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 | Lorri's Magic Touch When Lorri Levy-Comer decided over 20 years ago that she wanted to get into the business of helping people get radiant skin, her beauty philosophy was a mixture of common sense and lots of personalized attention. Lorri's unassuming haven of beauty, [b]The Total You[/b], still keeps in line with her no-nonsense holistic approach to paring years off tired, overprocessed skin, and the touch of this friendly neighborhood aesthetician is still as informed as ever.More |  | An Extravagant Interpretation If you're familiar with the work of British choreographer Matthew Bourne, you'll know that his theatrical performances are imbued with pop culture references and lavish touches of gay camp. Bourne's done everything from sizzling reproductions of "Carmen" (as envisioned in a 1950s town teeming with sweaty car mechanics, in "The Car Man") to hokey interpretations of fusty ballets like "The Nutcracker". But there are always a few things you can count on from a Matthew Bourne show: famously over the top sets and costumes; scorching gay fantasy with touches of seedy epicureanism; and an unforgettable sense of playful debauchery.More |  | Pamper Yourself Skincare studios, massage therapists, and day spas that range from cozy to corporate can be found on practically every street block in San Francisco. But a true oasis of pampering doesn't always advertise its wares -- it takes some time to sniff out the places that actually deliver on their promises of relaxation and indulgence, despite a bunch of ostentatious claims. Every spa aficionado has her favorites, and here's my top 15 list of hidden jewels and obvious winners that'll have you feeling like a million dollars.More |  | Love and Desire Through the Ages The Eastenders Repertory Company's sixth annual festival of short plays really isn't intended to shock, despite this year's theme: [b]100 Years of Sex Acts[/b]. While some of the vignettes are as titillating as you're likely to get from bare-bones theatre, the Oakland-based company is merely commencing with their festival formula: a chronological retrospective of the short play, revolving around a different theme each year.
Astute renditions of obscure literary masterpieces by the likes of Tennessee Williams, Caryl Churchill, and Federico Garcia Lorca set the stage for three marvelous evenings.More |  | A Romantic Getaway…If You're So Inclined I spa, therefore I am -- that's my mantra. Give me a hot stone massage, cedar enzyme bath, seaweed wrap, or oxygen facial over a pair of Jimmy Choos or Manolos any day. Blistered feet and envious glances for a flash-in-the-pan trend? No thank you. I'll take hours of lovingly administered languor in an urban oasis or wine country retreat in a heartbeat.More |  | A Dangerous Game of Dress-Up at Exit Stage Left Early twentieth century playwright Jean Genet was a devilish provocateur whose works belong to the realm of high concept tragedy but encompass all the vulgar fodder of the low-brow, including tawdry tales of prostitutes, thieves, homosexuals, and other social "deviants". Genet's play [b]The Maids[/b] is one of the playwright's most sophisticated commentaries on the otherness he was so preoccupied with portraying in his work.More |  | Commemorating San Francisco's Big One Those of us who were in the Bay Area for the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake are accustomed to the fear-addled curiosity of out-of-towners. Earthquakes are the most unimaginable of natural disasters for most people because of their sheer unpredictability -- but being so close to Earthquake Central, we often forget the devastating impact of some of history's major calamities.More |  | Giving Voice to the Women of Iraq Heather Raffo's exquisitely written, tautly acted play "9 Parts of Desire" is the kind of one-woman show that leaves viewers breathless at the very outset. For one thing, it's both topical and startlingly original. After all, how many portrayals of Iraqi women have we seen beyond the distorted media platitudes lamenting the unilateral plight of Middle Eastern females?More |  | A Different Kind of Spa Tired of the same old massage or facial you're accustomed to getting when you walk into your neighborhood spa? Why not try a body wrap, which is great for slimming, detoxifying, or just plain feeling warm and buttery in a cocoon of foil and all-natural ingredients. If you're intrigued by the idea, give Laurel Heights outpost True Body Wraps a turn.More |  | An Oasis for the Elite For luxury epicures, Spa Radiance, a pampering stronghold on the Fillmore boutique side of town, is an oasis blending both old-world beauty treatments and some of the most bold and innovative spa therapies around.More |
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