Behind the lens
You've seen the work of photographer Sam Abell in National Geographic and other elite forums. He will give a lecture with some of his striking images 7 p.m. Monday at the Anchorage Museum, 625 C St. At the event, co-sponsored by the Alaska Society of Outdoor Nature Photographers, Abell will talk about how he comes up with ideas and follows through on creating the pictures. It's free. Enter by the doors on Seventh Avenue.
Undead dilemma
The title character may think her troubles are over once she checks out of this life -- but not in Christopher Durang's "Miss Witherspoon." The dark comedy now running at Cyrano's, 413 D St., has her travel from incarnation to incarnation as she encounters Gandalf, Jesus, a Hells Angels dude and other disspiriting spirit guides. Showtimes are 7 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 3 p.m. Sundays through Sept. 8. Tickets are available at centertix.net.
Star power
You can count the number of Alaskans who have won the Nobel Prize in physics on the thumbs of one hand -- and he will speak 4 p.m. Sunday in the Mainstage Theatre at the University of Alaska Anchorage Fine Arts Building. Astrophysicist Brian P. Schmidt, formerly of Bartlett High School, currently a professor, researcher and vintner in Australia, is credited with helping determine the size, weight and age of the visible universe. The talk on "The First Stars in the Universe" is free and open to the public.
Compiled by arts reporter
Mike Dunham