While his Buddha Blues has proven popular (two of the last three shows are sold out), internationally-known poet and journalist Ron Jones ends his reign as an enlightened "buddha with the blues" July 30 at San Francisco's New Conservatory Theatre Center. Jones wrote, performs and directed the piece, which began performances July 21.

Buddha Blues is about growing up in San Francisco while getting an unusual gift from Dad, solving the murder of the infamous Insect Lady, coaching a basketball team whose mascot is a penis, and skinny-dipping in a "talking" pond. An experimental piece, the one-man Blues uses stories, poetry and jazz to tell the adventures of "an everyday Buddha with the blues."

A published author and journalist, Jones wrote the books "The Acorn People," "The Wave," and "Say Ray," the American book Award winner in 1985. A Peabody Award winner, he has been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize twice.

Linton Hale accompanies Jones on percussion and piano. Damon Molloy created the video images.

Tickets are $10. The New Conservatory Theatre Center is located at 25 Van Ness Avenue. For tickets, call (415) 861-8972. The New Conservatory Theatre is on the web at http://www.nctcsf.org. -- By Christine Ehren