Although she doesn’t consider herself a lesbian comic, Jessica Kirson is raising a daughter with her female partner and has been known to dart across Manhattan to squeeze six gigs into one night. Kirson digs into her Jewish roots in New Jersey, stoner culture, and life as a plus-size woman. On her YouTube channel, the Last Comic Standing alum funnels elements of candid camera and improvisational comedy into The Jessy K Show, a “reality talk show” featuring celebrity guests (including stepbrother Zach Braff) and recurring segments like the Rachel Feinstein collaboration “Yentes.” Kirson kicks off a five-show run at Laugh Out Loud with a performance benefiting Pride Center San Antonio, a nonprofit dedicated to providing an inclusive environment for the LGBT community.

Buildings, chairs, and hallway mirrors may look artful in appearance, but are generally thought of as examples of design, not fine art. Why? By hoary convention, art may function as a social marker (whether graffiti or Warhol painting, its possession declares membership in one club of cool kids or another), but when a made thing functions in ways that don’t take a social scientist to describe, well — that’s design. This Thursday, Mike Addkison of ADAPTEResponder Designs will unveil a pair of benches commissioned for the Epitome Institute that cross categories. Focusing on two iconic works of art that reference sitting — Rodin’s The Thinker and Ingres’ La Grande Odalisque — Addkison designed the benches as reversibles. In one position, the profile of one famous artwork is seen. Flip the bench, and the other piece’s profile jumps to view. “My intent,” says Addkison, “was to blur the line between art and design and create functional seating for the gallery with the kind of conceptual intent often found in art, but rarely found in architecture or industrial design.” Free, 6:30-8:30pm Thursday, Epitome Institute, 222 Roosevelt, (210) 535-0918, epitomeinstitute.com.

As street-tough Pittsburgh teen Alex Owens, Jennifer Beals made sweatshirts sexy — among other improbable feats — in Adrian Lyne’s 1983 film Flashdance. Thanks to a theatrical adaptation by Tom Hedley (who co-wrote the original screenplay with Joe Eszterhas) and Robert Carey, Owens is back in leg warmers and dancing like a maniac in Flashdance the Musical. A blue-collar Cinderella story fueled by the liberating power of dance, the musical mixes hits from the film’s Grammy-winning soundtrack (including the Oscar-winning title track “Flashdance…What a Feeling”) with 16 original songs written by Robbie Roth. While it’s yet to debut on Broadway, previous productions, including a 16-week run in London, have reminded audiences of the lovable Billy Elliot. The national tour lands at the Majestic for an eight-show run.

Austin’s Grupo Fantasma is a high-octane nine-piece group that creates a fusion of diverse styles in their music. Listen closely and you’ll be blown away by the disparate Latino-afro (and other) influences they embrace, from calypso and cumbia to funk and rock. Grupo Fantasma incorporates elements from a seemingly endless number of inspirations, making some of the most uniquely independent and culturally universal music heard today. Widely considered one of the best live acts around, these guys play with an intensity that is truly impressive, especially considering their grueling touring schedule. Formed in 2000, GF has since released five albums, been all over the world, won a Grammy, and fine-tuned their virtuoso live set into something you don’t want to miss.

Hamlet is said to be William Shakespeare’s most popular play, a walloping five-acts of betrayal, revenge, double-crossing, and murder. Death by poison, suicide, stabbing, and decree slaughters the cast, while Hamlet, son of slain King Hamlet of Denmark (now a ghost), ponders what to do next. Hamlet Jr.’s mad, pissed off, but maybe crazy-mad, too. The Classic Theatre of San Antonio and experimental theater virtuosos Jump-Start Performance Company have teamed up to perform Method & Madness: Hamlet 2013, an adaptation by Laurie Rae Dietrich in steam punk dress that slices the original down to a 90-minute ride through intrigue. Don’t expect a simple synopsis of the venerable work; the radically different styles of both companies (classic, experimental) will both be in play, and pairings abound. Diane Malone and Jump-Start’s S.T. Shimi co-direct, Billy Muñoz and Rick Malone share lighting design, and Hamlet’s split personalities are performed by Muñoz and Linda Ford. With Christie Beckham, Erik Bosse, Dietrich, Dino Foxx, Pamela Dean Kenny, Robert Rehm, Joseph Urick and Kitty Williams. $15-$20, 8pm Fri-Sat, 3pm Sun, The Sterling Houston Theater at Jump-Start, 108 Blue Star, (210) 227-5867, jump-start.org. Through June 23.

Nearly $2,000 in prizes awaits the winners of The Official Miss and Mister Pride San Antonio Pageant. Following a theme of “Dream in Color,” the inaugural event encompasses five categories — daytime interview, presentation, talent, eveningwear, and onstage Q&A — to be judged by two panels. According to multitalented host Sasha Taylor (who’s previously nabbed Miss Bexar County International and Miss Queen of the Globe titles), the pageant is open to amateur and professional entertainers provided they “have what it takes to take home a prestigious title.” Beyond the crowns, sashes, and swag — which includes an Android tablet, gift certificates, and a spot in the Pride Bigger than Texas Parade — the titles bind each winner to at least four benefit performances during their reign.