This is about the words. Words that cut across vast leagues of time and space to bring to life the history, triumphs and complexities of Cuba. Words that retain the beauty and mystery of the original Spanish. Coming off a two-week run at their Santa Fe theater, Teatro Paraguas brings Dos Patrias: la poesía de Cuba to Albuquerque this weekend only. Letting the words shine means relying on minimal staging—the floor painted to look like Spanish tile, the actors seated in a line like a second audience and the poems’ English translations projected simply onto a screen at one side. Standout pieces include Nancy Morejón’s haunting “Amo a mi amo” (“I Love My Master”), the waggish “Mirando un grabado erótico chino” (“Looking at an Erotic Chinese Engraving”) by Luis Rogelio Nogueras and Nicolás Guillén’s Santeria-inflected gambol “Sensemayá” (“Song to Kill a Snake”). With foot-stomping dance and the susurrations of flamenco guitar in addition to impassioned lyrical recitations, Dos Patrias is sure to please Spanish-language learners as much as lovers of language and poetry. Catch it on Friday, Oct. 25 or Saturday, Oct. 26 at 7pm and Sunday, Oct. 27 at 2:30pm at the National Hispanic Cultural Center (1701 Fourth Street SW). Free, though donations are accepted. (Lisa Barrow)

Shutterbugs gather up your best pieces and pick some to submit for hanging in the new Bernalillo County headquarters when the gov-peeps move to Alvarado Square, happening now until Monday, August 31. The selected photographs will be printed in a large scale and format. They will be used to create a welcoming environment for county customers, county employees and the general public. Some will be used on the windows of the new Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office suite. The photographs should represent the history and character of Bernalillo County and its people, places, landscapes and unique events in our county. There are some big bucks involved as chosen photographers will receive $1,500, with a limit of one photograph per artist. The chosen photos will become part of the public art program’s permanent collection. There is no fee or age limit required to submit. For more information, visit bernco.gov/community-services/current-call-for-entries.aspx. Ends August 31. (Carolyn Carlson)

City on the Edge is a breezy, smart podcast looking at the stories from Albuquerque history that have often been overlooked. Each episode takes a deep dive into a topic like the 1955 crash of TWA flight 260, Sandia Man or the 1918 quarantine. Worthwhile listening that will spur your curiosity about things you didn’t even know about in the city where you live. It’s free and available wherever you get your podcasts. (Clarke Condé)

In the words of Dean Martin, “Baby, it's cold outside.” So lend a helping hand to the homeless folks in Burque by contributing to Astro-Zombies' 8th Annual Holiday Sleeping Bag Drive. Now through Saturday, Dec. 24, drop off new, adult-sized cold weather sleeping bags at the comic store to help local homeless people weather the winter cold. The bags will be distributed throughout the community on Christmas Eve. And for each bag you donate, you'll also be entered in a raffle to win awesome prizes from the likes of Masks Y Mas, Rude Boy Cookies, Archetype Dermigraphic Studio and more. After all, when told, “Baby, you'd freeze out there,” even Dean's lady asked him to lend her a coat. (Renée Chavez)