COWBOYS ARE MY WEAKNESS

Opening. Book-It Repertory gallops toward cowboy romance with a remount of its adaptation of Pam Houston's short stories "For Bo," "Selway," and "How to Talk to a Hunter." Book-It Repertory at Seattle Center House Theatre, 305 Harrison St, 325-6500. $15-$22. Thurs-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun matinee at 2 pm. Through Oct 13.

AN EVENING WITH JOHN MORAN & EVA MÜLLER

Opening. Celebrated experimental composer and Philip Glass protégé John Moran teams with German actress/dancer Eva Müller for an intimate evening excerpting elements of some of Moran's more famous pastiche compositions. On the Boards, 100 W Roy St, 217-9888. $18. Wed-Sun at 8 pm, with additional performances Fri-Sat at 10:30 pm. Through Sept 29.

FOR COLORED GIRLS WHO HAVE CONSIDERED SUICIDE/WHEN THE RAINBOW IS ENUF

Dr. Tawnya Pettiford-Wates directs Ntozake Shange's evergreen tribute to the power of poetry in the face of oppression and stuff. Bathhouse Theater, 7312 W Green Lake Dr N, 524-1300. $10-$18. Thurs-Sat at 8 pm, Sun matinee at 3 pm. Through Sept 29.

FUDDY MEERS

Opening. An amnesiac stumbles to regain some semblance of memory upon awaking to a crazed cast of characters (who may or may not be her relatives) in this frantic comedy. ACT Theatre, 700 Union St, 292-7676. $32.50-$44. Sun-Thurs at 7:30 pm, Fri-Sat at 8 pm, matinees at 2 pm Sept 22, 26, 29, and Oct 5, 6, 12, 13. Through Oct 13.

FULLY COMMITTED

Solo show about an unemployed actor taking reservations for an ultra-chic restaurant. Now with Daniel J. Chercover. ACT Theatre, 700 Union St, 292-7676. $24.50-$29.50. Thurs at 7:30 pm, Fri-Sat at 8 pm, Sun at 2 pm. Open run.

LIPSTICK TRACES: A SECRET HISTORY OF THE 20TH CENTURY

Closing. "Straight outta NYC by way of Austin, TX, Lipstick Traces brings Greil Marcus' legendary punk-meets-Dada culture-surf to the stage in all its noisy, brainy glory. Created by Austin's acclaimed Rude Mechs and produced by New York's even more acclaimed Foundry Theatre, Traces has drawn raves from critics both snooty and indie, and witnesses report the show gives as much play to Marcus' pointy-headed historical musings as to punk's high-drama nihilism." (David Schmader) Foundry Theatre at On the Boards, 100 W Roy St, 217-9886. $25. Thurs-Sat Sept 19-21 at 8 pm, with additional performances on Fri-Sat Sept 20-21 at 10:30 pm. Through Sept 21.

MATCHSTALK MAN

Opening. A "punk hoodlum" comedy, with a premise sounding suspiciously similar to that of Irvine Welsh's Trainspotting, made famous by London-based theater ensemble Tenth Planet Productions. New City Theater Zero & Strike Anywhere Productions at South End Warehouse, 2110 S Airport Way, 328-4683. $8. Fri-Sat at 8 pm. Through Oct 26.

OIL CITY SYMPHONY

"Maybe I'm too young to feel nostalgic about concerts in high school gyms, maybe I'm just a curmudgeon, but all the energy and musical wizardry that went into Symphony should, by my lights, have had a worthier object. Heavy on faded '80s ambiance and light on story, revelation, or thought-provoking material, Symphony is charmingly lighthearted, sometimes funny, and sometimes musically interesting, in a novelty-show kind of way." (Brendan Kiley) Taproot Theatre, 204 N 85th St, 781-9707. $18-$26. Wed-Thurs at 7:30 pm, Fri-Sat at 8 pm, with additional Sat matinees at 2 pm. Through Oct 5.

OKLAHOMA!

Opening. "Where the corn's as high as an elephant's eye...." Village Theatre, 303 Front St N, Issaquah, 425-392-2202. $25-$42. Wed-Sat at 8 pm, Sun matinees at 2 pm. Through Oct 27.

OUR ONLY MAY AMELIA

Opening. Based on the works of Jennifer L. Holm (a young-adult author who happens to be visiting Seattle this week), Our Only May Amelia is the tale of an outspoken young girl finding her way in the wilderness of the 19th-century Oregon Territory. Seattle Children's Theatre, 201 Thomas St, 441-3322. $12-$26. Fri at 7 pm, Sat-Sun at 2 pm and 5:30 pm. Through Oct 26.

SCAPIN

Molière's comic tale of love and vengeance--in song form. Intiman Theatre, 201 Mercer St, 269-1900. $27-$42. Tues-Thurs & Sun at 7:30 pm, Fri-Sat at 8 pm, matinees Sat-Sun at 2 pm. Through Oct 19.

SEASCAPE

"Characteristically Albee-ish, Seascape finds an aging, long-suffering married couple miscommunicating with each other for the first act, then miscommunicating with a pair of talking reptiles for the second. Occasionally funny, Seascape's problem isn't opacity or the amateurish production (that's part of the charm), but that it's a dated old thing, and has aged as gracelessly as its main characters." (Brendan Kiley) Steeplechase at Liberty Deli, 2722 Alki Avenue SW, 935-8420. $29 with meal, $15 show only. Fri-Sat at 6:30 pm, with Thurs shows at 7:30 pm. Through Sept 28.

SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD

Jason Robert Brown's "musical journey" of loosely related songs and scenes evaporating into one another in what appears to be an aimless flood. Raggedy Z productions at Crêpe de Paris, 1333 Fifth Ave, second floor, 623-4111. $21-$48. Wed-Thurs at 8 pm, Fri-Sat at 8:30 pm. Through Oct 12.

STAGE DOOR

Opening. In the tradition of The Women and Mae West's Sex, Annex Theatre director Ed Hawkins attempts a campy resuscitation of Ferber & Kaufman's 60-year-old stage production concerning the hopes and dreams of a "boarding house for ladies of the stage": Stage Door. The Empty Space Theatre, 3509 Fremont Ave N, 728-0933. $14. Thurs-Sat at 8 pm, Sun at 2 pm. Through Oct 13.

TEATRO ZINZANNI: DINNER & DREAMS

The most expensive dinner theater of all time--three hours of gluttony, lust, and eye candy. Featuring the effervescent yet earthy Kevin Kent. "Dinner & Dreams isn't a disaster. The food is great, and a handful of the performers are dazzling. But for every bit that dazzles, a half-dozen fall flat." (David Schmader) Teatro ZinZanni, Sixth & Battery, 802-0015. $89 Wed-Fri & Sun, $99 Sat (includes dinner, but not beverages or gratuity). Wed-Sat at 6:30 pm, Sun at 5:30 pm. Open run.

FESTIVALS, CABARET, & COMEDY

12TH ANNUAL SEATTLE FRINGE FESTIVAL

Opening. See Fringe Guide, page 29. Broadway Performance Hall, Central Box Office, 1625 Broadway Ave, 322-2018. $5-$17 per show. For specific shows, venues, and performance times, see seattlefringe.org. Through Sept 29.

ANTI-ZINZANNI CABARET

Closing. Starring Manuela van Horn & Seattle Weekly's truly unfortunate poster child Robert "El Vez" Lopez, this loosely orchestrated cabaret features song, comedy, and, well, other cabaret-y sorts of things. The Green Room, Showbox Theatre, 1426 First Ave, 628-3151. Free. Mon Sept 23 at 9 pm.

ALEX BORSTEIN

One night only. See Stranger Suggests. Broadway Performance Hall, 1625 Broadway Ave, 325-6500. $25. Mon Sept 23 at 8 pm.

CAMPFIRE

Long-form improvisation, based on audience experiences with unexplained--i.e. spooooooky!--phenomena. Unexpected Productions at Market Theatre, Post Alley, 781-9273. $10. Fri-Sat at 8 pm. Through Oct 26.

DANA CARVEY

One night only. I know you won't believe me, but I swear there was a time when Dana Carvey could make 80 percent of America wet themselves with laughter. Even you, cynical Stranger reader. That whole Jimmy Stewart bit? Man! Milk shot from every nose in the land! And I defy you to convince me that Wayne's World is as bad as you say it is. It seems, however, that every true comic voice eventually falls out of sync with popular trends, and such is the case with the unfortunate Mr. Carvey. So, for the sake of your no-doubt fond memory of Dana, I suggest you steer clear of tonight's post-Frito Lay incarnation of Mr. Carvey (check out the nerve of that fucking price tag! SHEESH!), and instead take a trip down memory lane with God's gift to the catchphrase, a man by the name of Garth Algar. Paramount Theatre, 911 Pine St, 467-5510. $35-$95. Sat Sept 21 at 8 pm.

DANGEROUS CURVES AHEAD: THE ROAD TO TEASE-O-RAMA

One night only. More pasties than you can shake a... wait, scratch that. The ladies of the Gun St. Girls and BurlyQ's queer cabaret preview their, um... wares before hitting the road for San Francisco's national ecdysiast convention, Tease-O-Rama. BurlyQ and Gun St. Girls at Rendezvous, 2322 Second Ave, 329-6260. $10. Thurs Sept 19 at 8 pm and 9:15 pm.

KAFTAN!

A charmingly ramshackle kitsch cabaret with It's Mark Mitchell, Kurt B. Reighley, Paula!, and guests. "A nice-enough dose of free entertainment." (Josh Feit) Swedish Housewife at ING, 1530 Bellevue Ave, 329-5388. Free. Sun at 9 pm. Ongoing.

PEGGY PLATT

One night only. Platt is joined by radio host Dave Wingert in this performance honoring the history of radio sketchcomedy. ArtsWest, 4711 California Ave SW, 938-0963. $8-$10. Fri Sept 20 at 10:30 pm.

CATHY SORBO

One night only. Free-associative standup comedy from the nervy Cathy Sorbo. Rendezvous, 2322 Second Ave, 441-5823. $7. Fri Sept 20 at 9 pm.

DANCE

* DEGENERATE ART ENSEMBLE

One night only. As difficult to articulately describe as they are to categorize, the Degenerate Art Ensemble's charmingly pretentious blend of the bewildering, the bizarre, and the beautiful never ceases to impress. Often dealing with premises that could easily divert into self-important drivel in lesser hands, DAE's playful confidence sustains their complex works with grace. Tonight they unveil a series of "new sketches and experiments" in a variety of media, including music, sculpture, animation, and, of course, dance--ranging in style from butoh to break. Degenerate Art Ensemble at Center on Contemporary Art, 1420 11th Ave, 728-1980. $5-$10. Thurs Sept 19 at 8 pm.

THE HISTORY OF JAZZ DANCE

One night only. A lecture and demonstration by the internationally recognized Seattle native currently in artist residency at Cornish. Lynn Simonson at PONCHO Concert Hall, Kerry Hall, Cornish College of the Arts, 710 E Roy St, 325-6500. $5-$8. Fri Sept 20 at noon.

P.A.N.

One night only. In correlation with Mecca Normal's performance at the MEME Concert Series this month, Seattle's P.A.N. butoh dance troupe collaborate with Portland's improv percussive trio Nequaquam Vacuum for what promises to be yet another extremely uncomfortable butoh performance. Center on Contemporary Art, 1420 11th Ave, 728-1980. $5-$10. Fri Sept 20 at 9 pm.

LONG RUNS

CABARET: THE ResERECTION at Coffee Messiah, 861-8233.

JET CITY IMPROV at ArtsWest, 938-0339; at the Ethnic Cultural Theater, 781-3879.

LATE NIGHT CATECHISM from Seattle Theatre Project at ACT Theatre, 292-7676.

QUEER AS A THREE-DOLLAR BILL at the Comedy Underground, 800-992-8499.

THEATRESPORTS at the Market Theatre, 781-9273.