Arts editor HELEN MUSA looks at the weekend’s arts offerings in today’s “Artsday” column.

THE play chosen this year by ANU’s Japanese-language theatre troupe, Za Kabuki, is “Yo wa nasake ukina no yokogushi (Scarface Yosaburō)”, a melodramatic love story about a gangster’s moll and the adopted son of a wealthy shop owner, involving many twists and turns. Canberra Rep Theatre, October 7-9.

IN response to the space of the Smokestack Gallery, glass artist Consuelo Cavaniglia will use reflection, transparency and light to create an immersive installation based on her research into colour and optics, while in the main gallery Hannah Gason’s new body of works continues her series until November 27. Official opening, 4pm, October 8.

GORMAN Arts Centre in Braddon is holding an afternoon of family-friendly springtime celebrations in the East Courtyard with food vendors, roving performers and music between 1pm and 4pm, Friday (October 7).

GALLERY of Small Things in Watson is opening its final show for 2022, “Hope”, resulting from a creative exchange between GOST and Sydney’s Australian Design Centre. Until October 23.

AUTHOR Ian Burnet will be in conversation with Sally Burdon about his book, “Joseph Conrad’s Eastern Voyages. Tales of Singapore and An East Borneo River” at Asia Bookroom, Macquarie, 3pm, Saturday (October 8). Entry by gold coin donation to the Indigenous Literacy Foundation.

On stage

• DARAMALAN Theatre Company is staging the musical “Shrek” at McCowage Hall, Daramalan College, Dickson, 7pm, October 8, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 1pm, October 15.
• “Curses to Newton” sees Brett Hoppenbrouwer appear as a bumbling scientific wannabe who stumbles, juggles and explodes through rediscovering some of Isaac Newton’s most famous finds. Rehearsal Room, Belconnen Arts Centre, 11am and 2pm, Friday, October 7.

• DRAMATIC Productions is staging “School of Rock” at Gungahlin Theatre, October 7-22, where out-of-work Dewey Finn, who fancies himself as a great rockstar, pretends to be a substitute teacher at a school.
• REBUS Theatre’s Playback Ensemble has just finished touring “At The End Of Our Street” as part of Project Alchemy, and will be at The Hive, Queanbeyan, 7pm, October 7; the National Theatre, Braidwood, 2pm, October 9 and finally at The Street Theatre, Childers Street, Canberra, 2pm, October 15.