Good, Thursday, April 27, Goodman Center Brassworks building, 6:30 p.m.: Join the Goodman Center for “Be the Good: Celebrating Kindness in Our Community,” a storytelling event aimed at highlighting helpful acts both big and small. Goodman CEO Letesha Nelson, emcee John Urban, local leaders and youth will share their experiences of giving, receiving and witnessing acts of kindness. Ticket sales support the Goodman Center's many programs, including after-school activities for children and teens, health-based programs for adults and seniors, a food pantry, and more.

No Name String Band + Los Chechos, Thursday, April 27, North Street Cabaret, 7 p.m.: Help a pair of Madison outfits celebrate a decade in action at this concert. Los Chechos filters ska, rock and more through danceable Latin-influenced sounds (and singing in several languages by Alejandro Punbra). No Name String Band updates old-time music with a modernist spin and plenty of space for improvisation and original tunes. Tickets at Brown Paper Tickets.

Jericho Brown, Thursday, April 27, Central Library, 7 p.m.: The Tradition, Jericho Brown’s 2020 Pulitzer Prize- winning poetry collection, delves into trauma (both personal and environmental), race, resilience, and more. Brown has said in a Q&A with the Pulitzer organization that he hopes the poems will help readers hold all these issues in their head at once. Brown will talk about the book and his work in this Wisconsin Book Festival talk.

Rend Collective, Thursday, April 27, Barrymore Theatre, 7 p.m.: Back in 2012, a relatively obscure Irish folk-rock band dubbed Rend Collective Experiment played a stomping and informal set as fans entered the Alliant Energy Center for the multi-artist Rock & Worship Roadshow. More than a decade later, the “Experiment” tag is long gone, Rend Collective has six albums to its name — including last year’s Whosoever — and is emerging as a hot ticket on its U.S. spring tour. The band’s rootsy, warm and distinct music celebrates not only the goodness of the Lord but also the spirit of community. Christian singer-songwriter Patrick Mayberry opens. Tickets at barrymorelive.com.

Macbeth, Through April 30, Vilas Hall-Mitchell Theatre: Chances are you know this one if you weren't skipping English class in high school. Macbeth is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy, and remains gripping for all the reasons The Bard's works still resonate today: he saw us. University Theatre revisits this tale of an amoral power grab, which in this case (spoiler alert) results in adequate punishment. Ahem. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and at 2 p.m. Sundays. Tickets at artsticketing.wisc.edu or at the box office one hour prior to performances.

It's All Overboard, through May 6, Broom Street Theater: The plays just keep on coming. Broom Street Theater's entry into the World Premiere Wisconsin fun is It's All Overboard, a farcical comedy about a cruise ship and a politically mismatched duo of a recent widower and a divorcee who need to join forces to stop an evil plot. It's written by Lisa Sipos, author of Menace to Society: A Mormon in Milwaukee, a previous Broom Street offering. Shows at 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday. Advance tickets available on Eventbrite; tickets at the door are pay-what-you-can.

The Seldom Scene, Thursday, April 27, Stoughton Opera House, 7:30 p.m.: Few bands can look back on an uninterrupted five-decade history. Progressive bluegrass quintet The Seldom Scene is one of those bands, and while the final original member retired a few years back, the majority of the current band has been together since the mid-1990s...longer than the founders' tenure. An evening of traditional yet forward-looking music is guaranteed as they kick off a tour in Stoughton. Tickets at stoughtonoperahouse.com.

Timmy's Organism, Thursday, April 27, Mickey's Tavern, 10 p.m.: Led by underground punk music stalwart Timmy Vulgar (of the Clone Defects and other projects), Timmy's Organism may be the band that finally blows out the wall on the Yahara side of ye olde Mickey's. Because, judging by their new LP-only release, Lone Lizard, Timmy and co. are bringing the noise heavier than ever. With Calamity, VomBom.

Find the individual Picks collected here, and as part of the full calendar of events.

Editor's note: This post has been updated for the newly added Artemisia performance.