A dilemma, to be sure. San Diego Symphony is amid its sixth annual Chamber Music Series, congruent with its current, cleverly named Upright & Grand piano festival, evidenced by the gaily painted upright instrument in the symphony hall lobby. Sit down, make yourself at home and play. Featured Upright & Grand pianist Jeremy Denk (he played the “Emperor” Concerto Jan. 16 and 17 with the orchestra) recently released an exquisite recording of J. S. Bach’s Goldberg Variations, so what could be better than presenting him in a chamber music series performance of these divine masterworks during Upright & Grand! Knowing that Denk and the unaccompanied Variations would sell too many seats for the recital if it were held in the usual Chamber Music Series site (The Auditorium at the Scripps Research Institute), the orchestra merely limited seating at the Jacobs Music Center downtown to the two center sections of the orchestra, which were nicely filled Jan. 19. The man, the 30 variations on Bach’s aria and the instrument were enough despite the fact that, as my companion remarked, the hall is not ideal for a piano recital. I, too, found some of the finer articulations blurred. Be that as it may, the audience was exceptionally quiet, still and attentive, and the playing was absolutely splendid. Oh, what worlds we traveled in our circuit from the first statement to the last iteration. Free Poetry at the Globe In conjunction with its production of the “translaptated” French farce “The Metromaniacs,” The Old Globe Theatre presents a free poetry Festival titled “Poetry on the Plaza” at 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 13 and 14, joining local literary luminaries Gill Sotu, Karla Cordero, Jim Moreno, Joe Limer and Lizz Huerta. On Sunday only, “Metromaniacs” actor Adam LeFevre will join the other poets. In addition to his extensive theatrical credits, LeFevre recently published a third volume of poems, “A Swindler’s Grace.” Both poetry events are free and open to the public. Pray for sunshine. theoldglobe.org We’ve seen a rash of plays lately in which time is treated rather cavalierly. Case in point: When the curtain goes up on Australian playwright Andrew Bovell’s “When the Rain Stops Falling” (at Cygnet Theatre Old Town through Feb. 14), a fish falls from the sky in Alice Springs, Australia. It’s not just any fish; it’s an extinct fish, and it’s as fresh as it was the day it hatched. The acclaimed 2008 play concerns four generations of the same family, searching for truth on two continents in 2039 and 1959. Thinking ticketholders may need a little help, Cygnet emailed audience study guides the week of Jan. 18. The company includes Tom Stephenson, Rosina Reynolds and Rachael VanWormer. Associate artistic director Rob Lutfy directs. cygnettheatre.com. Looking forward to March: I’ve been exploring the life of R. Buckminster Fuller, who will once again be played by Ron Campbell in the remounting of D. W. Jacobs’ much-traveled play (March 10 to April 3) at San Diego Repertory Theatre. Fuller lived to be 87, and his wife of many years lay comatose in a nursing home. He visited her one day, came forth from her room saying, “She is squeezing my hand,” had a heart attack and died within the hour. His wife died 36 hours later.
