– Rashaad Newsome's "Tournament" at Marlborough Chelsea, 545 West 25th Street, Wednesday, November 2, 6-8 p.m., free

In order to attain the status of "King of Arms," a medieval rank that requires the organization of tournaments, Newsome has arranged a freestyle "Rap Joust," to be judged by a panel of celebrities including PS1 founder Alanna Heiss, who obviously knows her flow. There's a cash prize.

– Spartacus Chetwynd's "The Lion Tamer" at the New Museum, 235 Bowery, free, ongoing

Spartacus Chetwynd, British performance artist, is inhabiting the New Museum with a cabal of fellow actors and artists for "The Lion Tamer," an ongoing spectacle at the museum's new Project Space just down the block from its main building. The ever-shifting play includes dioramas, painted leotards, and giant spider creatures. 

– Elmgreen & Dragset's "Happy Days in the Art World" at Skirball Center for the Performing Arts, 566 Laguardia Place, Wednesday, November 3, 7:30 p.m., $25 and up

Early reports of the duo's art-world satire note that it has its fair share of navel-gazing — but then we always like to laugh at ourselves. In this play, starring none other than bona fide matinee idols Joseph Fiennes and Charles Edwards, the path of mid-career artists becomes an opportunity for the absurd, a la Beckett.

– Daido Moriyama's "Printing Show" at Aperture Foundation, 547 West 27th Street, November 4-5, various times, $75

The Japanese photographer will be recreating his 1971 performance in which he used a photocopier and a slew of images to create a collaborative project with his audience. The cost of the ticket includes a print from the performance and a signed photo book.

– Christine Sun Kim with Lukas Geronimas, "Feedback" at Recess, 41 Grand Street, Friday, November 4, 7:00 p.m., free

Christine Sun Kim, who has been deaf since birth, will conduct a series of experiments using microphones, delay pedals, and her own voice, focusing on the phenomena of vibration and movement. The artist will then translate that information into visual renderings. 

– Simon Fujiwara's "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" at Abrons Art Center, 466 Grand Street, Thursday, November 10, 7:30 p.m., $30

In this performance, the British-Japanese artist will be exploring "homosexuality, family dynamics, and the secret sexual powers of Abstract Expressionist painting" with the help of actors, musicians, and a mobile set. In digging up his own personal history, Fujiwara plays with concepts of mutable history and emotional development. 

– Shirin Neshat's "OverRuled" at Cedar Lake, 547 West 26th Street, November 11-12, various times, $35 to $100

In what is sure to be a provocative piece, Iranian video artist Shirin Neshat will take on the recent history of the Arab Spring in a performance set in a courtroom. The ensemble will include Iranian actors, singers, and musicians.

– James Franco and Laurel Nakadate's "Three Performances in Search of Tennessee Sunday" at Abrons Art Center, 466 Grand Street, Sunday, November 13, 12-2 p.m., $30

Sometimes the art world gets called out for being too narcissistic. If you believe it's not narcissistic enough, here's the performance for you — actor and dabbler James Franco will come together with Facebook-style self-photographer extraordinaire Laurel Nakadate for a high-concept piece based on Tennessee Williams's "The Glass Menagerie." Doubtless these two are the most attractive performers at Performa, if that floats your boat. 

– Liz Magic Laser's "I Feel Your Pain" at SVA Theatre, 333 West 23rd Street, November 13, 8 p.m., free with reservation

Liz Magic Laser's guerrilla performance will surprise audiences in the middle of a movie theater — with the artist controlling both what's on the screen and what's in the space. Eight actors will perform a sequence of scenes that will trace the progression of a romantic relationship in dialogues taken from political interviews and press conferences with figures like Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck.

– iona rozeal brown's "battle of yestermore" at Skylight West, 500 West 36th Street, Thursday, November 17, 8 p.m., $30 

iona rozeal brown's work makes for a heady brew — part hip-hop culture, part carved woodblock illustration, part Japanese kabuki theater, and a heavy dose of bling. For the first time, the artist will be bringing her aesthetic to the stage in a performance that depicts an epic battle myth.