OPENING THIS WEEK

THE COLLABORATORS · ArtsWest Theatre Company

PIECES OF THE FIRST · Seattle Mime Theatre

UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECT · Northwest Actors Studio

ONE WEEK ONLY

DEFENDING THE CAVEMAN · Paramount Theatre

THE FIELD SHOWCASE · The Field

FOOLPROOF -- THE NORTHWEST COMEDY ARTS FESTIVAL · Various venues

MARK MORRIS DANCE GROUP · UW World Dance Series

CLOSING THIS WEEK

"A FAILURE TO COMMUNICATE..." · Stone Soup Theatre

BALD FACED LIE · Open Circle Theatre

HARVEY · Taproot Theatre

NORTHWEST NEW WORKS · On the Boards

OPENING AND CURRENT RUNS

AS YOU LIKE IT

Shakespeare tackles gender dysphoria. Kind of like Boys Don't Cry, but with a happy ending. Seattle Repertory Theatre, Seattle Center, 443-2222. Tues-Sun at 7:30, Sat-Sun matinees at 2, through May 25. $10-$42.

BEATRICE

Former Annex artistic director Andrea Allen pairs up with playwright Suzanne Maynard for this quirky feminist rethinking of Middleton and Rowley's brooding 17th-century farce, The Changeling. "You can sense Maynard's moving concerns and clever contrivances looping around each other beneath Matthew Smucker's terrific garden set, but Allen oversimplifies the humor in the script, as if the only way to get a laugh is to point out how the actors would really be talking if they weren't saddled with Maynard's damned highfalutin dialogue." (Steve Wiecking) Annex Theatre, 1916 Fourth Ave, 728-0933. Thurs-Sat at 8, Sun at 7, through May 6. $7-$12.

BIG BOSS OR THE INNER LIFE OF EVERYTHING

Billed as "a play with music," writer/director Ki Gottberg's new work was commissioned by New City Theater and concerns the tangled lives of two sisters, one an obsessive, the other a cynic -- accompanied by live percussion. First Christian Church, 1632 Broadway, 328-4683. Thurs-Sat at 8, through May 20 (no show on May 6). $10-$12. Reviewed this issue, page 30.

THE COLLABORATORS

Any press release that starts, "In one zany mix-up after another..." sends chills down my spine. "An ordinary insulation company is mistaken for a weapons supplier..." doesn't bolster my confidence. And "...cockamamie collision of characters will cause giggles and guffaws..." confirms my worst fears. ArtsWest Theatre Company, 4711 California Ave SW, 938-0339. Thurs-Sun at 8, through May 20, matinees at 3 on April 30 and May 6, 14, and 20. $19, $16 students/seniors.

THE COMEDY OF ERRORS

Bay Area director Danny Scheie hit big back home with this lively production of Shakespeare's farce, and his staging here -- complete with live music and a game cast in overdrive -- should be just as pleasing. Two sets of twins, mistaken identity, and big bawdy laughs. Ethnic Cultural Theatre, 3940 Brooklyn Ave NE, 286-0728. Thurs-Sat at 7:30, Sun matinees at 2, through May 7. $10-$20.

DEFENDING THE CAVEMAN

According to Variety, "Couples who were arguing before the performance stroll out into the night holding hands. You know there's going to be some serious snuggling going on when they get home." Proceed at your own risk. Paramount Theatre, 911 Pine St, 292-2787. May 2-7, Tues-Sat at 8, with a Sat matinee at 8; Sun at 3 and 7. $27.50-$39.50.

"A FAILURE TO COMMUNICATE..."

An evening of human failings in two one-acts by masters of the form: Ionesco's divine absurdist classic The Bald Soprano, and another little-seen treatise on fading Southern belles, Tennessee Williams' A Perfect Analysis Given by a Parrot. Stone Soup Theatre, 4035 Stone Way N, 633-1883. Thurs-Sat at 8, through April 29. $5-$10, Sat tickets are two for $15.

THE FIELD SHOWCASE

An evening of new works and works-in-progress by performance artists. Could be excruciating, could be wonderful, and they're all really short. Seattle Mime Theatre, 915 E Pine St, Fourth Floor (in the Oddfellows Hall), 323-6837. Only one performance: Tues May 2 at 7:30. $5 suggested donation.

FOREVER PLAID

A bit of a phenomenon in some circles (it's in the sixth year of its run in Chicago), writer/choreographer/director Stuart Ross' Plaid is a lighthearted celebration of those four-part-harmony boy groups from the late '50s and early '60s. Squeaky-clean renditions of "Three Coins in the Fountain" and other freshly scrubbed pop fare sung by "teen angels." Much gayer than it knows. Seattle Repertory Theatre, Seattle Center, 443-2222. Tues-Fri at 8, Sat at 8:30, Sun at 2, Sat matinees at 5, Sun matinees at 2, through June 25. $37-$42.

GOD OF VENGEANCE

ACT hosts a world premiere of recent Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Donald (Dinner with Friends) Margulies' latest work, an adaptation of Sholom Asch's turn-of-the-century Yiddish drama updated to New York in the roaring '20s. This was actually a scandal-causing piece of theater back in the '20s (it was shut down); some people didn't like the play's supposedly wild conceit that a man of extreme religious faith would secretly be overseeing the downstairs brothel. "Based on the evidence of its world premiere, Margulies has thus far failed to do justice to his new play's historical legacy or his own considerable reputation." (Tom Spurgeon) A Contemporary Theatre, 700 Union St, 292-7676. Sun-Thurs at 7:30, Fri-Sat at 8, select matinees at 2, through May 7. $10-$42.

HANGING LORD HAW-HAW

Jeffrey Hatcher, who wrote the wonderful Shaw adaptation Smash, returns with a specially commissioned world premiere exploring the motives of William Joyce, a Nazi Germany propagandist in World War II who also happened to be a staunch patriot of the British Empire. "[Hatcher] has a tendency to be a trifle cavalier, resulting in lines like, 'Darling, I do hope you become dictator soon.'" (Steve Wiecking) Empty Space Theatre, 3509 Fremont Ave N, 547-7500. Tues-Thurs at 7:30, Fri-Sat at 8, Sun at 7, Sat-Sun matinees at 2, through May 13. $18-$26.

HARVEY

Mary Chase's sentimental classic about Elwood P. Dowd's alcohol-related schizophrenic break. Taproot's artistic director Scott Nolte takes on the role that Jimmy Stewart made famous. Taproot Theatre, 204 N 85th St, 781-9707. Wed-Thurs at 7:30, Fri-Sat at 8, Sat matinee at 2, through April 29. $16-$24.

THE HOSTAGE

Brendan Behan's brazen take on morality in Ireland (set in a Dublin brothel) receives a staging from Susanna Wilson. "Very little of Behan's genius survives the production. Both sets of leads are fine, but it's missing any consistent directorial sense of tone. The show's relentlessly shrill, frantic pace sabotages narrative momentum." (Tom Spurgeon) Theater Schmeater, 1500 Summit, 324-5801. Thurs-Sat at 8, Sun matinee on April 30 at 2, through May 6. $12.

Late Night Catechism

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.

PIECES OF THE FIRST

A "provocative deconstruction of U.S. Supreme Court cases" may sound a bit dry, but the press release promises nudity and adult content (lots of free speech fights are about smut, after all), and the cast is an impressively talented crew. Directed by K. Brian Neel, whose solo work gathers raves on the Canadian Fringe Festival circuit. Seattle Mime Theatre, 915 E Pine St, Fourth Floor (in the Oddfellows Hall), 324-8788. Thurs-Sun at 8, through May 14. $15; Thurs are pay-what-you-can.

RETURN TO THE GARDEN OF ALLAH

A great cast (including Andrew Tasakos, Wade Madsen, and Jennifer Jasper) tackles Ian Bell's adaptation of the history of one of the first gay-owned clubs in the country. "The musical numbers carry the evening... there is a great deal of pleasure to be derived from watching the accomplished performers. The backstage drama, however, seems like another evocation of period performance and keeps a highly entertaining show from being a great one." (Tom Spurgeon) Re-bar, 1114 Howell St, 323-0388. Thurs-Sun at 8, extended through May 14. $15.

SPRING AWAKENING

In this once-banned 19th-century play, three teens, some masks, and puppetry combine to form, according to press info, a "sexual phantasmagoria." Well, then. UW Playhouse Theatre, 4045 University Way NE, 543-4880. Tues-Thurs at 7:30, Fri-Sat at 8, Sun at 2, through May 7. $7-$10.

UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECT

A solo play about a man and his autistic son, written and performed by the father himself, Anthony Curry. It's promised that Curry has found humor in this difficult situation. Let's hope so, 'cause otherwise this could be a real wrist-slasher. Northwest Actors Studio, 1100 E Pike St, 324-6328. Fri-Sat at 8, Sun at 7, through May 20. $10 ($8 students/seniors). See Bio Box.

WHEN I GROW UP I'M GONNA GET SOME BIG WORDS

Seattle Children's Theatre closes out its season with a world premiere exploring the inspirational give-and-take between activists in the Civil Rights Movement and their courageous leader, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. An ambitious work culled from letters, essays, speeches, and diary entries. Charlotte Martin Theatre, Seattle Center, 441-3322. Fri at 7, Sat-Sun at 2 and 5:30, through June 11. $13.50-$20.50.

DANCE

MARK MORRIS DANCE GROUP

The quintessential example of Seattle's inability to appreciate its artists until they leave. See Stranger Suggests, page 46. Meany Theater, UW Campus, 543-4880. Thurs-Sat April 27-29 at 8. $36.

*NORTHWEST NEW WORKS FESTIVAL 2000

The final weekend of On the Boards' annual festival of (ideally) cutting-edge dance/theater/what-have-you. Topnotch local dancers Peggy Piacenza, Crispin Spaeth, Kristin Hapke, and Gregg Bielemeier (whose name has too many E's) unveil new work, as do theater folk Garrett Fisher and Gwenyth Falt. One of the many things that makes NWNW worth seeing is jarring and unintended juxtapositions; in the opening weekend, seeing Mik Kuhlman and Maureen Whiting give two radically different perspectives on body image back to back enhanced the work of both. On the Boards, 100 W Roy, 217-9888. Program Three: Thurs-Sun at 8 pm on the mainstage, and in the Studio Theater at 9 pm, through April 29, $12.

FESTIVALS, CABARETS, & COMEDY

BALD FACED LIE

Seattle's longest-running sketch comedy troupe hits prime time on stage with a new show. Some of these performers -- including the hysterical Ian Bell -- are so talented that you can even forgive the fact that they're helping Almost Live's John Keister come back to TV. Open Circle Theatre, 429 Boren Ave N, 382-4250. Thurs-Sat at 8, Sun at 7, through April 29. $12.

*FOOLPROOF -- THE NORTHWEST COMEDY ARTS FESTIVAL

This may be your best chance all year at a sure-fire gut-buster: a six-day festival at local venues featuring peerless, fearless funny people like Fran Lebowitz and Al Franken, as well as local heroes David Schmader and Kevin Kent. Check out a schedule and bring clean underwear. Various venues, times and ticket prices vary, through April 29, call 628-0888, or check out the website at www.foolproof.org.

Julie Cascioppo Experience

Songs and characters you may grow to love. Or not. The Pink Door, Pike Place Market, 1919 Post Alley, 443-3241. Tues at 8:30 & 11. No cover.

*Mayday, Mayday!

See Stranger Suggests, page 47. Re-bar, 1114 Howell St., 233-9873, Mon-Tues May 1-2, 7pm, $10 donation.

PRINTER'S DEVIL 2000 BONANZA

The workshop/reading series continues with David Vegh's Atom and Eve, which seems to be one of those locked-in-a-fallout-shelter comedies. After the Monday reading, there'll be the last of the Bonanza Talks series. Consolidated Works, 410 Terry Ave N, 328-2690. No reservation needed, pay what you will.

*THREE DOLLAR BILL

Seattle's original gay/lesbian/bisexual stand-up comedy night is still standing in its third year. Comedy Underground, 222 S Main St, 628-0303. Tues at 8. $6.

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.

*THE HABIT

Four cute boys and some cute additional performers, and they're really fucking funny. Annex Theatre, 1916 Fourth Ave, 728-0933. Fri-Sat at 11, through April 29. $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. $7, $5 with student ID.

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

Theater Schmeater presents its popular live versions of the cult TV series. Escape Clause pulls the rug out from under a hypochondriac who buys immortality from the Devil; a homeless man pilfering from a slain gangster makes the mistake of wearing a Dead Man's Shoes. Theater Schmeater, 1500 Summit Ave, 324-5801. Fri-Sat at 11, through May 6. $8 (under 18, free).

UP IN YOUR GRILL

This fresh, four-person comedy troupe is supposed to be pretty damn funny, so, as with other talented folks, we must overlook its current association with the painfully unfunny John Keister (they're all appearing on KIRO TV's The John Report with Bob). The Grill folks are tearing it up weekly with fast and furious comic sketches. Speakeasy, 2304 Second Ave, 444-4336. Sat at 11 (opening acts at 10:30). $7.

CALLS

FESTIVAL OF FIVE-MINUTE PLAYS

Seeks actors, writers, and directors. College age, no auditions, to be performed and filmed on May 11-13. Contact Colin at cwthomas@hotmail.com.

PORTLAND CENTER STAGE

Equity and non-equity auditions on May 5, 8, and 9 for PCS' 2000-2001 season. Call Kelsey Tyler at 503-274-6584 or 503-248-6309.

RAINIER VALLEY YOUTH THEATRE

Auditions for youth ages 12 and up for the SummerSTAGE 2000 musical adaptation of the Greek myth Orpheus; on Sat June 10 at the Rainier Valley Cultural Center. Call 725-7169 for an appointment.

YOUNG SHAKESPEARE WORKSHOP AND NEW WORLD CHILDREN

Two tuition-free summer theater workshops are holding auditions through April at the University Heights Center, 5031 University Way NE. The Shakespeare workshop is open to ages 14-18, and the New World workshop is open to ages 9-16. Call 517-8384 for audition appointment and information.