EVERYTHING IN THE GARDEN • A Theater Under The Inflamesuence
GOBLIN MARKET • ACT
THE LAST NIGHT OF BALLYHOO • Intiman
THE PROM REUNION • Amoeba Productions
ROBIN HOOD • The New Savoy Opera

ONE WEEK ONLY

THE DISH • Kevin Kent
KILLING BOB • Empty Space
LAUGHING OPHELIA • Market Theater

CLOSING THIS WEEK

GUYS AND DOLLS • 5th Ave *
HELIUM • On The Boards
MONDO BEYONDO • Parlour Room *
STRAIGHT • David Schmader
THE TRAGEDY OF ROMEO AND JULIET • Pacific Northwest Ballet
THE TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL • Taproot

OPENING AND CURRENT RUNS

THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF AMERICA--History demonstrated in 90 easy minutes, from the fine citizens who brought you The Compleat Works of Wllm Shkspr (Abridged). Featuring the comedic talents of Jeffrey L. Treadwell, Burton Curtis and Jonathan Hochberg. Empty Space Theater, 3509 Fremont Ave N, 547-7500. Tues-Thurs at 7:30, Fri-Sat at 8, Sat-Sun at 2, through July 3. $16-$25. See review this issue.

EVERYTHING IN THE GARDEN--It's 1967 suburbia, and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Edward Albee has his finger on the slow, well-manicured pulse of America. Money drives the drama in this little-known of his plays, directed by Craig Bradshaw. Union Garage Performance Space, 1418 10th Ave, 720-1942. Thurs-Sat at 8, through July 3. $10.

GOBLIN MARKET--Two sisters relive their youth in this ghostly adaptation of a 19th century poem by Christina Rossetti. Directed by Nikki Appino, with ethereal sets by Dan Corson. The Falls Theater at ACT, 700 Union St, 292-7676. Tues-Thurs at 7:30, Fri-Sat at 8, Sun at 7, some matinees, through July 4. $10-$40.

GUYS AND DOLLS--Gambling and the reforming power of love drive this Broadway musical classic, featuring hits such as "Luck Be A Lady" and "Sit Down You're Rockin' the Boat." With former Trapper John, MD Gonzo Gregory Harrison as high roller Sky Masterson, Bob Dorian as Nathan Detroit, and Kim Lindsay as Sarah Brown. 5th Ave Theater, 292-2787. Tues-Fri at 8, Sat at 2 & 8, Sun at 2 & 7:30, through June 13. $19-$50.

HELIUM--Solo performer Matt Smith has garnered a national reputation for his comedy work, which blends a disarmingly casual performance style with sharp, edgy subject matter. In Helium, Smith recounts his youthful exploits teaching English in Japan--but that's just the tip of this beguiling, constantly surprising iceberg. Don't miss it. On The Boards, 100 W Roy St, 217-9888. Thurs-Sun at 8, through June 20. $10/$12.See review this issue.

JEFFREY--Set in present day Manhattan, Paul Rudnick's play Jeffrey is nevertheless a period piece, hinging on the last decade's pandemic fear of AIDS, and the comedy inherent in celibacy. With Justin Fatz and Mark Finley. Chamber Theater, Oddfellow's Hall, 4th Floor, 522-8804. Fri-Sun at 8, through June 27. $12.50. See review this issue.

LAKEBOAT--David Mamet's masculinity drives the real-life double-talk set on a Great Lakes steamer, as the cook and crew get cozy, even claustrophobic. Directed by Joel Gilman (The Nerd). Northwest Actors Studio, 1100 E Pike, 324-6328. Fri-Sat at 8, Sun at 7, through June 19. $10/$8.See review this issue.

THE LAST NIGHT OF BALLYHOO--By the author of Driving Miss Daisy, another heart-warming commentary on social hierarchy, this time set in 1939 debutante Atlanta. A wealthy Jewish family questions their heritage as their country prepares for war. Intiman Theater, Seattle Center, 269-1900. Sun, Tues, Wed at 7, Thurs-Sat at 8, Sat-Sun at 2, through July 10. $10-$39.

LATE NIGHT CATECHISM--And the nun goes on. Somebody really likes cute Catholics. This is an evening of audience participation and interactive improv theater: think Sister Windy crossed with Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All for You. ACT, 700 Union St, 292-7676. Thurs-Sat at 8, Sun at 2, extended for eternity. $24.50-$29.50.

THE MISS FIRECRACKER CONTEST--Moonlight Theater Company presents Beth Henley's sparkly comedy, in which the orphan Carnelle (Natalie Symons) decides her only way out of a small town past is to win a beauty pageant. Book-It Repertory Theater, 1219 Westlake N, 3rd Floor, 367-2174. Thurs-Sat at 8 through June 26. $12.

MONTANA MOOSE, A FABLE OF THE MODERN AMERICAN WEST--Local playwright John Moe spars with nature in this comical tale of a small-town newspaper editor who is transformed by a camping trip. Directed by Andy Jensen (Zombie Temps from Outer Space). Theater Schmeater, 1500 Summit Ave, 324-5801. Thurs-Sat at 8, some Sun matinees, through June 26. $12.

*POONA THE FUCKDOG--"Poona reinvents every social cliché as if it were a naughty and very funny joke told by an intelligent kindergartner. It is smart, bold, and insightful, poignant without being preachy, and meaningful without being sappy. Written by Jeff Goode and directed by Basil Harris, Poona the Fuckdog is two hours of theater magic that will go down in infamy." (Adrian Ryan) Open Circle Theater, 429 Boren Ave N, 382-4250. Thurs-Sat at 8, extended through June 19. $10/$12.

*STRAIGHT--David Schmader is a funny man. Unfortunately, he was born gay. In Straight, Schmader searches for a remedy, plunging into the controversial world of "conversion therapy," where homosexuals are reputedly made "straight." "Schmader has one of the keenest sensibilities I've seen on stage, possessing an uncommon and endearing talent for telling a story, and with Straight, Schmader follows his minted formula to its apex." (Tonia Steed) Re-bar, 1114 Howell St, 323-0388. Fri-Sun at 8, extended through June 12. $10 (21 & over).

THE TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL--Horton Foote's play about a lonely elderly woman who takes off on a Thelma & Louise-type road trip when she forgets to take her meds. With Cynthia Jennings-White. Taproot Theater, 204 N 85th St, 781-9707. Wed-Thurs at 7:30, Fri at 8, Sat at 2 & 8, through June 12. $16-$22.

TROUBLE IN THE CITY OF DESIRE--"Mary Ewald, playing a frazzled professor and mother named Lucy, is tempted and tormented by her licentious daughter Franci (Elizabeth Kenny), and an Annie Sprinkle-like spirit in a bustier named BB (Ki Gottberg). The pair want Lucy to be a modern superwoman, but she can barely balance her work and home. Clothes and accessories drop on lines from the ceiling, relating to various life choices Lucy could have made. Plates rattle on the walls. Franci shows up in a wedding dress covered with menstrual blood. Taken alone, many of these bits are wonderful to watch, but added together they sound and look like formula: off-the-rack components for DIY contemporary performance." (Eric Fredericksen) Richard Hugo House, 1634 11th Ave, 328-4683. Thurs-Sat at 8, through June 26. $15.

FESTIVALS, CABARETS, & COMEDY

BRAIDED TALES--Hair and all its implications weave the tangled themes of improv experts Unexpected Productions' newest production. Market Theater, Post Alley (Pike Place Market), 781-9273. Fri-Sat at 8, through June 26. $10.

THE DISH--Kevin Kent returns as Dr. Dick Trumble, on a talk show that's just as much show as talk, irreverently titled, The Dish, the Saucy Talk Show About Who We Fuck and What We Wear. This free event showcases young hustlers, queers and their fathers, and a swimsuit fashion parade. Broadway Performance Hall, 1625 Broadway, 860-6969. Tues June 15 only, 6:30. Free.

*THE DONK SISTERS--Travel from frills to feminism with three country gals. Karen Kay Cody, Bobbi Kotula, and Vickielee Wohlbach reprise their roles as the Donk Sisters, honky-tonking their way through favorites such as "Listen to a Country Song," and "Harper Valley PTA" in the Cabaret de Paris dinner show. Crepe de Paris Restaurant, 1333 Fifth Ave at Union (Rainier Square), 623-4111. Thurs at 8, Fri-Sat at 8:30, through June 26. $40/$16.

HALF & HALF--Improv that really cuts up--presenting two mismatched halves of plays, shoved obstinately together. Market Theater, 1428 Post Alley, 781-9273. Wed at 8 through June 30. $5.

JULIE CASCIOPPO EXPERIENCE--Songs and characters you may grow to love. The Pink Door, Pike Place Market, 1919 Post Alley, 443-3241. Tues at 8:30 & 11. No cover.

KILLING BOB--Therapy and cafes set the stage for Vancouver playwright Elizabeth Dancoes' dark comedy Killing Bob, presented here in a reading featuring local actors. Empty Space Theater, 3509 Fremont Ave N, 547-7500. Mon June 14 only, 7 pm. Free.

LAUGHING OPHELIA--Women in comedy celebrate hysteria--hysterical humor, anyway. Featuring the female comedy improv group Edith's Head and Almost Live wit Lauren Weedman. There will be a silent auction and wine reception to benefit the women's leadership group Passages Northwest. Market Theater, 1428 Post Alley, 286-8601. Mon June 14 only, 7 pm. $25.

MONDO BEYONDO--A slap-in-the-face cabaret, incorporating film clips and snake grippers, including Mat "The Tube" Crowley from the Jim Rose Circus Show. The Parlour Room, 163 S Jackson, 287-1900. Sat at 8, through June 12. $8.

THE PROM REUNION--The folks at Richard (Dick) Ultimate High School have decided to re-stage their 1970s prom, and you can be a part of it. Interactive theater in the style of Tony & Tina's Wedding, food included. Phinney Ridge Neighborhood Center, Community Hall, Lower Level, 6532 Phinney Ave N, 628-0888. Sat at 6:30 through the end of summer. $55/$45.

ROBIN HOOD--A comic operetta with dubious ethics but all-out romance, reprised by The New Savoy Opera. Bastyr University, St. Edward's State Park, 526-4969. Fri-Sat at 8, Sun at 3, through June 26. $10-$14.

*TEATRO ZINZANNI--Three hours of fancy food and thrilling spectacle from the world over, presented in an antique European dance hall imported from Belgium for the occasion. Worth the price just to watch local wonder Kevin Kent work his jaw-dropping magic on crowds who've never set foot in a fringe theater. Seattle Center, 222 Mercer St, 281-7788 ext 700 or 292-ARTS. Thurs-Sat at 7:30, Sun at 6:30, extended through July 18. $88.

*THREE DOLLAR BILL--Seattle's original gay/lesbian/bisexual stand-up comedy show still stands in its second year. Comedy Underground, 222 S Main St, 324-8025. Tues at 8:30. $6.

DANCE

THE TRAGEDY OF ROMEO AND JULIET--Your heart will break, death will seem romantic--and all this just from the bathroom lines at intermission. Kent Stowell's interpretation of Shakespeare's poison piece. Seattle Center Opera House, 301 Mercer St, 292-ARTS. Thurs-Sat at 7:30, Sat at 2, Sun June 13 at 1 and 7. $16-$100.

LATE NIGHT

THE A.M. CABARET--Amoral entertainment for insomniacs; promising naked poetry, music, strippers, and drag queens. You may think you're dreaming. Coffee Messiah, 1554 E Olive Way, 860-7377. Sat from 2-4 am. $5.

JET CITY IMPROV--Improv comedy and music based on audience suggestions. Ethnic Cultural Theater, 3940 Brooklyn Ave NE, 781-3879. Fri-Sat at 10:30.

SPIN THE BOTTLE--Annex's late-night performance is a slumgullion of juggling, dance, singing, and silhouettes, cultivated by the finely tuned Bret Fetzer. Annex Theater, 1916 Fourth Ave, 729-0933. First Friday of every month. No reservations. $5.

THEATER SPORTS--Improv comedy with a competitive edge, brought to you by Unexpected Productions. Market Theater, 1428 Post Alley, 781-9273. Fri-Sat at 10:30, $9, Sun at 7, $5.

THE TWILIGHT ZONE LIVE ON STAGE--Two classic episodes, "Twenty Two" and "Time Enough at Last," bring a little surreality to your late night. Theater Schmeater, 1500 Summit Ave at Pike, 324-5801. Fri-Sat at 11, through June 26. $8.

CALLS

BETH HENLEY'S ABUNDANCE--Left Coast Theater Company is seeking 5 actors to play 2 women and 3 men (one older) in a play of the old West spanning 25 years' time. Open auditions will be held June 11, 5-8 pm and June 12, 10 am - 2 pm. Prepare contrasting pieces no longer than 5 minutes total. For appointments, call with time/date prefs. 547-6559.

MUSE COLLECTIVE--A new company dedicated to multi-media performances holds general auditions Sun June 13, 12-6 pm. Send a headshot/resume and SASE to The Muse Collective, PO Box 20278, Seattle WA 98102. Call 679-9285 for more information.