Skullduggery

As we predicted, last year's Corpus Illuminata did not turn out to be a one-off or a flash in the bedpan – and Corpus Illuminata II: An Anatomic Interpretation scheduled for 8/10 and 8/11 will also be a focused, measured, insightful and (yes) a bemused exposition of medical antiquities and artwork. More than that, it will be an all too rare celebration of the mystery of mortality in this era of diffused attention spans. Local and national artists have contributed pieces and within the "museum section" will be an array of devices going as far back as The Elephant Man days of Victorian surgery. Video installations and public speakers will touch upon a gamut of related subjects. Trust us when we say that this is the definitive show of the week and the next best thing to visit the Mutter Museum of Medical History in Philadelphia. Hey, did YOU contribute a skull to the show? If so, email us. The bodies in question will be at the Tangent Gallery at 715 E. Milwaukee. Admission $10 – or $5 if you're a student with ID. For further illumination, go to corpusilluminata.org. NOTE: THIS has nothing to do with The Illuminati who (as we all know) have everything to do with everything. Or is that The Elks?

Fine – But Crank Up the AC!

If we were to change just one thing about Sin Hielo, it would be (for the time being anyway) their name. A moniker that translates as "without ice" just makes us a tad uncomfortable during this ongoing heatwave/drought/apocalypse. However, we wouldn't change a thing about the music provided by Wayne Gerard and Sean Blackman. Both masters of the acoustic guitar, their combined repertoire runs the gamut from flamenco passion to something aptly (if ambiguously) described as Detroit grit. We'll let the musicologists wrestle with that term. We're simply going to extend an invitation to see these talented men Mix@The Max on 8/9. The Max we're referring to is, of course, the Max M. Fisher Music Center within Orchestra Hall. We also wish to reference the happy fact that early arrival on this occasion (say, 6ish?) offers you a chance to sample libations from B. Nektar Meadery and delicious fare from Seva and Majestic Cafe. Tickets and further info: dso.org/mix. Our friends down at the Hall would also like it if you would check out 37/11, a new social and professional network for those who dig all the eclectic delights the Detroit Symphony Orchestra has to offer.

Once More Unto the Park

The Water Works Theatre Company is still providing a steady flow of stage delights at the Starr Jaycee Park in Royal Oak. Also, the pleasant decision was made to permit spirits to flow during the run of the Company's current production, Henry V. If you've ever seen the Olivier or Branagh film versions, then you know already that this historical drama has everything that the Bard thought serviceable in a play. The dissolute Prince Hal who once had plump Jack Falstaff in his posse becomes the Lion of The House of Lancaster after receiving a cache of tennis balls from the French court. Unwilling to accept this outrage (or retreat to Wimbledon), our boy sails off to la belle France to teach his enemies a lesson about his actual ... back serve. Agincourt rocks thru 8/12. Before we leave you, however, we would like to include some additional data that WWTC chairman Ed Nahhat passed along to us. The aptly named (and locally made) ShakesBeer will be included on the list of potables. Also, I Know What You Did Last Midsummer, a special adaptation of A Midsummer Night's Dream for younger groundlings, will be presented for free thru 8/12 as well.

The Wardrobe and The Treasure Chest

Whitdel Arts remains one of the best addresses to bookmark these days for seeing truly creative efforts in our city. And there's a new opportunity to discover this on 8/10 when the WA presents Trashion. An interesting variation on one of modern art's most familiar methods, it's a collection of accessories and clothing fashioned from found objects. We were allowed an early glimpse of "the current line" and we can't wait to see if that tire turns out to be a belt or a scarf. Coinciding with the Trashion exhibit is Re Emergence: Then and Now, a compilation of fine art from David O'Dell. A teacher at the International Academy of Design and Technology in Troy, O'Dell has also made a distinctive name for himself in the field of graphic design. His earliest efforts were silkscreen posters for entertainers ranging from John Lennon to Diana Ross; from there he branched out into paintings and intaglios. His current exhibit will be an appropriately broad overview of influences and creations with a special emphasis on "the transformation of simpler machines by the digitization of the world and its technological progressions." 1250 Hubbard St. (Suite B1) in Detroit. Check also whitdelarts.com | RDW