Culture Flash!

• This week, those intrepid Heroes of Comedy will boldly go (right) where no gambler has gone before, taking their improvised stage version of a certain beloved 1960s sci-fi series, Start Trekkin', to Las Vegas for the Star Trek Las Vegas Convention 2005. This is as big a show as these suckers get, with more than 30 guests drawn from all the Trek series, including the biggest of the big phasers: William Shatner, Patrick Stewart, Avery Brooks, Kate Mulgrew, Brent Spiner, et al. The Heroes will be quite literally opening theÊconvention with a special show for the con's Gold Weekend Patrons (folks who paid upwards of $500 to attend the four-day extravaganza) on Thursday, Aug. 11 (at – groan – 11am, a tough time to do improv, even with a presold audience). They do a follow-up "episode" open to all con-goers at 12:20pm Friday (their main competition being the Klingon Feast luncheon at the Vegas Hilton Benihana Restaurant). Fortunately, this is not a five-year mission: The Start Trekkin' crew will be back in Austin with a new run of the show in September – and they're looking for improvisers to join them "in bad wigs, transparent socialÊallegories, and kickass fight scenes." For information, e-mail [email protected].

• Arthouse Family Day gives art lovers of all ages a way to enjoy the current Arthouse show, "New American Talent: The Twentieth Exhibition." The event features free hands-on activities for the kids and information about the artists and how they make their artwork. The family fun starts at noon on Saturday, Aug. 13, and continues until 4pm at Arthouse at the Jones Center, 700 Congress. For more information, visit www.arthousetexas.org.