OPENING AND CURRENT RUNS
THE ACCRINGTON PALS
The U.S. premiere of Peter Whelan's play about British men in the trenches and the women they left at home during World War I. Exchange Theatre at Seattle Public Theater, 7312 W Green Lake Dr N, 425-254-0090. $18–$20. Thurs–Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm. Through Nov 27.
ANOTHER YOU
Final week. See Stranger Suggests, page 29. On the Boards, 100 W Roy St, 217-9888. $18. Thurs–Sun at 8 pm. Through Nov 20.
B-MOVIE
Final week. Mad doctors, giant insects, improv. Wing-It Productions at Historic University Theater, 5510 University Way NE, www.wingitpresents.com. $8–$10. Thurs–Fri at 8 pm. Through Nov 18.
BASH: LATTERDAY PLAYS
Final week. Three one-acts by professional misanthrope Neil LaBute. Paper Trail Productions at Northwest Actors Studio, 1100 E Pike St, 303-9080. $10–$12. Fri–Sun at 8 pm. Through Nov 20.
BIG! THE MUSICAL
Opening. The musical of the movie that set the gold standard for stories about children trapped in adult bodies. Civic Light Opera at Magnuson Community Center, 7110 62nd Ave NE, 363-2809. $25–$35. Opening Fri Nov 18 at 8 pm. Sat at 8 pm, Sun at 2 pm. Through Dec 4.
BIG PURPLE UNDIES
One night only. Two British Christian sisters wax comedic about men, marriage, and mammograms. Seattle Public Theater, 7312 W Green Lake Dr N, 524-1300. $15. Sun Nov 20 at 7 pm.
BLACK TO MY ROOTS
A play about the cultural significance and metaphorical fecundity of black American hair. Brownbox Theatre at Rainier Valley Cultural Center, 3515 S Alaska St, 325-6500. $12–$15. Thurs–Sat at 7:30 pm. Sun at 3 pm. Through Nov 27.
CAMINO REAL
See review this issue. theater simple at Freehold East Hall Theater, 1525 10th Ave, 325-6500. $15 adv/$18 DOS. Thurs–Fri at 7:30 pm, Sat at 2 and 7:30 pm. Through Dec 3.
CATS
The first local, professional production of the popular—and critically dismissed—Broadway hit. Village Theatre, 303 Front St N, Issaquah, 425-392-2202. $24–$48. Wed–Sat at 8 pm, Sun at 2 pm. Through Dec 31.
CLOUD TECTONICS
Opening. José Rivera's "magical" love play about a lonely airport employee who picks up a pregnant hitchhiker on a stormy Los Angeles night. Directed by Aimee Bruneau. Capitol Hill Arts Center, 1621 12th Ave, 388-0569. $15 adv/$18 DOS. Opening Fri Nov 18 at 7:30 pm. Sat at 8 pm. Through Dec 17.
THE CODY RIVERS SHOW
Opening. The Bellingham-based Cody Rivers Show blew audiences' minds at this year's SketchFest. The comedy duo returns with an evening-length collection of sketches entitled Juggernaut. Rendezvous, 2322 Second Ave, www.codyrivers.com. $10. Opening Fri Nov 18 at 8 pm. Sat at 8 pm. Through Nov 26.
THE COMPENDIUM OF NASTINESS
Extended. "Splicing boilerplate Gothic romance with topical references, Compendium is a mess of sexuality and revenge: a virgin lusting after a junkie monk, an uncle slavering over his niece, and a hypersexual demon queen. The symbolic passages are a little purple, but as a big romance in a small garage, Compendium is on the right track." (Brendan Kiley) The Womb (AKA Ki Gottberg's Garage), 1526 32nd Ave, tickets and directions available through www.brownpapertickets.com. $15. Fri–Sat at 8:30 pm. Through Dec 3.
A DAY IN DIG NATION
Final week. "Michael McQuilken's multimedia solo production was strong out of the gate, opening with an amusing sketch about the last man on earth in his post-apocalyptic bunker. Dig Nation's second section details the disintegration of a popular rock band. McQuilken alternates between the bickering band members and their musical styles with nuance and skill. There's a truly hilarious puppet show, some fascinating live beat-making, a cat named Vampire Sandwich, and one pair of impeccably pressed trousers—and the whole thing was interminable. Dig Nation suffers from a tragic case of bloat. At an hour and a quarter it could have been brilliant; at two it was grueling." (Lindy West) Re-bar, 1114 Howell St, www.brownpapertickets.com. $13–$15. Thurs–Sun at 8 pm. Through Nov 20.
DEFENDING THE CAVEMAN
Ongoing. A mid-'90s relic about the supposed prehistoric propensities of the two sexes. ACT Theatre, 700 Union St, 292-7676. $39.50–$45. Fri at 7:30 pm, Sat at 8 pm, Sun at 3 pm. Tickets available through Nov 27.
DINNER & DREAMS
Ongoing. The dinner theater extravaganza, with European-style cirque performances as garnish. Teatro ZinZanni, 2301 Sixth Ave, 802-0015. $99. Thurs–Sat at 6:30 pm, Sun at 5:30 pm (some additional Wed shows).
LATE NITE CATECHISM
Ongoing. "The real point is not the adult-catechism monologue, but the script's gaps, in which Sister (Aubrey Manning) dispenses tissues to cover salacious displays of flesh and kitschy prizes to reward the dumbstruck targets of her improvisations. Your name, your background, and your behavior become the crux of the performance." (Annie Wagner) Cloud 9 Productions at ACT Theatre, 700 Union St, 292-7676. $24.50–$29.50. Thurs–Sat at 8 pm, Sun at 2 pm.
LONELY PLANET
Final week. "This is a thoughtful, heartfelt, not particularly subtle production of Steven Dietz's thoughtful, heartfelt, not particularly subtle play. Jody, a map seller so depressed he won't leave his shop, wants his hyperactive friend Carl to stop clotting the store's aisles with assorted chairs. The source of the chairs and of Jody's depression gradually comes to light as the two chums bicker, joke, and pry at each other's defense mechanisms. Both actors are clearly talented. What they lack—in part because each is more than a decade too young for his role, in part because they are also the director and producer and had no external eye to shape their performances—is texture, and this is a play that needs a lot of texture." (Bret Fetzer) Absurd Reality Productions at Northwest Actors Studio, 1100 E Pike St, 253-241-4407. $12. Fri–Sat at 8 pm. Through Nov 19.
MENOPAUSE THE MUSICAL™
Ongoing. "What makes this toweringly formulaic and very demographic-specific crap about dusty uteruses even moderately bearable? The consummate cast was ferocious and fast. Ninety tight minutes of an insane, colorful, and sometimes actually laugh-worthy little train wreck that stops just before it starts to hurt." (Adrian Ryan) ACT Theatre, 700 Union St, 292-7676. $45. Thurs–Fri at 8 pm, Sat at 4 and 8 pm, Sun at 2 pm, Tues–Wed at 8 pm. Tickets available through Dec 13.
NOTHING IS THE SAME
"Nothing Is the Same is a story about four 11-year-olds of Japanese, Korean, and Filipino descent in Hawaii and how their friendships change after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The script, written in pidgin, balances giggly children's entertainment with difficult subject matter without being condescending and the acting is spot on." (Taysa Charnell) Honolulu Theatre for Youth at Seattle Children's Theatre, 201 Thomas St, 441-3322. $15–$30. Fri at 7 pm, Sat–Sun at 2 and 5:30 pm. Through Dec 3.
PURGATORIO
"There's no nice way to say it—Purgatorio stinks. Ostensibly about moral crimes and reconciliation—recurring topics for playwright Ariel Dorfman, who worked for Chile's Allende regime and barely survived the Pinochet coup—Purgatorio is simply an oblique recounting of the Medea story, with some dead-end verbiage about contrition and responsibility that is neither poetic nor enlightening. Everything is wrong with this play, except for the set, a painfully bright hospital room suspended in a black void—cheers to Nick Schwartz-Hall for a simple design that upstaged everything else." (Brendan Kiley) Seattle Repertory Theatre, 155 Mercer St, 443-2224. $10–$46. Thurs–Sat at 7:30 pm, Tues–Wed at 7:30 pm. Through Nov 26.
THE REAL INSPECTOR HOUND
Final week. "Tom Stoppard's oh-so-meta whodunit lampoon is a masterpiece of glib self-reference, twisting and stretching the boundaries between critic, audience, and performer. Inspector Hound is funny and good. Go see it." (Lindy West) Stone Soup Theatre, 4035 Stone Way N, 325-6500. $7.50. Thurs–Sat at 8 pm. Through Nov 19.
ROMEO AND JULIET
Final week. "Romeo and Juliet is almost a comedy—its wit and ironies would be hilarious if they weren't so deadly. Director John Langs understands this, and gives the play's comedy room to breathe (lovesick Romeo, for example, first appears with an acoustic guitar and a Depeche Mode T-shirt), throwing the final tragedy into sharper relief. Despite some odd choices and a few creaky performances, Romeo and Juliet gets the important, but often overlooked, moments right." (Brendan Kiley) Seattle Shakespeare Company at Center House Theatre, Seattle Center, 783-8222. $18–$30. Thurs–Fri at 7:30 pm, Sat at 2 and 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm. Through Nov 20.
A SERIES OF CONSEQUENCES
One week only. Six gallows humor sketches about infidelity, war, and other human cruelties, including "I Shot John Richards," based on an article in music magazine Bandoppler. Odd Duck Studio, 1214 10th Ave, www.aseriesofconsequences.com. $10. Opening Thurs Nov 17 at 7 pm. Fri–Sun at 7 pm. Through Nov 20.
SEUSSICAL
Final week. A Dr. Seuss tribute musical. Seattle Children's Theatre, 201 Thomas St, 441-3322. $15–$30. Thurs–Fri at 7 pm, Sat–Sun at 2 and 5:30 pm. Through Nov 18.
SEX IN SEATTLE: MY ULTRA QUIRKY ASIAN AMERICAN WEDDING
Final week. Episode 12 in the lives and loves of four Asian-American women. SiS Productions at Richard Hugo House, 1634 11th Ave, 323-9443. $8–$12. Fri–Sat at 8 and 10:30 pm. Through Nov 19.
SHOPPERS CARRIED BY ESCALATORS INTO THE FLAMES
See review this issue. Theater Schmeater, 1500 Summit Ave, 324-5801. $18. Thurs–Sat at 8 pm. Through Dec 10.
THE TRIAL OF EBENEZER SCROOGE
Previewing. Scrooge accuses the Christmas ghosts of kidnapping, assault, and battery, but only Jacob "Scooter" Marley is indicted, fueling rumors of a conspiracy that goes all the way to God. Taproot Theatre, 204 N 85th St, 781-9707. $19–$30, Wednesday by donation. Previewing Fri–Sat at 8 pm and Wed at 7:30. Through Dec 30.
THE UGLY DUCKLING
Final week. A musical fractured fairytale for the 3 to 9 set. StoryBook Theater at Kirkland Performance Center, 350 Kirkland Ave, 425-893-9900. $7.50. Sat at 11 am, 1 and 3 pm. Sun at 1 and 3 pm.
VERBATIM VERBOTEN
Ongoing. "This succession of scenes brings dirty voice mails, court transcripts, and other modes of celebrity embarrassment to life. Hilarity abounds, but just as often the actors don't interpret the transcripts so much as read them aloud." (Mariesa Bus) Clove Productions and Quade Productions at Rendezvous, 2322 Second Ave, 624-4455. $10–$12. Thurs at 8 pm.
VIRTUAL SOLITAIRE
"Spastic, vulnerable techno-junkie Nathan is hired to calibrate 'emotional response' in a new virtual reality game. As he leads us through the game's inner workings, its supposedly 'slaved,' or preprogrammed, characters begin to absorb Nathan's memories, obsessions, and insecurities, exhibiting them in fantastical, hallucinatory, and often poetic tangents. Virtual Solitaire is brilliant but exhausting, a deft exploration of the isolating and addictive effects of technology." (Lindy West) CHAC Lower Level, 1621 12th Ave, www.brownpapertickets.com. $10. Thurs–Sat at 7:30 pm. Through Nov 26.
WILD WHITE ROSE
See review this issue. White Cat Productions at Chamber Theater, 915 E Pine St, www.brownpapertickets.com. $12.50 adv/$15 DOS. Fri–Sat at 8 pm, Sun at 3 pm. Through Nov 26.
DANCE
HABITAT
One week only. Local choreographer Paige Barnes and New Yorker Hélène Lesterlin come together for an evening of dances about animalistic moments in human behavior. Velocity MainSpace Theater, 915 E Pine St, 419-5481. $12 adv./$14 DOS. Fri–Sat at 8 pm.
PANGAEA: BEATS WITHOUT BORDERS
Belly dancers Troupe Hipnotica hit the dance floor. Contour, 807 First Ave, 686-4622. No cover before 10 pm (21+ w/ID required). Fri Nov 18 at 9 pm.
PILOBUS
One week only. The popular East Coast dance company that "redefines gravity and sprouts intricate geometric patterns" as part of the UW World Series. Meany Theater, University of Washington campus, 543-4880. $38 (with half-price rush tickets). Thurs–Sun at 8 pm.
CABARET
ANYWHERE BUT HERE
Impressionistic cabaret featuring songs from Jefferson Airplane, Leonard Cohen, and others. Thumper's, 1500 E Madison St, 328-3800. $10. Sat at 10 pm. Through Nov 26.
THE ATOMIC BOMBSHELLS BURLESQUE
See Theater News.Mirabeau Room, 529 Queen Anne Ave N, www.ticketswest.com. $12. Thurs at 10 pm, doors at 8 pm. Through Dec 15.
SANDRA LOCKLEAR
Ongoing. Jazz, blues, and Nina Simone tributes. Thumper's, 1500 E Madison St, 328-3800. Free. Fri at 6:30 pm.
SHELLY BURCH: THERE'S ALWAYS ONE MORE SONG TO SING
Opening. One-woman cabaret show by the woman who played Delila on One Life to Live. Crepe de Paris, 1333 Fifth Ave, 623-4111. $20–$55. Opening Fri Nov 18 at 8 pm. Sat at 8 pm. Through Dec 31.
SWINGING RADIO HOUR
Final week. Dinner cabaret modeled after an old-time radio show. Century Ballroom, 915 E Pine St, 325-6500. $20–$25 (show only), $60 (w/dinner included). Show starts Fri–Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm. Through Nov 20.
IMPROV & COMEDY
ARJ BARKER at Comedy Underground, 222 Main St, 800-325-7328. $15 (21+ w/ID required). Fri–Sat at 8:30 and 10:30 pm. HARROLD GOMEZ at Giggles Comedy Club, 5220 Roosevelt Way NE, 526-5653. $12. Fri–Sat at 8:30 and 10 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. Fri–Sat at 8:30 and 10 pm. THEATRESPORTS at Market Theater, 1428 Post Alley, 781-9273. $8–$12. Sun at 7 pm. UNHINGED at Mirabeau Room, 529 Queen Anne Ave N. $6. Wed at 8 pm.26TH ANNUAL SEATTLE INTERNATIONAL STANDUP COMEDY COMPETITION
With 23 shows over 26 days in 18 locations, seattlecomedycompetition.com/2005/. Through Nov 28.
NEW YORKER MAGAZINE TOUR
One day only. HUB Auditorium, University of Washington campus, www.newyorkercollegetour.com. Standup with the New Yorker writer Andy Borowitz at noon, "unscripted comedy and conversation" with the cast of Second City at 8 pm. Free. Thurs Nov 17.
LATE NIGHT
A VERY SPECIAL MONEY AND RUN WINTER SEASON SPECIAL
The action/comedy serial about the denizens of Cudrup County continues with a Christmastime adventure at the Down N Out N In N Out Inn. By Wayne S. Rawley, directed by James Venturini. Theater Schmeater, 1500 Summit Ave, www.schmeater.org. $12. Fri–Sat at 11 pm. Through Dec 10.
SPECIAL EVENTS
SEX*BUT
See Stranger Suggests, page 29. Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center, 104 17th Ave S, www.home.earthlink.net/~alexpava. $20. Sat Nov 19 at 7:30 pm.
THE ZERO PROJECT
One weekend only. A workshop performance of The Zero Project, "an exploration of the number zero and the powerful metaphors that spring from it." Ear to the Ground at Open Circle Theater, 429 Boren Ave N, 390-7207. $10. Fri–Sat at 8 pm.
KAREN FISHER
A Sudden Country is an historical novel (19th century; Oregon). Elliott Bay Book Company, 624-6600, 7:30 pm, free.
ED VIESTURS
T
SIBYL JAMES
James reads from Ho Chi Minh's Motorbike, all about Vietnam,
ED VIESTURS
The mountain climber is the first American to climb all 14 of the world's 8,000-meter peaks. Why? How? What was he wearing? Find out. Town Hall Seattle, 652-4255, 7:30 pm, $15.
