Spotlight: Big Jay Oakerson

Big Jay Oakerson came up through the black comedy circuit, moonlighting as a bouncer for bachelor parties on the side. While the veteran standup remains popular with black comedy fans (he appears on BET's "Comic View" and was featured on HBO's "P. Diddy's Bad Boys of Comedy"), he's since crossed over to a more mainstream audience; Big Jay has appeared on "Louie," Comedy Central and Marc Maron's "WTF" podcast in recent years. Despite his hard-rock image, Oakerson is an affable and sharp -- but still X-rated - storyteller. (8 p.m. Thu.-Sun.; 8 & 10:30 p.m. Fri.-Sat. $13-$19. early shows 18-plus; late shows 21-plus. Rick Bronson's House of Comedy, Mall of America, 408 E. Broadway, Bloomington. 952-858-8558 or www.houseofcomedy.net.)JAY BOLLER

Fresh off a world premiere at the New Waves! 2012 festival in Port of Spain, Trinidad, "Moreechika: Season of Mirage" has its U.S. debut this weekend. The latest work from Ananya Dance Theatre is the third in a series exploring how women in global communities resist violence. Past works have delved into themes of mud and gold; "Moreechika" looks at oil extraction and its negative effect on ecosystems and people. The troupe, led by director/choreographer Ananya Chatterjea and co-director Laurie Carlos, draws inspiration from struggles against corporate oil interests across the world. Expect intense, emotionally expressive movement based in Odissi, an Indian dance form, as well as yoga and the martial art form of Chhau. (7:30 p.m. Thu., 8 p.m. Fri.-Sat., 7:30 p.m. Sun. $18-$24. Southern Theater, 1420 Washington Av. S., Mpls. 612-340-1725 or www.southerntheater.org.)CAROLINE PALMER

Leigha Horton and Adam Whisner play characters who manage a lifelong friendship fraught with accidents and survival. Playwright Rajiv Joseph puts together vignettes that hop through time and present the friends from their meeting as distinct outsiders in grade school. Natalie Novacek directs the show, which is a remount of a Peanut Butter Factory production that did well last spring. If the title sounds familiar, the play was also done (with a different cast) last fall at Mixed Blood Theatre. (8 p.m. Thu.-Mon. Ends Sept. 16. Intermedia Arts, 2822 Lyndale Av. S., Mpls. $15; $10 with Fringe button. 612-643-1231 or www.loudmouthcollective.com.)