Opening and Current Runs

ARMS AND THE MAN
Opening. "Soldiering, my dear madam, is the coward's art of attacking mercilessly when you are strong, and keeping out of harm's way when you are weak. That is the whole secret of successful fighting. Get your enemy at a disadvantage; and never, on any account, fight him on equal terms." Taproot Theatre, 204 N 85th St, $15-$30. Thurs, 7:30 pm, Fri, Sat, 8 pm, Sat, 2 pm and Wed, 2 & 7:30 pm. Through Oct 21.

BOMBAY DREAMS
A Bollywood-flavored musical with Technicolor costumes and big-ass dance numbers. The production is "based on an idea by" Shekhar Kapur and Andrew Lloyd Webber, though other folks did the writing and directing. 5th Avenue Theatre, 1308 Fifth Ave, 292-2787. $20-$73. Thurs-Sat, 8 pm, Sat, 2 pm, Sun, 1:30 & 7 pm and Tues, Wed, 7:30 pm. Through Oct 1.

THE BRIDGE OF SAN LUIS REY
An adaptation of Thornton Wilder's 1927 novel about five people in colonial Peru who die when a rope bridge breaks. Featuring Bunraku-type puppets and good local actors, including Amy Thone and Timothy Hyland. Directed by Sheila Daniels, music by Rick Miller. All Thursdays are by donation. Strawberry Theatre Workshop at Richard Hugo House, 1634 11th Ave, 322-7030. $20. Thurs-Sat, 7:30 pm and Sun, 2 pm. Through Oct 8.

BROKEN FOR YOU
Opening. The story of a wealthy old Seattle woman and her "feisty young boarder." By Stephanie Kallos. Center House Theatre, 305 Harrison St, 684-7200. $15-$32. Thurs-Sat, 7:30 pm, Sat, Sun, 2 pm and Wed, 7:30 pm. Through Oct 15.

CALL AND HUSH!
One weekend only. Two pieces by Theater Narobov from Ljubljana, Slovenia, which have come to Seattle from the Edmonton Fringe Festival in Canada. Call is about loneliness, communication, and "the enormous network of human lives" and involves 47 dangling Slovenian phone books and "avant-acrobations, whatever those are. Hush! is an improv performance about the actors' s secret experiences. Theater Narobov and Unexpected Productions at Market Theater, 1428 Post Alley, 587-2414. $12.Call is Fri—Sat at 8 pm, Hush! is Sun at 7 pm.

DINNER & DREAMS
Ongoing. The European-style dinner theater with cirque performers as garnish. Teatro ZinZanni, 2301 Sixth Ave, 802-0015. $99-$125. Thurs-Sat, 6:30 pm, Sun, 5:30 pm and Wed, 6:30 pm.

DINNER THEATER
See page 21. On The Boards, 100 W Roy St, 217-9888. $60. Fri-Sun, 7 pm. Through Sept 24.

recommended DOUBT
Previewing. The Pulitzer- and Tony-winning play about a priest, a nun, a Catholic school, and a suspicion of sexual abuse in a Bronx parochial school in 1964. By John Patrick Shanley. Directed by Warner Shook. Seattle Repertory Theatre, 155 Mercer St, 443-2222. $10-$48. Thurs-Sat, 7:30 pm and Sat, Sun, 2 pm. Through Oct 21.

EVITA
As Eva PerĂłn sings to Che Guevara, so I sing to you: "So go, if you're able, to somewhere unstable and stay there. Whip up your hate in some tottering state, but not here, dear. Is that clear, dear?" Village Theatre, 303 Front St N, 425-392-2202. $25-49. Wed-Sat, 8 pm and Sun, 2 pm. Through Oct 22.

FALL OFF NIGHT
Opening. A dark comedy about a 30-year-old woman wandering through a big city on the longest night of the year. By Allison Gregory. Macha Monkey at LiveGirls!, 2220 NW Market St, 800-838-3006. $12-$15. Thurs-Sat. Through Oct 7.

HANDS
A new play by Jennifer Anderson about matriarchs, death, and a dangerous family secret. Northwest Actors Studio, 1100 E Pike St, 324-6328. $8-$10. Fri-Sun, 8 pm. Through Sept 30.

HARRIET'S HALLOWEEN CANDY
Opening. A musical about sharing. Charlotte Martin, 305 Harrison St, Seattle Center. $16-$32. Fri, 7 pm and Sat, Sun, 2 & 5:30 pm. Through Nov 12.

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. What distinguishes Late Nite from the walking cartoons at Disneyland is that your name, your background, and your behavior become the crux of the performance." (Annie Wagner) ACT Theatre, 700 Union St, 292-7676. $24.50-$29.50. Fri, Sat, 8 pm and Sun, 2 pm.

recommended LOUIS SLOTIN SONATA
See review this issue. Empty Space Theatre, 901 12th Ave, 547-7500. $20-$30. Thurs, 7:30 pm, Fri, Sat, 8 pm and Wed, 7:30 pm. Through Oct 7.

THE MAIDEN'S PRAYER
A comedy about a man named Taylor, the "perfect mate" for his childhood friend Paul, his AA acquaintance Libby, and Libby's sister Cynthia. By Nicky Silver. Northwest Actors Studio, 1100 E Pike St, 324-6328. $10-$12. Fri, Sat, 8 pm. Through Sept 23.

MAN OF LA MANCHA
The 1965 play-within-a-musical about Miguel de Cervantes performing Don Quixote in a prison cell. Civic Light Opera, 7400 Sand Point Way NE #101N, 363-2809. $15-$35. Fri, Sat, 8 pm and Sun, 2 pm. Through Sept 24.

MOONLIGHT AND MAGNOLIAS
See review this issue. Intiman Theatre, 201 Mercer St, 269-1900. $27-$46. Thurs, 7:30 pm, Fri, Sat, 8 p m, Sat, Sun, 2 pm, Sun, 7:30 pm and Tues, Wed, 7:30 pm. Through Oct 8.

recommended THE MUSEUM PLAY
"The Museum Play's museum is of the natural-history variety and it's weird: The chairman of its board is a girl who was abandoned inside the museum and never left. Mastodon bones disappear, mounted butterflies rearrange themselves on the wall, and 'the suggested donation is the contents of your wallet; the suggested donation is nonnegotiable.' Some performances are better than others, but the play—which is really about how the characters catalog and collect lost loves—is imaginative and strong." (Brendan Kiley) Washington Ensemble Theatre, 608 19th Ave E, 800-838-3006. $10-$15. Thurs-Sun, 8 pm and Mon, 8 pm. Through Sept 25.

NINE OF NINE
Readings of nine new full-length plays—one each night—by local writers. Absurd Reality Theatre and Ecelectic Theatre Company at Odd Duck Studio, 1214 10th Ave, 323-7412. $9. Thurs-Sat, 8 pm. Through Sept 23.

A NUMBER
"Cloning technology may be complex, but the questions raised by cloning are elemental. In the context of genetic reduplication, 'who am I?' and 'why am I here?' take on a painfully literal significance. In Caryl Churchill's schematic, hour-long play A Number, answers are trotted out almost as quickly as the questions are asked. The original should destroy the copies. The original should sue the copies. The copy should worry. The copy should run away, pretend that it is still possible to be unique. (I should mention that these hypotheses are played by actors—Kevin Tighe as a father and Peter Crook as several sons—who trip over Churchill's free-verse nursery rhyme but expend quite a lot of effort to prove that concepts are people, too.) Intentionally insufficient solutions dispatched with, the play swiftly moves to familiar family drama—classical tragedy by way of biology class. For once and for all, is it nature or nurture? Who creates monsters? Is it cool or uncool to lock your toddler in a cupboard while you go on a bender? Does God allow do-overs? Director John Kazanjian deploys the actors on a round stage that looks like a lazy Susan. I couldn't help imagining the characters as condiments, dollop-sized ideas for us to sample. The portions are meager enough." (Annie Wagner) ACT Theatre, 700 Union St, 292-7676. $10-$54. Thurs, 7:30 pm, Fri, Sat, 8 pm, Sun, 2 & 7:30 pm and Tues, Wed, 7:30 pm. Through Oct 1.

THE REAL INSPECTOR HOUND
Tom Stoppard's comedy about a murder mystery and obnoxious theater critics. SecondStory Rep at Redmond Town Center, 16451 NE 74th St, 425-869-1800. $18-$24. Fri, Sat, 8:15 pm. Through Oct 7.

REWIND 1987
"Rewind 1987 is an interactive theater 'experience' that reproduces a 1987 homecoming dance, with the jock, the cute nerdy girl, the tipsy biology teacher, the pack of snotty cheerleaders, the sad punk, and the rest of the gang. (Long Duk Dong was conspicuously absent.) You drink beer, watch the 1980s high-school caricatures caper, be cajoled to dance, and, finally, dance to 'Rock the Casbah,' 'My Sharona,' and, of course, 'Walk Like an Egyptian.' The 'experience' is half onstage, half on the dance floor, where individual audience members chat and flirt with individual characters. The audience has to get out of its seats and onto the floor if it wants to experience the 'experience.' That's a dicey proposition for Seattle audiences, famous—even at rock shows—for folding their arms, staying aloof, and generally failing to rock. Rewind 1987, which began in Los Angeles, has the potential to become another long-running Late Night Catechism if it finds its target audience: bachelorette parties, sorority outings, and other herds of young, drunken women who want to dance to radio hits from their elementary-school days." (Brendan Kiley) Last Supper Club, 124 S Washington St, 748-9975. $29-$39. Sat, 7:30 pm. Through Sept 30.

SOUL OF A WHORE: PART III OF THE CASSANDRA CYCLE
The final chapter in Denis Johnson's gallows-humor triptych about a corrosive American West populated by preachers, pimps, convicts, alcoholics, frightening lawmen, and sentient televisions. (Free for 18 and under.) Theater Schmeater, 1500 Summit Ave, 325-6500. $18. Thurs-Sat, 8 pm. Through Oct 21.

TELL ME ON A SUNDAY
A gayed-up version of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical about the loves and life of a young Brit in New York. Gaydar Productions at Thumper's, 1500 E Madison St, 328-3800. $13.50. Thurs, 8:30 pm and Sun, 7:30 pm. Through Oct 8.

TEMPEST IN THE LAKE
The Tempest, performed on a beach, with "water sets and water puppetry." Idylwood Park Beach, 3650 W Lake Sammamish Pkwy NE. Free. Sat, Sun, 2 pm. Through Sept 24.

UNCLE HIDEKI & THE EMPTY NEST
A gentle comedy about family and retirement in the Suyama family. A world-premiere sequel of 1995's Uncle Hideki, both by local children's author Jean Davies Okimoto. Theater Off Jackson, 409 Seventh Ave S, 340-1049. $9-$15. Thurs, 7:30 pm, Fri, Sat, 8 pm and Sun, 4 pm. Through Oct 8.

WICKED
The super-popular musical that picks up where The Wizard of Oz left off and works from the premise that the Wicked Witch of the West was misunderstood. Paramount Theatre, 911 E Pine St, 292-2787. $27-$70. Thurs, 1 & 7:30 pm, Fri, Sat, 8 pm, Sat, 2 pm and Sun, 1 & 6:30 pm. Through Oct 1.

Dance

DIRECTOR'S CHOICE
Opening. Music by Leonard Bernstein, Thom Willems, and Tchaikovsky; choreography by Jerome Robbins, William Forsythe, and George Balanchine. McCaw Hall, 321 Mercer St, 684-7200. $18-$145. Thurs-Sat, 7:30 pm and Sat, 1 pm. Through Sept 23.

recommended THE FALL KICK-OFF EXTRAVAGANZA: A BENEFIT FOR VELOCITY DANCE CENTER
One weekend only. Different performances each night, including Amelia Reeber, Tonya Lockyer, Degenerate Art Ensemble, Fankick!, d9, Massive Monkees, Buttrock Suites, and others. Velocity Dance Center, 915 E Pine St, 325-8773. $20. Fri-Sun, 8 pm. Through Sept 24.

Cabaret

BURLESQUE BEHIND THE PINK DOOR
Ongoing. Novelty acts, puppets, crooners, and old-fashioned burlesque. With Paula the Swedish Housewife. Pink Door, 1919 Post Alley, 443-3241. $10. Sat, 10:30 pm.

COLUMBIA CITY CABARET
Ongoing. A "saucy cabaret," hosted by Tamara the Trapeze Lady. Columbia City Theatre, 4916 Rainier Ave S, 723-0088. $15. Fri, 9 pm.

FREAK SHOW: AN OFF-BEAT CABARET
The Chicken Girl, the Queen of the Jungle, and others sing the music of Elvis Costello, Rufus Wainwright, and others. Thumper's, 1500 E Madison St, 328-3800. $10. Fri, Sat, 8:30 pm.

LIVE BURLESQUE
Ongoing. Hosted by Miss Shanghai Pearl. With a live dirty-blues band. SeaMonster Lounge, 2202 N 45th St, 633-1824. Free. Tues, 11 pm.

Improv & Comedy

CARLOS MENCIA: THE PUNISHER TOUR
As seen on Comedy Central's Mind of Mencia. Moore Theatre, 1932 Second Ave, 292-2787. $41. Thurs, Sept 21, 7 pm and Sat, Sept 23, 6:30 & 10 pm.

THE COMEDY SHOP
Comedy, comedy, comedy. And comedy. Columbia City Theatre, 4916 Rainier Ave S, 723-0088. $12 adv/$15 DOS. Sat, 8:30 & 10:30 pm.

COMEDY UNDERGROUND
New comedians each week. Check website for details. 222 S Main St, 800-325-7328. $6-$15. Fri, Sat, 8:30 & 10:30 pm.

CUPCAKE
Performers Ethan Newberry and Justin Sund make your wildest fantasies come true through the magic of improv. Rendezvous, 2320 Second Ave, 441-5823. $10. Fri, 8 pm. Through Sept 29.

GIGGLES COMEDY CLUB
New comedians each week. Check website for details. (Thursdays are a free open mic, Sundays are a free comedy showcase.) 5220 Roosevelt Way NE, 526-5653. $12. Fri, Sat, 8:30 & 10:30 pm.

HOGWASH: AN IMPROVISED TALL TALE FOR SMALL CHILDREN
A full band and a bunch of actors building a story off the kids' suggestions. Jerk Alert Productions at Historic University Theater, 5510 University Way NE, 352-8291. $10. Sat, 2 pm. Through Oct 28.

IMPROSIA: LIFE... UNKNOWN
A long-form improv show "meant to be engaging and philosophical." Historic University Theater, 5510 University Way NE, 352-8291. $10. Sun, 7 pm. Through Oct 15.

JET CITY IMPROV
Ongoing. Historic University Theater, 5510 University Way NE, 352-8291. $8-$10. Fri, Sat, 10:30 pm and Sat, 8 pm.

THEATRESPORTS
Ongoing. Market Theater, 1428 Post Alley, 587-2414. $8-$12. Fri, Sat, 10:30 pm and Sun, 7 pm.

Late Night

CAPITOL HILL HIGH, EPISODE THREE: SHANIQUALA SLEEPS TONIGHT
"Bad Actor Productions' flagship serial comedy, a ramshackle parade of Pike/Pine-corridor-specific satire, teenage soap-opera spoofing, and enthusiastic crap, marked by aggressively terrible acting and shamelessly lame theatrics." (David Schmader) Bad Actor Productions at Capitol Hill Arts Center, 1621 12th Ave, 388-0569. $10. Fri, Sat, 10 pm. Through Oct 21.

CUPCAKE
Performers Ethan Newberry and Justin Sund make your wildest fantasies come true through the magic of improv. No one under 17 admitted. Historic University Theater, 5510 University Way NE, 352-8291. $8. Sat, 12:30 am. Through Nov 17.

SUAVE
A new show of by Douglas S. Willott and Ian Schempp that "will educate audiences on the sextracurricular arts, using instructional videos as well as some serious sensuous role-playing." No one under 17 admitted. Historic University Theater, 5510 University Way NE, 352-8291. $8. Sun, 12:30 am. Through Nov 17.

Specil Events

12 HOUR PLAY
One night only. A 12-hour dance and music improvisation featuring dancers Amelia Reeber, Mark Haim, Beth Graczyk, Sean Ryan, and John Dixon and musicians Jeff Huston, Angelina Baldoz, and Cristin Miller. CoCA, 410 Dexter Ave N, 720-1980. By donation. Sat, Sept 23, 6 pm.

APOSTROPHE
One night only. A montly series dedicated to solo artists. This month: Tasha Buttler (prose), Don Mee Choi (poetry), Jessie Smith (dance), and Tyler Wilcox (music). Gallery 1412, 1412 18th Ave E, 956-8372. $5-$15. Sat, Sept 23, 8 pm.

recommended DEGENERATE ART HIGH SCHOOL
One night only. A school-themed fundraiser for Degenerate Art Ensemble, with the Aerialistas, Mr. Brian's Multiple Choice Sex Ed Class, Semi Pro Grrrl Wrestlers, a dunk tank, and other stuff. Lawrimore Project, 831 Airport Way S, 501-1231. $5-$15. Fri, Sept 22.

WHITE BUFFALO
One weekend only. A reading of a new play by Don Zolidis about a white buffalo calf. Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, 4408 Delridge Way SW, 686-3729. By donation. Sun, Sept 24, 2 pm and Mon, Sept 25, 7 pm.