BY JENNIFER KILBOURNE

Antonio Garza is no stranger to adaptation. In his one-man show, Men in Uniform, he tells about his experiences as a young Mexican-American moving between the two countries, which became more difficult with the onset of post-9/11 border anxiety. He has performed the show across the country and in Europe, modifying it for audiences ranging from other border natives to Parisians.

His newest project, taking Men in Uniform on tour across Arizona by bicycle, is currently undergoing its own set of changes. Garza was injured in a car accident earlier this month, but with the support of New Orleans Fringe, his show will go on. Before he sets off, Garza will perform Men in Uniform in the Shadowbox Theatre (2400 St. Claude Ave., 523-7469; www.theshadowboxtheatre.com) at 8 p.m. Friday, June 25.

“The show looks at how the second arrest affected certain aspects of my life, especially my relationship with my mother and friends,” says Garza, who has been wrongfully detained twice by officers who suspected him of being in the United States illegally. Alternately funny and moving, the play explores what shifting political climates mean for immigration regulation, and who gets to decide which people belong where.

The tour originally was set to be finished by August, when Arizona Senate bill 1070 — which orders law enforcement officers to detain anyone they suspect of being an illegal immigrant — goes into effect in that state. Because of the accident (Garza now wears a neck brace, limps slightly and suffers back pain), he will still be pedaling when it does. Critics have decried the law as racial profiling, but Garza is optimistic he won’t have any more run-ins with police.

“After 9/11, I think there’s a way racial profiling became kind of normative and OK. Half the country tends to think it’s disgusting,” he says. “I also want to perform for people who think the law’s OK. At the same time, I want to quietly observe.”

With average temperatures in July ranging from 81 degrees to 106 degrees in Arizona and a packed schedule of performances and cycling stints, Garza now needs to rest, recover and train. While he waits for doctors’ permission to begin training again, he’s working with a New Orleans shop to build a bike that will accommodate his physical limitations. His injuries are likely to force him to stop more frequently than he originally planned, but Garza says that will give him more opportunities to interact with Arizonans.

“When you come into town with just a bicycle, it kind of sparks conversation, and I expect to have intimate conversations with people,” he says. Garza will document his travel experiences on his blog, www.antoniogarza.blogspot.com.

“That’s so Fringe-y, to take the show out to where it really gets you in the gut,” says Kristen Evans, co-founder of New Orleans Fringe. The Fringe’s relationship with Garza dates back to 2008, when he performed Men in Uniform at the first Fringe Festival, now a yearly celebration of avant-garde art.

As the festival grew in 2009, the founders decided to expand their operation. “We sat down and asked ourselves, ‘How can we nurture the arts in a more powerful way?’” Evans says. Two key projects came out of that brainstorm: a year-round program of performances and workshops called the Fringe Alternative Theater Incubator (FATI), and a commitment to diversifying the face of theater in New Orleans. FATI now offers tickets at reduced prices to underserved communities and holds events all over the city. The Fringe also is taking steps to diversify its lineup by having a panel of 12 artists review each submission to the Fringe Festival with the goal of creating a line up of high-quality pieces and performers who reflect New Orleans’ population. So when Evans found out about Garza’s plan to take his play about discrimination on a road trip to Arizona just as the new law was going into effect, she knew it was something the Fringe could get behind.

FATI is sponsoring Friday’s performance of Men in Uniform, which also will feature jambalaya tacos and Cuba libres. Proceeds from the event will pay for tires and Powerbars during Garza’s trip. He plans to donate any extra money he raises to a charity along his route.

If you are planning to attend the performance of Jean-Eric with Gris Gris Strut at the opening of the Swamp Tours exhibit at the New Orleans Museum of Art (1 Collins Diboll Circle, 658-4100; www.noma.org) tonight, you better get a move on. In Gambit’s preview of the event (“Mime is Money,” Music, June 1), we mistakenly said it started at 8 p.m. It actually starts at 6 p.m. — and ends at 8 p.m. — and is free and open to the public. The Swamp Tours exhibit will be on view until Aug. 29.

Feeling frustrated and helpless about the growing gulf in the Gulf? Since you can’t fly over it or even get to it without the permission of the all-powerful BP Oz, then take to the streets to show your support for lessening our dependence on crude — and perhaps work off some of the anxiety over what the muck from the oil rig disaster is doing to the Gulf and our coastline.

Critical Mass New Orleans, bicyclists promoting alternatives to cars, will meet at Jackson Square at 6 p.m. Friday and ride into Jefferson Parish, ending on the Mississippi River levee. DJ Dontplaydat will provide tunes.

The ride will show cycling as a viable alternative for commuters, but all modes of non-polluting transportation are welcome. (Stinky feet are not considered pollution, so running, skateboarding, etc. are allowed.)

We always want people to do the right thing on their own, but because common sense is not a prerequisite for things like owning and riding a bike or buying a bicycle for your child, legislation becomes involved.

Rep. Wayne Waddell, R-Shreveport, wanted to make sure bicyclists who ride at night are visible to other traffic, so he introduced House Bill 1121 mandating cyclists have a red or a red blinking light on the back of their bikes if they ride at night. It was killed because of opposition to its proposed fines of $25 to $50 plus court costs for offenders.

Waddell stripped the fines from the language, instead opting for warning tickets, and attached the revised version as an amendment to House Bill 298 by Rep. Damon Baldone, D-Houma, which dealt with where bicyclists are allowed to ride on a street. Waddell says he may reinsert the fines when the bill reaches the Senate.

The issue to me isn’t really whether cyclists should have to pay a fine for failing to have a red light and reflectors on their bikes, but rather making sure those lights are there so other vehicle operators can see the bikes in the dark. In my view, a headlight on the front of the bike also should be included. Exempting the bikes of children under 10 also seems counterproductive. One hopes parents are vigilant in allowing children this young to ride the streets after dark in the first place, but without any reflectors so cars can see them, or a headlight that allows the cyclist to see where he or she is going, is folly. Why exempt those who need protection the most and are least cognizant of the consequences?

In her campaign commercials Leslie Jacobs promised that as mayor she would solve the city’s crime problem by firing Police Chief Warren Riley and replacing him with someone who could get the job done. She also vowed to continue working to better the school system and generally make New Orleans a better place to live.

Now, however, she is withdrawing from the race for the city’s chief executive for a very pragmatic reason: she is convinced she can’t win.

The education reformer, former Orleans Parish School Board and BESE member issued this statement:

“I decided to run for mayor because I care passionately for this city and truly believe New Orleans is at a tipping point: Are we going to continue to struggle or become a vibrant city offering a better quality of life and more opportunities for all of our citizens?

“While I believe that I would be a great mayor for the City of New Orleans, after much consideration and thoughtful analysis of the final field of candidates, I have determined I cannot win this election.

“I will be filing the papers to remove my name from the ballot. While no longer a candidate for mayor, I remain committed to working for the betterment of New Orleans and the region.

“I cannot express the extent of my gratitude to those who have opened their homes, invested their funds, and volunteered their time to help my campaign. I reiterate how deeply honored and appreciative I am of your enthusiasm and support.”