One of the things that’s amazing about On the Boards’ recent 35th anniversary is that it’s still devoted to avant garde artists. There aren’t many institutions that get to middle age while still thinking like a rebellious teenager. One reason for this is the ongoing incubator program 12 Minutes Max, where new talent can get a break, and established performers can take a chance on something different. For this edition, among seven acts in the lineup, Linas Phillips steps away from his acclaimed 2006 documentary Walking to Werner and into a stand-up comic persona named Shawnsey Michael Tomas, who himself is looking for transformation through performance art: a show called A One Man Show by Shawnsey. SANDRA KURTZ

Sun., Feb. 10, 8 p.m.; Mon., Feb. 11, 8 p.m., 2013