Managua’s finest theater, El Teatro Nacional Rubén Darío (at the Malecón, tel. 505/2266-3630 or 505/2228-4021) hosts top-name international acts. Check the newspaper for performances or call.

La Escuela Nacional de Teatro (Palacio Nacional de Cultura, tel. 505/2222-4449) is primarily a teaching facility that presents performances on weekends by students and small professional troupes from all over Latin America; call for a list of events, as they’re not always published.

The Sala de Teatro Justo Rufino Garay (from Montoya, 3 blocks west, 20 meters north, next to Parque Las Palmas, tel. 505/2266-3714, www.rufinos.org) is better frequented and offers similar fare on weekends only; a calendar of events is often available at supermarkets and Texaco stations as well as in the arts magazine Patadeperro if you’re lucky enough to find a copy.

Located across from the UCA, La Academia de Danza (tel. 505/2277-5557) has frequent performances and concerts. The students deliver professional and talented renditions of traditional, folk, modern jazz, Brazilian, and ballet; call or drop by for a schedule of events, or if you’re in town for the long haul, consider taking one of their dance classes to prepare you for the club scene.