“Mercury”: Playwrights Foundation and the National Center for New Plays at Stanford present a rough reading of a new play by Steve Yockey (“Octopus,” “Large Animal Games”). 7:30 p.m. Roble Hall, Stanford University. www.playwrightsfoundation,org.

B orromeo String Quartet: The Boston ensemble performs all six of Bartók’s string quartets in a single program. 7:30 p.m. San Francisco Conservatory of Music, 50 Oak St., S.F. www.sfcm.edu.

Earplay: The new music ensemble performs world premieres by Ursula Kwong-Brown and Herbert Bielawa along with older works by Stefan Wolpe and Donald Aird. 7:30 p.m. Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness Ave., S.F. www.earplay.org.

San Francisco Choral Artists: Artistic Director Magen Solomon leads a program of music based on Jewish liturgy, including six world premieres. 7:30 p.m. Temple Emanu-El, 2 Lake St., S.F. www.sfca.org.