GOINGS ON / SANTA BARBARA : Ensemble Presents 'Complete History of America' in 90 Minutes : If you're looking for musical entertainment, singer Chaka Khan performs at the Arlington Theatre.

GOINGS ON / SANTA BARBARA : Ensemble Presents ‘Complete History of America’ in 90 Minutes : If you’re looking for musical entertainment, singer Chaka Khan performs at the Arlington Theatre.

By LEO SMITH

April 22, 1993 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

First, a couple of events you’ll have to act upon quickly:

The Reduced Shakespeare Company--known primarily for its super-condensed renditions of the Bard’s works--will perform “The Complete History of America (Abridged!)” tonight at the Lobero Theatre.

Yes, the same three-man ensemble that ran through Hamlet in a mere half-hour, will romp through our country’s long and winding historical path in about 90 minutes. Show time is 8 p.m. General admission is $17.50. The theater is at 22 E. Canon Perdido St. Call 963-0761.

If music is more the entertainment you’re looking for tonight, singer Chaka Khan will take the stage at the Arlington Theater beginning at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20, $25 and $30. The theater is at 1317 State St. We suggest calling the box office at 963-4408 to make sure seats are available.

Jupiter and its moons will be the featured celestial objects Friday, when the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History holds a special telescope session. The planet and its four moons--Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto--should be visible. General admission is $2 adults, $1 children, and $1 seniors, with a maximum of $5 per family. The museum is at 2559 Puesta del Sol Road. For more information call 682-4711.

What is a silent film without the melodramatic musical score?

San Francisco’s Club Foot Orchestra will provide the background sound Saturday at two screenings of Buster Keaton’s silent “Sherlock Jr.” at the Lobero Theatre. The shows are being presented by the New Vic Theater.

This 1924 film features Keaton as a projectionist who projects himself into the Sherlock Holmes mystery he is showing. Keaton also directed the movie. There will be two short films on the bill as well: the 1929 cartoon “Felix the Cat Woos Whoopee” and 1924’s “Entre’ Acte.”

Show times are 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Admission to the early show is $7.50 adults, $5.50 children and seniors, free for children under 12 with the purchase of an adult ticket. Admission for the evening presentation is $10.50 adults and $8.50 children and seniors. The Lobero is at 33 E. Canon Perdido. For more information call 963-0761.

Susan Forward, author of “Men Who Hate Women and the Women Who Love Them,” will be the keynote speaker at Santa Barbara City College’s sixth annual Women’s Day conference Saturday.

The program--from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.--will include a morning presentation by Sally Bishop, a leader in the field of personal productivity and time management, and about 65 booth exhibits and 36 workshops. The workshops will deal with meeting personal and professional goals as well as practical and leisure subjects, including painting, family finances and the law.

General admission is $45 for the full day (which includes lunch and the keynote presentation) and $25 for a half-day (including either morning or afternoon workshops, but excluding lunch and the keynote speech). Participants may sign up in advance or at the door, but preregistration is suggested to ensure admission to workshops.

For those who can’t wait for the Santa Barbara I Madonnari Italian Street Painting Festival over Memorial Day weekend, San Luis Obispo will host one of its own Saturday and Sunday.

Like the Santa Barbara version, SLO’s second annual festival is produced by the Children’s Creative Project. Proceeds from the sale of Italian food will benefit the organization, which brings arts education programs to elementary schools.

Armed with colored chalk, artists will draw vivid pictures on the sidewalks around Mission San Luis Obispo. The mission is at the corner of Broad and Palm streets. Visitors can watch the artists at work from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days. For more information call the SLO Chamber of Commerce at 781-2777.

The Santa Barbara Fair and Expo will continue through Sunday at the Earl Warren Showgrounds. You’ll find the usual carnival action, plus a concert by Black Uhuru, Andrew Tosh and Louie Rankin on Friday at 6:30 p.m., cowboy bull riding Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. and a fiesta Sunday at 2 p.m. The show grounds are at the Las Positas Road exit off U.S. 101. For admission and event prices or more information, call 687-0766.