OPENING AND CURRENT RUNS



ANNA KARENINA

See review this issue. Atlas Theatre at Open Circle Theatre, 429 Boren Ave N, 679-1565. $8-$10. Thurs-Sat at 8 pm, Sun at 2 pm. Through April 2.

BAREFOOT IN THE PARK

See review this issue. ArtsWest, 4711 California Ave SW, 938-0339. $10-$30. Thurs-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 3 pm. Through March 26.

BRENT OR BRENDA?

A remount of the crazily popular Scot Augustson play about a poor little straight dude who just wants to wear lacy underwear. Same Brent (Ben Laurance), same ensemble (Jennifer Jasper and Stacey Plum); plus an all-new Hungarian narrator (Wendy O. Henry). Ethereal Mutt at Re-bar, 1114 Howell St, 325-6500. $15. Thurs-Sat at 8 pm. Through April 17.

THE CHOSEN

Final week. "The 1999 adaptation of Chaim Potok's classic young-adult novel pares the devastating story of a boy's religious and emotional estrangement from his father down to an elemental simplicity. This production at the Rep is packed with smart choices, but it's Gabriel Baron's performance that fuels the pathos and incredible tenderness of the entire show." (Annie Wagner) Seattle Repertory Theatre, 155 Mercer St, Seattle Center, 443-2222. $10-$46. Tues-Fri at 7:30 pm, Sat-Sun at 2 and 7:30 pm. Through March 20 (Aaron Posner has replaced Aaron Serotsky in the role of Reuven Malter).

A COMPANY OF WAYWARD SAINTS

One week only. A student production of the George Herman play about a squabbling commedia dell'arte troupe. Seattle Community College Drama Department at Erickson Theatre Off Broadway, 1524 Harvard Ave, 325-6500. $10-$15. Wed-Thurs at 7:30 pm, Fri-Sat at 8 pm, Sun at 3 pm. Through March 20.

DEFENDING THE CAVEMAN

This mid-'90s relic by comedian Rob Becker is about the supposed prehistoric propensities of the two sexes, and is performed by former Portlander Isaac Lamb. There was no excuse for this show then; there's none now. ACT Theatre, 700 Union St, 292-7676. $35-$39.50. Thurs-Fri at 7:30 pm, Sat at 5 and 8 pm, Sun at 3 pm. Tickets available through April 17.

DINNER & DREAMS

Ongoing. The rabidly successful dinner theater/circus hybrid; now featuring Ukranian contortionist Vita Radionova; El Vez, Seattle's own Mexican Elvis; Russian trapeze artists Duo Artemiev; and (through this week only) R&B diva Thelma Houston, who remains residually famous for her 1977 hit "Don't Leave Me This Way." Teatro ZinZanni, 2301 Sixth Ave, 802-0015. $89-$109. Thurs-Sat at 6:30 pm, Sun at 5:30 pm.

ELECTION SHOW

The improvised satire on electoral politics is back for two months to raise money for a tour of spring comedy festivals. Wing-It Productions at Historic University Theater, 5510 University Way NE, 325-6500. $10. Sun at 7 pm. Through April 24.

FISSION

Opening. A new play by Ashland playwright Molly Best Tinsley, Fission is about Lise Meitner, the European Jew who contributed to the discovery of nuclear fission. Live Girls! Theater, 620 Alaskan Way, second floor, 568-1985. $12. Opening Fri March 18 at 8 pm. Sat at 8 pm, Sun at 2 pm. Through April 3.

FUNNY IMPROV! CASE CLOSED!

Opening. An improv comedy show set in the sober environs of a courtroom. Odd Duck Studio, 1214 10th Ave E, 851-7857. $7-$10. Opening Sat March 19 at 8 pm. Through April 30.

GLITTRA'S MISSION

SCT partner Speeltheater Holland developed this adaptation of a children's story about an inquisitive 6-year-old Swede named Martin and his guardian angel Glittra, who's skilled at getting the kid out of all kind of scrapes. Seattle Children's Theatre, 201 Thomas St, Seattle Center, 441-3322. $14-$28. Fri at 7 pm, Sat-Sun at 2 and 5:30 pm. Through March 26.

HELLHOUND ON MY TRAIL

Opening. Denis Johnson (best known for Jesus' Son, a book of short stories adapted into a movie by Alison Maclean) wrote this play about "a sexual-misconduct investigator who misconducts herself sexually," a renegade Jehovah's Witness, and other inhabitants of the American West. Rob West (A Eulogy for Citizen, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest) directs. Theater Schmeater, 1500 Summit Ave, 324-5801. $15. Preview performance Thurs March 17 at 8 pm. Opening Fri March 18 at 8 pm. Sat at 8 pm. Through April 16.

HOBSON'S CHOICE

"This early 20th-century play, about a hard-drinking, bourgeois store owner named Henry Hobson and his three uppity daughters, could have been enlivened by a production highlighting the electric charge of social transgression. Instead, director Keith Dahlgren boxes his actors into corners of the clunky set and drains every ounce of conflict out of long, static scenes. " (Annie Wagner) Seattle Public Theatre at the Bathhouse, 7312 W Green Lake Dr N, 425-254-0090. $18-$20. Thurs-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm. Through March 27.

INFLUENCE

"Influence is a semi-autobiographical play about a pompous theater critic who writes and directs a semi-autobiographical play, and while the premise sounds ripe, the fact that the plot of the play-within-a-play is so close to the play itself means that the line between writing that is consciously bad (the inner play) and unintentionally bad (the outer one) is fatally blurred. There is, however, some decent acting (Brandon Whitehead, in the role of the playwright/director, does some pretty hilarious open-mouthed breathing)." (Annie Wagner) Velocity MainSpace Theatre, 915 E Pine St, second floor, brownpapertickets.com. $12-$18. Fri-Sat at 8 pm. Through March 26.

KIND HEARTS AND CORONETS

An original adaptation of the 1949 comedic screenplay, in which a man sets about murdering his way into the aristocracy. SecondStory Repertory, above Border's, Redmond Town Center, 425-881-6777. $16-$20. Fri-Sat at 8:15 pm. Through April 2.

LATE NIGHT CATECHISM

Ongoing. Long-running interactive Catholic school comedy, in which a nun tells you everything you need to know about your everlasting soul. Cloud 9 Productions at ACT Theatre, 700 Union St, 292-7676. $24.50-$29.50. Thurs-Sat at 8 pm, Sun at 2 pm.

LOVE ARM'D: APHRA BEHN AND HER PEN

One night only. A one-woman show by Karen Eterovich about the Restoration playwright Aphra Behn. University of Puget Sound's Schneebeck Concert Hall, North 14th St and Union Ave, Tacoma, 253-879-3419. $5. Tues March 22 at 7:30 pm.

MY BOAT TO BAINBRIDGE

"This one-man show by Matt Smith is an extremely low-key tribute to a middle-aged crisis of heterosexual masculinity. Mainly this tired theme takes the form of a creepy obsession about his pet dog's severed testicles, but there's also a good deal of lame nostalgia for the Seattle of yore, and frequent mimicking of birdcalls. " (Annie Wagner) Market Theater, 1428 Post Alley, 781-9273. $15. Fri at 8 pm. Through April 29.

REBECCA

"One of the most bungling theater productions I've seen in at least two months. Massively popular among women of a certain age, the novel is a bizarre hybrid of Gothic romance and murder mystery; its appeal comes from women's desire to identify with the abject naiveté of the heroine--and from the horrified satisfaction we take in finally seeing her punished for marrying up. So when director Jane Jones casts Annette Toutonghi in the role of the second Mrs. de Winter, I have to wonder what the hell she's thinking. Toutonghi is a fine actor, but she's not exactly dewy, and watching her character bleat cute little lines like, "I wish I were a woman of 36, dressed in black satin with a string of pearls!" is just embarrassing." (Annie Wagner) Book-It Repertory Theatre at Seattle Center House Theatre, 216-0833. $15-$30. Thurs-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm, Wed at 7:30 pm. Through March 26.

SATURDAY MORNING CARTOON SHOW

The improvised homage to Scooby and his ilk returns for a new run. Jet City Improv at Historic University Theater, 5510 University Way NE, 781-3879. $8-$10. Thurs-Fri at 8 pm. Through May 20.

THE SECRET IN THE WINGS

"This whirlwind of economical narration and dense production design is constantly brushing up against hard-wired taboos and instinctive horrors. The stories are packed with the sort of gruesome, medieval fears that modern retellings usually excise. There is infant mortality. There are witch-hunts. There's a lot of incest. But Secret also dabbles in rubbery slapstick and gross-out standup comedy. It's wonderfully inventive, terrifyingly lush theater." (Annie Wagner) Seattle Repertory Theatre, 155 Mercer St, 443-2222. $10-$46. Thurs-Fri at 7:30 pm, Sat-Sun at 2 and 7:30 pm, Tues-Wed at 7:30 pm. Through March 26.

SEXUAL PERVERSITY IN CHICAGO; SURE THING

Opening. A double feature of plays directed by Laura J. Parkening (The Pickle). David Mamet's Sexual Perversity in Chicago is about a pair of lovers and their meddling confidants; David Ives' Sure Thing explores what a first encounter might be like if the two flirts made no false starts. Paper Trail Productions at Northwest Actor's Studio, 1100 E Pike St, 324-6328. $12. Opening Fri March 18 at 8 pm. Sat at 8 pm. Through April 3.

THE SHAPE OF THINGS

See review this issue. Richard Hugo House, 1634 11th Ave, 364-3283. $9-$12. Thurs at 7:30 pm, Fri at 8 pm, Sat at 2 and 8 pm. Through March 26.

THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES

Final week. The long-running vagina chatalotta finally hushes up. Stone Soup Theatre, 4035 Stone Way N, 633-1883. $15-$18. Thurs-Fri at 8 pm, Sat at 3 and 8 pm. Through March 19.

WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?

Final week. The outdoor theater company comes inside for Edward Albee's 1963 play about mind games and married couples. GreenStage at Sand Point Magnuson Park, Building 30, 748-1551. Free, donations accepted. Thurs-Sat at 7:30 pm. Through March 19.

A YEAR WITH FROG AND TOAD

Opening. The Tony Award-nominated musical is based on the children's books by Arnold Lobel, with music by Robert Reale and book and lyrics by Willie Reale. Seattle Children's Theatre, 201 Thomas St, Seattle Center, 441-3322. $14-$28. Opening Fri March 18 at 7 pm. Sat-Sun at 2 and 5:30 pm. Through June 5.

DANCE



ACCLIMATE

One night only. New dance works by Pablo Cornejo and Cheronne Wong. Open Flight Studio, 4205 University Way NE, 632-0067. $5. Sat March 19 at 8 pm.

CARMONA FLAMENCO

A flamenco performance at Porta Greek Tavern, 2245 Eastlake Ave E, 860-0284. $10. Sat March 19 at 8 pm and 9:30 pm.

CHOREOGRAPHERS' SHOWCASE

One night only. PNB dancers Christophe Maraval, Olivier Wevers, Jonathan Porretta, and Kiyon Gaines choreographed these original ballets. Pacific Northwest Ballet, 321 Mercer St, Seattle Center, 441-2424. $15-$20. Wed March 23 at 7:30 pm.

AN EVENING OF CONTEMPORARY DANCE

One night only. A performance from Donald Byrd's company. Spectrum Dance Theater at Kent-Meridian High School Performing Arts Center, 10020 SE 256th St, Kent, 253-856-5050. $12-$15. Sat March 19 at 7:30 pm.

FADE

See Stranger Suggests, p. 21. The premiere of a new work by choreographer Crispin Spaeth, about the moments when vision fails. Christian Spaeth Dance Group at Consolidated Works, 500 Boren Ave N, 381-3218. $12-$15. Opening Fri March 18 at 8 pm. Sat at 8 pm. Through April 2.

THE MERRY WIDOW

Opening. This Ronald Hynd ballet from PNB's repertory was last seen in 2002. Pacific Northwest Ballet, 321 Mercer St, Seattle Center, 441-2424. $20-$137. Opening Thurs March 17 at 7:30 pm. Fri-Sat at 7:30 pm. Through March 27.

OPEN REHEARSAL

One night only. The Bainbridge company rehearses Unheard, Unspoken: A Collection of Stories. Lehua Dance Theatre at Dance Underground, Studio A, 340 15th Ave E, 898-1320. Free. Sat March 19 at 6 pm.

CABARET



BRUNCH WITH DINA MARTINA

A cabaret pick-me-up from Seattle's own demented diva Dina Martina (also known, sans makeup and garish dresses, as Grady West). Thumper's, 1500 E Madison St, 328-3800. $10. Sun at noon and 3 pm. Through April 10.

THE CAT'S MEOW

One night only. Burlesque at Rendezvous, 2322 Second Ave, 441-5823. $8 (21+ w/ID required). Sat March 19 at 8:30 pm.

KUNG POW MEOW

Kristina Sutherland and Desiree Prewitt's quarterly cabaret, featuring theater, film, music, and comedy. Macha Monkey at Rendezvous, 2322 Second Ave, 441-5823. $10 (21+ w/ID required). Fri March 18 at 8 pm.

MUSICA VITAE! CABARET

Ongoing. A cabaret about the search for a musical holy grail. Century Ballroom, 915 E Pine St, 325-6500. $15 (under 21, cabaret only)-$55 (dinner, cabaret, dancing). Sat at 7:30 pm.

WHEN PIGS FLY

A grab bag of songs, dances, and running gags, directed by Rick Anderson (best known for the excruciating Party). Gaydar Productions at Thumper's, 1500 E Madison St, 328-3800. $15. Fri-Sat at 8:30 pm. Through April 9.

LATE NIGHT



EXOTICA

Burlesque from the Atomic Bombshells. Mirabeau Room, 529 Queen Anne Ave N. $10 (21+ w/ID required). Wed at 10 pm. Through May 18.

THE STAY UP LATE SHOW

One night only. A live variety show hosted by Rebecca M. Davis, in which Stranger critic Annie Wagner (err, that would be me) tells all, and the Von Foxies bare flesh, and so forth. Mushy tomatoes will be confiscated at the door. Capitol Hill Arts Center (Lower Level), 1621 12th Ave. $10 at the door only (21+ w/ID required). Sat March 19 at 10 pm.

IMPROV & COMEDY

Don Friesen (standup) at The Comedy Underground, 2225 S Main St, 628-0303. $6-$15. Thurs at 8:30 pm, Fri-Sat at 8:30 and 10:30 pm. Jet City Improv at Historic University Theater, 5510 University Way NE, 325-6500. $8-$10. Fri at 10:30 pm, Sat at 8 and 10:30 pm. Seattle goga (improv) at ArtsWest, 4711 California Ave SW, 938-0339. $7. Sat March 19 at 10:30 pm. Theatresports at Market Theater, 1428 Post Alley, 781-9273. $8-$10. Fri-Sat at 10:30 pm, Sun at 7 pm.

SPECIAL EVENTS



IMAGINATION THEATRE

One night only. A live recording of two original radio plays. Kirkland Performance Center, 350 Kirkland Ave, 425-893-9900. $8. Mon March 21 at 7:30 pm.

TERE O'CONNOR

One day only. New York choreographer Tere O'Connor presents video excerpts from his work and lectures on the state of contemporary dance. Velocity MainSpace Theatre, 915 E Pine St, second floor, 325-8773. Free. Sat March 19 at 3 pm.

PUU-PUU PARTY

One night only. See Theater News. A fundraiser for the newly incorporated nonprofit theater, with performances by Aono Jikken Ensemble, Peggy Platt and Lisa Koch, and Stranger Genius Sarah Rudinoff. Theatre Off Jackson, 409 Seventh Ave S, 340-1049. $30. Sat March 19 at 8 pm.

ST. PADDY'S DAY MASSACRE

One night only. A special green edition of Iron Composer, featuring The Stranger's own Sean Nelson and Gino Yevdjevich of Kultur Shock. Seattle School at Crocodile Cafe, 2200 Second Ave, 441-5611. $8. Thurs March 17 at 8:30 pm.