Barbara Higbie (left) and Teresa Trull celebrate The L Word star Mia Kirshner reads from her book / Live Here Oct. 21 at Powell's. 9 Muses Tavern presents T«esa Trull and a.. bara Higbie perfonning music ranging over terrain from blues and gospel to folk, l ock and jazz. Irrev- erent singer/comedian Usa Koch opens. (7 and 9 pm. 2715 SE Belmont St. $22 from TicketsWest.J Head of the Class Arti Repertory Theatre i home to the Northwe t premiere of Stephen Karam's hot-ticket play Speech & Debate. "Thi play is like if George Bernard haw had written an episode of Gossip Girl. It' a beautifully structured piece that re peers c nvention but is of-the-moment about things," ays Jon Kretzu, a ociate artistic director of Arri ts Rep and director of the play. et in a cla room in Salem, the play centers around three archetypical out- ca ts-the dowdy girl, the gay guy and the nerd- who, in addition to grappling with their own identitie in th strange land between childhood and adulthood, form a debate club to exp e a teacher at the heart of a ex andal. The play explore a technology-fueled w rld of IM, blogging, text me aging and what it is to grow up in a place wher the hypocritical politics and canda ls of the day are the backdrop against which teenag r are trying to find th ir way. And if that weren't enough, there's a rock mu ical ver ion f The Crucible com- bined with the tory of a teenage Ab~ Lin- coln wre ding with coming out. Dress to kill during Sick: Drag Fiasco featuring performances by Sissyboy's infamous Linah Co- caine, Demon Doll and Kiley Kreep with music by DJs Jimme Jamma, Bum and Megadeath. (9 pm. 320 SE Second Ave.) Bear8ust at the Eagle Portland. (9 ~midnight. 835 N Lombard St. $8 members, $10 nonmembers.) "Young playwrights often have Mack truck subtlety with i sues in their work. This piece is very subtle. [Karam] sprinkles feeling about homophobia, rights, lone- line s of a gay character and coming out_ throughout the piece," says Kretzu, who is gay. "He's a very mature playwright. We've seen plenty of plays about all these things, and this play is fresh, surprising and touch- ing. I love that." Kretzu strives to bring a full scope of talents to directing the work. "We inter- pret through the prism of our existence, and as a gay man, it comes through. But it's also only a sliver of the pie that I am." Speech & Debate tars Derek Herman, Jennifer Rowe and Adrian de Forest as the trio at the heart of the show. "Casting took forever. They are very particular roles," Kretzu ay . "And the e actors are these people. They totally relate and play off each other as if they've known each other for years." Of the play' place in Portland' the - atrical landscape, Kretzu is clear: "It's the coolest damn play in Portland this year. You want to be in one of those 60 seats." SUN• OCT. 19 The Adventure Group takes an easy walk from Vancouver Lake to French- man's Bar regional park. Meet outside Starbucks at Hollywood Fred Meyer. (10:30 am. 3030 NE Weidler St. Evan 503-701-7922.) The Portland Institute for Contemporary Art presents Cloud Eye Control's Under Polaris-a multimedia quest through expansive arctic landscapes, mythical creatures and the ethereal Aurora Bo- realis blending original live music, video projection, inventive staging and beauti- ful animation-at Leftbank. (2:30 and 6:30 pm. 240 N Broadway. $8 members, $10 nonmembers from www.pica.org.J Crush presents Soul to Soul, a monthly tea dance for Unity Project featuring funk, hip-hop and soul music by DJ Celest and $2 draft beers. Free mesquite-grilled ham- burger and potato salad from 4-6:30 pm! (3 pm. 1400 SE Moffison St. $3.) C.C. Slaughters presents Family Feud fol- lowed by a DVD promotion for Brothers ft Sisters Seeso#f 2. (8 pm game, 9 pm promotion. 219 NW Davis St.) MON • OCT. 20 Elder Resource Alalce presents a walking claa featuring instruction, wamHJpS, hand- outs and a JO.minute wak at Friendly House. Repeats Oct. 27 and Nov. 3. (10-11 am. 1737 NW 26th Ave.) Wanderlust: Men's Cycling Rid• about visits some of Portland's haunted houses. Meet at Whole Foods. Repeats Nov. 3 with a cemetery ride! (6:30 pm. 3535 NE 15th Ave. $5-$15 donation. RSVP to 503-223-8822 or www.mani- festpdx.org/calendar.J Grease your wheels during Gay Skate Night presented by Just Out at Oaks Park. (7-9 pm. 1 SE Spokane St. $6 plus canned food items for Esther's Pantry.) One of Portland's most glamorous divas, the divine Rose Empress XXXVI Maria, hosts an ASL-interpreted Q Center Bingo! Preceded by Pride Foundation present- ing its newest 2008 grant awards with light refreshments. (6 pm grants, 7 pm bingo [$5]. 69 SE Taylor St.) U Grown-up ideas. high school ambition and teenage bravado collide in the text messaging and IM world of Speech It Debate through Nov. 23 at Artists Rep. • OCT. 21 Elder Resource Alliance presents Gardening in the NW at Friendly House. Repeats Oct. 28 and Nov. 4. (11 am- 12:30 pm. 1737 NW 26th Ave. RSVP to 503-224-2640.) King for a Day It's hard not to be awestruck by Kaki King's virtuosity on the guitar. The 28-year, old Georgia peach turned New York trans, plant makes gorgeous, intricate, textural sounds on the guitar using finger picking, fret slapping and percussive thumping with her thumbs and heels of her hands. It was King's pairing with producer John McEntire (Tortoise, The Sea and Cake) on 2006's Until We Felt Red that made her the darling of lo-fi indie, shoegazer scenesters, late-night talk show hosts and rock stars alike. She was then enlisted by Eddie Vedder and Sean Penn to make a beautiful musical soundscape for the movie Into the Wild, which earned her a Golden Globe nomination. Adding to her growing fame ·was August Rush, a sweet 2007 film about a boy guitar prodigy that utilized her skills as a hand double for the lead actor. Al- though she didn't compose music for the film, the guitar styling is all her own, and the soundtrack has introduced her music to a much wider audience. In addition King recently made guest appearances on Foo Fighters' latest CD, Echoes , Silence, Patience and Grace, an