What to do in Madison this week: Project Projection, Peter Bernstein and more Isthmus Picks

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Amanda Nguyen, Monday, April 28, UW Memorial Union-Shannon Hall, 7:30 p.m.: Activist, entrepreneur, and 2019 Nobel Peace Prize nominee Amanda Nguyen comes to UW-Madison for what should be a thought-provoking talk about the power of collective action. Nguyen founded the nonprofit Rise to advocate for the civil rights of sexual assault survivors and fight inequities in law; the organization’s work led to the Sexual Assault Survivors’ Bill of Rights Act of 2016, signed into law by President Barack Obama. This Wisconsin Union Directorate Distinguished Lecture Series talk and Q&A will explore how resilience can be a political force, and how healing often begins with demanding to be seen.

Save Ferris, Monday, April 28, High Noon Saloon, 8 p.m.: Southern California ska-punkers Save Ferris have always been notable for high-energy music and the ecstatically elastic vocals of Monique Powell — a particular highlight is their breakout cover of “Come on Eileen” in the ‘90s. Powell revived the band in 2013 and it sounds as good as ever on the cheeky recent single “Lights Out in The Reptile House;” new music is reportedly on the way soon. With opening sets by punk-pop Keep Flying and Wisconsin ska heroes Something to Do. Tickets at ticketmaster.com.

Peter Bernstein with UW ensembles, April 29-30, Hamel Music Center-Collins Recital Hall, 7:30 p.m.: Guitarist Peter Bernstein has been a versatile constant in the jazz world since the early 1990s, playing with a universe of legends (Lou Donaldson, Renee Fleming, Jimmy Cobb) as well as leading his own ensembles. For this residency at the Mead Witter School of Music, Bernstein will be accompanied by the Creative Music Ensemble and Blue Note Ensemble on April 29, and by the Jazz Composers Group, Jazz Faculty Group and UW Jazz Orchestra on April 30. Expect fireworks. Tickets at artsticketing.wisc.edu.

Dane County Parks and Open Space Plan Open House, Wednesday, April 30, Lake Farm County Park-Lussier Family Heritage Center, 2-6 p.m.: Every five years, the Dane County Parks Division prepares a new planning document to guide park improvements and management, programming and more; this periodic update is also required to qualify for state grant funding. Following up on 2024 public input meetings, the county is now seeking public comment on the draft plan, through May 14, and one opportunity to discuss the plan with parks staff and provide input comes at this drop-in open house session. Review the draft in advance at parks-lwrd.danecounty.gov.

Wednesday 13, Wednesday, April 30, Annex, 6 p.m.: Wednesday 13 has been a horror punk superstar since the ‘90s and his days with Frankenstein Drag Queens from Planet 13, which led to the '00s supergroup Murderdolls. Out just ahead of this show is his latest album, Mid Death Crisis, heralded over the winter by the fun single “When the Devil Commands” (which sounds like Alice Cooper fronting White Zombie). It’s a real banger from beyond the grave. The Madison show is appropriately on Wednesday night, with Stitched Up Heart, Dead Rabbits, and I Ya Toyah. Tickets at eventbrite.com.

Teralyn Brown, through May 9, Tandem Press; reception May 2, 5-8 p.m.: Teralyn Brown’s intricate, extremely detail-oriented, limited-palette etchings of grasses, foliage, other plants and furniture are mesmerizing. “I find myself lingering on memories and tiny details while I construct my plates,” Brown writes in her artist statement. Her UW-Madison master of fine arts thesis show represents hours of work and should amaze. A reception takes place from 5-8 p.m. on May 2.

Project Projection, Wednesday, April 30, Arts + Literature Laboratory, 7 p.m.: Mills Folly Microcinema’s recurring Project Projection programs offer a welcoming environment for Dane County-based filmmakers of all stripes, from animation to documentary to abstract and experimental. The lineup for spring includes first-time filmmaker Vincent Mollica and veteran creator Al Rasho, with a wide range of styles and experience levels in between. Find the updated program at artlitlab.org.

Mary Annette Pember, Wednesday, April 30, Central Library, 7 p.m.: Ojibwe journalist Mary Annette Pember’s mother was among generations of Native American children forced to attend U.S. government-sponsored boarding schools. With a dark history primarily dating from the late 19th century through the late 1930s, the schools were intended to “assimilate” Native children into American life. Instead, they attempted to destroy tribes, break up families, and stamp out generations of tradition. Children were beaten, and abuse was rampant. Pember’s new book, Medicine River: A Story of Survival and the Legacy of Indian Boarding Schools, recounts her family’s experiences and those of others — and it is a harrowing read. Pember grew up in Janesville and is a UW-Madison alum and past president of the Native American Journalists’ Association.

Madison's Funniest Comic, Wednesdays, through April 30, Comedy on State, 8 p.m.: There’s no shortage of weird current events for comics to make fun of these days, and stressed audiences are ready for laughs. The annual Madison’s Funniest Comic wraps up with the final showdown on April 30. Tickets are available only at the door, starting at 6:30 p.m. Watch for updates on the competition at facebook.com/comedyonstate.

Bloody Aftermath, through May 3, Broom Street Theater: Playwright Rob Matsushita has never shied away from tackling themes of violence in his plays. But the latest of his offerings produced by Broom Street Theater, Bloody Aftermath, is described as a comedy/drama anthology; the title refers to a fictional horror film franchise which is the touchstone for the play’s segments, which take place over several decades. Hear Matsushita and director Jessica Jane Witham discuss the play on WORT-FM’s 8 O’Clock Buzz from April 14. Performances at 7 p.m. Thursday-Saturday (except 2 p.m. on May 3) and 2 p.m. Sunday.

Branford Marsalis Quartet, Thursday, May 1, UW Memorial Union-Shannon Hall, 7:30 p.m.: There’s versatility, and then there’s Branford Marsalis — a saxophonist equally at home with symphony orchestras, Broadway scores, and spontaneous jams with the Grateful Dead. But at the center of his wide-reaching musical world is the Branford Marsalis Quartet, a group revered for its cohesion, daring and emotional depth. With decades of evolution behind them, the Quartet continues to explore new territory, moving effortlessly between restless complexity and melodic clarity. This is jazz that listens as much as it speaks — sharp, searching, and always alive. Tickets at artsticketing.wisc.edu.

Dweezil Zappa, Thursday, May 1, Barrymore, 8 p.m.: Spending May Day with a Zappa seems like a good idea. Pushing the boundaries of creativity, technology and weirdness, Dweezil Zappa is truly a chip off father Frank’s block. Three decades-plus after the passing of FZ at age 52, this tour showcases two of his albums; Apostrophe(‘) and Roxy and Elsewhere; in 2024, both records passed their 50th anniversary of release. Whether playing his dad’s music or his own, Dweezil is a dope guitarist, and names Eddie Van Halen among his childhood teachers and influences. He says versions of these songs will reflect the harmonies and rhythms of live versions that predate the well-known recordings. Tickets at ticketmaster.com.

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