COMEDY OF ERRORS • Greenstage BRAVE NEW FRINGE REVISITED • ReAct THE GIMMICK • ACT SUNSET BOULEVARD • Paramount

ONE WEEK ONLY

TWISTED FLICKS: ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE • Jet City Improv

CLOSING THIS WEEK

ABUNDANCE • Left Coast Theater CAN'T HELP BUT THINK... • Hugo House JEKYLL & HYDE • Paramount PASSION • Lakewood Theater WOMAN IN MIND • Northwest Actor's Studio

OPENING AND CURRENT RUNS

ABUNDANCE--The wayward tale of mail-order brides who hoof it into Wyoming in the late 1860s, Pulitzer Prize-winning Beth Henley's Abundance promises "lyrical irony," in this inaugural production from Left Coast Theater Company. Union Garage, 1418 10th Ave, 729-9168. Wed-Sun at 8, through Aug 1. $10.

BRAVE NEW FRINGE REVISITED--Fringe favorites revisited, in packages of two or three each night. Call for schedules. Theatre Off Jackson, 409 Seventh Ave S, 364-3283. Tues-Sun, times vary, through Aug 8. $5/$8/$15.

BULLSHOT CRUMMOND--A "zany comedy" with a title that's almost a swear word, Bullshot parodies a 1930s detective serial--in the opening scene alone, an airplane crash, parachute escape, and kidnapping ensue. Taproot Theater, 204 N 85th St, 781-9707. Wed & Thurs at 7:30, Fri at 8, Sat at 2 & 8, through Aug 7. $16-$22.

CAN'T HELP BUT THINK...--The talented Philip D. Clarke (Tony & Tina's Wedding) plays nine different personalities who all have ordinary problems, in this party-within-a-play. A portion of the proceeds goes to Children's Hospital Foundation. Richard Hugo House, 1634 11th Ave, 322-1792. Thurs-Sat at 8, through July 31. $10.

COMEDY OF ERRORS--Twin mishap engenders a laff-riot in Shakespeare's most kidding of plays. Performed by Greenstage at various parks throughout the summer. Call for Location, 748-1551, www.greenstage.org. Fri & Sat at 8, through Sept 6. Donation.

THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF AMERICA--"The Complete History of America is billed as a 'completely unhinged, completely skewed, and completely hilarious' chronology of American events, beginning with Columbus' voyage and leading up to the present state of the union. What this really amounts to is wacky sketch comedy. With such a wealth of information to draw upon, and such a powerfully talented cast--Burton Curtis, Jonathan Hochberg, and Jeffrey Treadwell--I expected more. Maybe in the end American history just isn't that funny, no matter how many dick jokes and drag queens you toss in." (Adrian Ryan) Empty Space Theater, 3509 Fremont Ave N, 547-7500. Tues-Thurs at 7:30, Fri & Sat at 8, Sat & Sun at 2, extended through Aug 8. $16-$25.

*DERAILED DESIRES--"For many generations, the phrase 'funny lesbian' was an oxymoron on a par with 'compassionate conservatism.' But the ladies of Pulp Vixens have devoted themselves to demolishing that pigeonhole, wrangling together evenings of camp noir comedy that leave audiences wet with tears and shameful longings. The Vixens' newest creation, Derailed Desires, dishes up lesbian love triangles, hardened tramps, and deadly seductions, set entirely aboard a speeding train bound for trouble. Starring Jennifer Jasper, Mia Levine, and Shawn Yates, and directed by the formidable Kevin Kent." (David Schmader) Spintron, 916 E Pike, 442-2060. Fri & Sat at 8, open ended run. $10.

FIRES IN THE MIRROR--Anna Deavere Smith's race-riot-inspired play is performed by Intiman with four actors--two men and two women, two white and two black (Leslie DoQui, Joanne Klein, Dawson Nichols, and David Scully). From multiple points of view, urban ethnic violence is put under the microscope. Intiman Playhouse, Seattle Center, 269-1900. Sun, Tues, Wed at 7; Thurs-Sat at 8, Sat & Sun at 2, through Aug 14. $10-$39.

FOOTLOOSE--If you're under 25, you might be more than six degrees of separation from Kevin Bacon's dance-patriot movie, so here's the scoop: a small town, repressive religious parents, and the wild adolescent urge to dance turn a high school summer into the setting for such teeny-bop pop hits as "Let's Hear It For the Boy." Everybody cut! The 5th Avenue Theater, 1308 Fifth Avenue, 292-ARTS. Wed-Fri at 8, Sat at 2 & 8, Sun at 2 & 7:30, through Aug 15. $19-$55.

THE GIMMICK--Kids who emulate James Baldwin, Picasso, and Modigliani are sure to grow up to be quirky: Playwright Dael Orlandersmith follows two friends who do just that, in a memory play described as poetic. Directed by Chris Coleman. ACT's Bullitt Cabaret, Kreielsheimer Place, 700 Union St, 292-7676. Thurs at 7:30, Fri & Sat at 8, Sun at 7, through Aug 15. $10/$12.50.

IN SEATED COMFORT--What will waiting room etiquette be like in the future? ExiTheater attempts an answer in this future farce directed by Michael Lindgren and featuring a giant chicken. University Heights Community Center, 50th Ave NE & University Way, 325-7152. Thurs-Sat at 7:30, through July 31. $8.

JEKYLL & HYDE--Based on Robert Louis Stevenson's cautionary horror tale, the fiendishly inept musical Jekyll & Hyde features nothing more ominous than the strains of yet another one of its lousy songs beginning. Composer Frank Wildhorn and lyricist Leslie Bricusse may have had designs on creating some sort of modern opera, but what they've unleashed is just flamesat and repetitive. Chuck Wagner's ludicrous title performance resembles Meatloaf in a reflamesective mode, though his ponytail does stunning work. Sharon Brown and Andrea Rivette in the female leads, however, are blessed with the kind of clear, thrilling theater voices that this show does not deserve; they are forced to put across the Star Search yearnings of freshly scrubbed Disney heroines. For a show about human duality, Jekyll & Hyde is maddeningly one-note.

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.

*MILLENNIUM CIRCUS--40,000 square feet of hangar space inspires the UMO Ensemble's newest (and largest ever) creation. "I am not going to be the critic to send an audience away from an evening featuring a choreographed bungee dance, with the cast members bouncing like notes in some spectacular stanza, high above what would be an extremely punishing concrete. The production sometimes too closely resembles the chaos it is trying to explore, but it feels miserly to gripe after witnessing some of this show's wondrous fantasies." (Steve Wiecking) Sand Point Naval Base, 463-2128. Thurs-Sun at 8, through Aug 15. $10-$15.

STONEWALL JACKSON'S HOUSE--Political orthodoxy be damned: In this "incendiary" satire by Jonathan Reynold, things are never quite what they seem. A tour guide (Tracey A. Leigh) leading visitors through Jackson's restored Virginia home offers to go home with two wealthy tourists as their slave. ACT's Allen Theater, Seventh & Union, 292-7676. Tues-Thurs at 7:30, Fri & Sat at 8, Sun at 7, through Aug 8. $10-$40.

SUNSET BOULEVARD--Billy Wilder's "ready for my close-up" close-in on 1950s Hollywood comes to Seattle, with Petula Clark as Norma Desmond. Promises lavish sets, murder, lust, and greed--all for a pretty price. Paramount, 911 Pine St, 292-2787. Call for times and prices, through Aug 15.

TIMON OF ATHENS--Timon has to learn his lesson: Money might buy you a good pair of shoes but it can't buy you happiness. One of Greenstage's Shakespeare "In the Park" offerings. Call for Location, 748-1551, www.greenstage.org. Fri & Sat at 8, through Sept 5. Donation.

TRIPLE ESPRESSO--In this enervating showbiz spoof, the comedy team of "Maxwell, Butternut & Bean" relives their attempts to make it big-time. A touring production with Bill Arnold, Michael Pearce Donley, and Bob Stromberg. Performance Studio at The Children's Museum, Seattle Center, 374-9490. Wed & Thurs at 7:30; Fri at 8; Sat at 1, 5, 8; Sun at 3 & 7, through Sept 2. $26.50-$29.50.

WOMAN IN MIND--"This production of Alan Ayckbourn's play about a dysfunctional middle-class English family and their malfunctioning matriarch is not so much a night of theater as a behavioral experiment in the new aversion staging method. An inexperienced cast and director, paired with a self-conscious script that seems to go on for 40 days and 40 nights, make this an endurance test not worth enduring." (Tonia Steed) Northwest Actors Studio, 1100 E Pike St, 324-6328. Fri & Sat at 8, Sun at 7, through July 31. $8/$10.

DANCE

PASSION--Live dance, mask work, and original music dramatize the story of Passion (Linda Matthews), an Asian woman exploring myth as a path back to her troubled past. Lakewood Theater, 10101 Lakewood Mall Blvd, 253-588-0042. Thurs-Sat at 8, through July 31. $10/$8.

FESTIVALS, CABARETS, & COMEDY

IMPROSIA--Character-driven improv based on audience suggestions. Wit's End, 770 N 34th St, tickets at the door. Saturdays at 9:30. $7.

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.

THE PROM REUNION--The folks at Richard (Dick) Ultimate High School have decided to restage 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. $45/$35 (group rates available).

*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. Now featuring body-juggling brothers from France and the jaw-dropping Kevin Kent. Seattle Center, 222 Mercer St, 281-7788 ext 700 or 292-ARTS. Thurs-Sat at 7:30, Sun at 6:30, extended through Sept 8. $88.

TWILIGHT ZONE MARATHON VI--Theater Schmeater, connoisseurs of surreality, act out eerie episodes in which a doll, a camera, and a TV send their owners into... the Twilight Zone. Theater Schmeater, 1500 Summit Ave, 324-5801. Thurs-Sat at 8, Sun at 7, through Aug 21. $12.

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.

TWISTED FLICKS: ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE--Jet City takes on an easy target: Bond--James Bond, of course. Improv to a muted movie, based on audience suggestions. UW Ethnic Cultural Theater, 3940 Brooklyn Ave NE, 781-3879. Fri & Sat at 10:30, this week only. $7/$5.

CALLS

DRAMATISTS AND ACTORS MEETING NOW--Actors, directors, and playwrights are invited to a free workshop every Tuesday night at 7. Call Larry at 726-9814.

SPOKANE INTERPLAYERS--Auditions for 1999-2000 season will be held Wed Aug 4 and Thurs Aug 5, between 3 pm and 9 pm at A Contemporary Theater, 700 Union St. To schedule an audition time, call Steve Barron at 365-7055.

OLYMPIA FILM FESTIVAL--Now accepting entries of shorts and features and experimental work for its Cine-X competition. Entries due Aug 15. Entry forms available from OFF, Sean Savage, 416 Washington St SE, Suite 208, Olympia WA 98501, or www.olywa.net/ofs. Call 360-754-6670 for more info.