In even further San Jose Rep news, film, TV and theatre star Rene Auberjonois will star in a one-day-only solo of Archy-Types: the adventures of archy and mehitabel, Sunday, April 20, 4 PM. Cartoonist Don Marquis came up with the cockroach and cat combo in his New York Sun newspaper column, 1915-1920. An onstage jazz combo, led by trumpeteer Taylor Haskins, will accompany Auberjonois for the piece, which is directed by San Jose Repertory artistic director, Timothy Near. (Oddly enough, Timothy is a woman, Rene a man.)

In the world of Marquis, Archy is a cockroach poet who uses his boss' typewriter to pound out verses, key by key. Mehitabel is an alley cat who believes she was Cleopatra in a past life.

Author and star Auberjonois, a founding member of San Francisco's American Conservatory Theatre, is best known for his work in Robert Altman's M*A*S*H and Brewster McCloud, as well as his current work as Odo on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. He won a Tony for Coco and appeared on Broadway in City Of Angels, Big River, Tricks, Metamorphosis and The Good Doctor.

For tickets ($29-$35) to the Archy-Types benefit for San Jose Rep, which takes place at the Mayer Theatre of Santa Clara University, call (408) 291-2255.

--By David Lefkowitz