Out & About: August calendar listings

Atlanta’s Janelle Monae performs at The Tabernacle on Aug. 5. (Photo by Rich Polk/Getty Images)

Atlanta’s Janelle Monae performs at The Tabernacle on Aug. 5. (Photo by Rich Polk/Getty Images)

AUGUST

Theater: Essential elements

Since its 1999 debut, Essential Theatre has staged an annual festival showcasing new work, including 26 Georgia writers. This year’s program include the magic realist tale “Built to Float” by Rachel Graf Evans and “Woke” by Georgia Playwriting Award Winner Avery Sharpe.

The 2018 Essential Theatre Play Festival. Through Aug. 26. West End Performing Arts Center, 945 Ralph David Abernathy Blvd. 404-212-0815. essentialtheatre.com

Music: Local hero

In the wake of her breakthrough hit album “Dirty Computer,” multiple Grammy nominee and beloved Atlanta actress Janelle Monáe brings her futuristic hip-hop soundscapes to the Tabernacle.

Janelle Monáe. August 5. The Tabernacle, 152 Luckie St. 404-659-9022. tabernacleatl.com

Music: Blues times two

Acclaimed American blues artists Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Beth Hart co-headline an evening at Atlanta Symphony Hall. Hart, a Grammy nominee for her album “Seesaw,” is a powerhouse vocalist and plays multiple instruments, while Shepherd is a virtuoso guitarist who has performed and recorded with rock and blues legends.

Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Beth Hart. Aug. 8. Atlanta Symphony Hall, 1280 Peachtree St. 404-733-5000. atlantasymphony.org

Festival: Tangy & twangy

Founded by the Decatur Preservation Alliance in 2000, the annual BBQ, Blues and Bluegrass Festival returns to offer a varieties of grilled grub and seven hours of roots music.

Decatur BBQ, Blues and Bluegrass Festival. Aug. 11. 630 East Lake Drive and Harmony Park. decaturbbqfestival.com

Festival: Artful spaces

The Atlanta Foundation for Public Spaces presents a celebration of creativity in Atlanta’s largest park with the annual Piedmont Park Arts Festival. The event includes more than 200 artisans in paint, jewelry, leather, metal, photography and more, as well as live music, food and an emerging artists pavilion.

Piedmont Park Arts Festival. Aug. 18-19. Piedmont Park, corner of 10th Street and Monroe Drive. piedmontparkartsfestival.com

Music: Strong gusts

American alternate rock trio Guster, known for such acoustic-heavy jams as “Fa Fa” and “Amsterdam,” winds down its 2018 tour with an Atlanta Botanical Garden gig.

Guster. Aug. 24. Atlanta Botanical Garden, 1345 Piedmont Ave. 404-876-5859. atlantabg.org

Workshop: Family tree

Participants can learn how to trace their ancestry at the catchily titled “Life in the Past Lane: Beginning Genealogy” at the Atlanta History Center. Director of Oral History and Genealogy Sue VerHoef leads an introductory program rife with research strategies.

“Life in the Past Lane.” Aug. 25. Atlanta History Center, 130 W. Paces Ferry Road. 404-814-4042. AtlantaHistoryCenter.com/Genealogy

Event: For art’s sake

To support its goal of daily free admission to its galleries, the Atlanta Contemporary holds its Art Party to raise funds. The event features programming on the pavilion, special presentations and open studios to showcase its artists.

Art Party. August 25. The Atlanta Contemporary, 535 Means St. 404-688-1970. atlantacontemporary.org

Festival: Made in the shade

Atlanta’s oldest park hosts the 16th annual Summer Shade Festival, offering live music, food, arts vendors, a 5K Run for the Park and more as a fundraiser for the Grant Park Conservancy.

Summer Shade Festival. August 25-26. Grant Park, corner of Cherokee Avenue and Sydney Street. summershadefestival.org

Theater: Welcome to the dollhouse

It’s hard to imagine a work getting a more unlikely sequel than Henrik Ibsen’s classic 1879 play “A Doll’s House.” Nevertheless, contemporary playwright Lucas Hnath penned a follow-up more than a century later that earned Tony Awards and more laughs than one might expect. Freddie Ashley directs a co-production from Actor’s Express and Aurora Theatre.

“A Doll’s House, Part 2.” Aug. 30-Sept. 30. Actor’s Express, 887 W. Marietta St., Suite J-107. 404-607-7469. actors-express.com

Festival: Sign of the tomes

The largest independent book festival in the country, the Decatur Book Festival hosts author readings, writing workshops, poetry slams, cooking demos, music and more in one of the Atlanta areas’s smartest, most laid-back events.

Decatur Book Festival. Aug. 31-Sep. 2. In and around Decatur Square. decaturbookfestival.com