Children's Festival and Earth Day activities are planned for April 21 during the Kaleidoscope arts festival at Slippery Rock University. The following is a list of prominent performances in the festival running Wednesday through April 29. Events are free unless noted. Some performances are off-site.

• Antonio Sacre — 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and at 7:30 p.m. April 24 and 25.

A storyteller for more than 10 years, Antonio Sacre shares touching and humorous bilingual stories, drawn especially from his background of growing up biculturally in a Cuban and Irish-American household.

• Billy Hartung — 1 p.m. April 28.

In "Fathers and Sons — no acting aloud," Hartung performs an afternoon of song and celebration in this new one-man show that deals with what it means to be a father and how it feels to be a son.

• Brave New Plays 2007 — "Flying Solo" at 8 p.m. April 24 and 25 and "Short Shorts" at 8 p.m. April 26 and 27.

SRU's Theatre Department new works festival returns to the main stage with new student-written and student-directed plays making their debut on the Miller Auditorium stage. Admission is $5; SRUstudents pay $3.

• David Skeele — 8 p.m. April 28 and 2 p.m. April 29.

Dr. David Skeele, a professor of theater at SRU, presents his newest play.

• Die Fledermaus — 7:30 p.m. April 26, 27 and 29 at Butler County Community College.

A comic German operetta, this amusing case of mistaken identity enjoys music by Johann Strauss. Admission is $10; students pay $5.

• Edgar Heap of Birds — 12:30 p.m. Thursday.

Native American Day is co-sponsored by the President's Commission Diversity. Artworks will include multi-disciplinary forms of public art messages, large scale drawings, prints and monumental porcelain enamel on steel outdoor sculpture.

• Harvey Pekar — 12:30 p.m. April 20.

"American Splendor: A Day in the Life of Harvey Pekar" features Cleveland-based Pekar, author of the autobiographical comic book series "American Splendor," which has been published for more than 30 years.

Ed Piskor, as the illustrator of Pekar's newest graphic novel, will be displaying his work and speaking with the comic artist.

• Huang Xiang — Wednesday through April 20 and April 23.

A dissident Chinese poet who has spent more than 10 years in prison for refusing to submit to the Communist Party, Huang Xiang has found a home for himself, his wife, and his poems in Pennsylvania. He will be painting his poetry on the outside of Image Unlimited, 126 S. Main St. in Slippery Rock, from Wednesday through April 20. He will also read his poetry at 3 p.m. April 23.

• John McCutcheon — 6 p.m. April 27.

One of America's most loved folk musicians, McCutcheon plays music rooted in Appalachian tradition. The storytelling of his huge catalog of original songs makes people of every generation and background seem to feel at home in a concert hall when John McCutcheon takes the stage. Tickets bought in advance cost $3 for adults and $2 for children age 12 and younger. Tickets at he door will be $4 for adults and $3 for children. All tickets bought on Children's Day, April 21, will cost $2.

• Katja Esson lecturing on "Ferry Tales" — 7:30 p.m. April 20.

Esson, a German-born, New York-based filmmaker, writer and director, mixes documentary, narrative and experimental genres.

• R.L. Stine — 3 p.m. April 21.

In the featured event of Children's Day, best-selling children's book author R.L. Stine will talk to kids and read from his newest book series, "Rotten School." Afterward, he will answer questions and sign "Rotten School" books. Doors open at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are free but required. Call for availability at 724-738-4863.

• Shakespeare's birthday dinner — 5:30 p.m. April 23.

Celebrate 443 years of the bard with an evening of food, music, costumes and performances. The evening will feature the music of the James Ferla and Marco Startor. Cost is $10 for students and $12 non-students.

• Shanna Ketchum-Heap of Birds — noon Thursday.

As part of Native American Day, which is co-sponsored by the President's Commission Diversity, Shanna Ketchum-Heap of Birds, a Navajo critic and art historian of contemporary Native American art, will discuss "Transcultural Space in Context: The Art of Diego Romero."

• Dr. Stanley Murashige — 3:30 p.m. April 23.

"Asian Art: An Introduction" will be the topic of a talk by Murashige, currently an associate professor of art history, theory and criticism at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where he has been teaching for almost 14 years. He teaches courses on Chinese art, painting, Buddhist art, cross-cultural exchanges between East and West and Asian art in general.

• Faith Adiele — 4 p.m. April 25.

Adiele's account of being the first black Buddhist nun in Thailand is called "Meeting Faith: An Inward Odyssey." She currently resides in Pennsylvania, where she is assistant professor of creative writing at the University of Pittsburgh.

• Three Rivers Jazz Orchestra — 7:30 p.m. April 25.

The TRJO was created and directed by Steve Hawk, assistant professor of music at SRU, and Mike Tomaro, director of jazz studies at Duquesne University. The group is composed of many big band jazz musicians in the Pittsburgh region. The performance will be in the University Union. Admission is $5; students pay $3.

• SRU Senior Dance Concert, "Last Call at the Barre" — 5 and 8 p.m. April 28 in Swope Recital Hall. Admission is $2.