OPENING THIS WEEK
THE LADY FROM THE SEA · Intiman Theatre
WAITING TO BE INVITED · A Contemporary Theatre
ONE WEEK ONLY
KAZOO! · Chamber Theatre
LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS · Clothespin Productions & Tedious Brief Theatre Company
TASOGARE ("TWILIGHT") · Volunteer Park
BETTY'S SUMMER VACATION · Elliott Bay Book Company
CLOSING THIS WEEK
FAT GIRL FOLLIES · On the Boards
FOX. SPOT. JANE. · Odd Duck Studio
GREASE · Youth Theatre Northwest
THE HABIT · The Bathhouse Theater
MISS GOLDEN DREAMS · A Contemporary Theatre
PIKE STREET STUDIO PLAYERS · Northwest Actors Studio
UNDO · EXITheatre
OPENING AND CURRENT RUNS
BALMORAL
A farce about a Communist revolution in Britain, which presumably doesn't include Stalinist purges. Reviewed this issue. Taproot Theatre, 204 N 85th St, 781-9707. $17-$25. Wed-Thurs at 7:30, Fri-Sat at 8, Sat at 2. Through Sept 1. (NightCap improvisational comedy on Fri nights at 10:15, starting Aug 10.)
BETTY'S SUMMER VACATION
A staged reading of Christopher Durang's comedy. ReAct at Elliott Bay Book Company, 101 S Main St. $5 suggested donation. Sun at 1 pm, this weekend only.
* FAT GIRL FOLLIES
Part autobiographical tale, part standup comedy about living fat. From Peggy Platt, part of Dos Fallopia and a comedian in her own right. "The Platt you'll see in this show is different than the million-gags-a-minute satirist to which fans are accustomed; this show is really a kind of stage essay about female body image, injustice, despair, and loving oneself. It takes an exceedingly vulnerable turn as Platt, at the most open we've seen her onstage, puts questions out to the world, both straightforward and veiled." (Stacey Levine) On the Boards, 100 W Roy St, 217-9888. $13 Thurs/Sun, $15 Fri-Sat Thurs-Sat at 9, Sun at 3 & 8. Through Aug 26.
FOX. SPOT. JANE.
They didn't send me any press materials, so I have no idea what this is about. I found a postcard lying in the street. The postcard has lotteria cards on it. I like lotteria cards. They're pretty. The play is written by John Shehorn and directed by Erin Enns. Yellow Cat Productions at the Odd Duck Studio, 1214 10th Ave, 720-7888. $10. Thurs-Sat at 8, through Aug 25.
THE LADY FROM THE SEA
See Stranger Suggests. Middle-class wife gets ants in pants for hunky sailor. Intiman Theatre, 201 Mercer St, 269-1900. $10-$42 (pay-what-you-can on Thurs, Aug 30). Tue-Wed-Thurs & Sun at 7:30, Fri-Sat at 8, Sat-Sun at 2 (Wed matinee on Sept 19; Sept 15 matinee is audio-described). Through Sept 22.
LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS
The musical about a giant, man-eating plant, performed by kids age 14 to 17. Clothespin Productions & Tedious Brief Theatre Company at On the Boards' The Behnke Center for Contemporary Performance, 100 W Roy St, 217-9888. $10 general, $8 students/seniors. Fri-Sun at 7:30, Sun at 2. This weekend only.
MACBETH
A dark, moody tragedy, being produced in our sunny parks. GreenStage at various parks; call 748-1551 or go to www.greenstage.org for info. Free. Mostly Fri-Sat at 8; call or go to the website for exceptions. Through Sept 9.
MISS GOLDEN DREAMS
Joyce Carol Oates' new play, based on her novel Blonde, about the woeful life of Marilyn Monroe. "The exploitation of Marilyn Monroe and other innocents by our peculiarly vicious culture of celebrity is a worthy subject. And you'd expect Oates, with her keen sensitivity to the creepiest underbelly of America, would be able to do something smart with the story. But in this play, she doesn't. Don't waste your time going to see this." (Rebecca Brown) A Contemporary Theatre, 700 Union St, 292-7676. $16.50 ($19.50 online), $10 for anyone 25 or under. Wed, Thurs, Sun at 7:30, Fri-Sat at 8. Through Aug 26.
PIKE STREET STUDIO PLAYERS
Improvisational comedy & audience interaction. Northwest Actors Studio, 3rd Floor Cabaret, 1100 E Pike, 324-6328. $5 suggested donation. Fri-Sat at 8. Through Aug 25.
TROILUS & CRESSIDA
Possibly Shakespeare's crabbiest play, in which everyone is petty, snide, and manipulative. Which is a good thing. GreenStage at various parks; call 748-1551 or go to www.greenstage.org for info. Free. Mostly Sat-Sun at 3; call or go to the website for exceptions. Through Sept 2.
* UNDO
An exploration of creation myths from around the world. "Directors Miriam Goodman-Miller and Mike Lindgren are aggressively pursuing what makes theater different from television or film, and they're doing so with vigor, a genuine sense of whimsy, and a thankful lack of pretension. Theatergoers who normally shy away from "experimental theater" may find the performers of Undo charming enough to make a non-linear show both accessible and enjoyable." (Bret Fetzer) EXITheatre at Sand Point Naval Base, Hangar 30, 7400 Sand Point Way NE, 851-6730. $10. Thurs-Sat at 8. Through Aug 25.
THE VELVET RUT
Reviewed this issue. Backyard wrestling, lo-fi noise distortion, white suburban rappers, and a potato-cannon-wielding art destroyer vie for attention in this Slacker-esque look at the DIY aesthetic. Annex Theatre at Richard Hugo House, 1634 11th Ave, 728-0933. $12 general, $7 students. Thurs-Sat at 8. Through Sept 15.
WAITING TO BE INVITED
See Bio Box. Four black friends decide to test the Supreme Court's desegregation rulings by having lunch at a "whites only" restaurant. A Contemporary Theatre, 700 Union, 292-7676. $30-$42 ($10 for anyone 25 or under). Tues-Wed-Thurs & Sun at 7:30, Fri-Sat at 8, 2 pm matinees on Aug 26, 30, Sept 2, 8, 9, 15, 16. Through Sept 16.
DANCE
TASAGORE (TWILIGHT)
See Stranger Suggests. A site-specific dance. Volunteer Park, across from the Seattle Asian Art Museum. $10 suggested donation. Thurs-Fri at 8, this weekend only.
FESTIVALS, CABARET, & COMEDY
7 BLONDES
A tribute to blond icons, ranging from Marilyn Monroe to Britney Spears, all performed by singer, actress, and female impersonator Sunny. "It was tragically apparent that this entire show and perhaps poor Sunny herself are merely three-dimensional advertisements for the vacuous schlock that Greg Thompson parades upon the slick stages of casinos and cruise ships." (Tamara Paris) Greg Thompson Productions at the Crepe de Paris, Rainier Square, 1531 Fifth Ave, 623-4111. $20 for the show alone, $49 with dinner. Thurs-Sun at 9. Through Sept 30.
COMEDY COURT
Improv comedy. University Heights Center, 5031 University Way NE, 442-2044. $7 general, $5 students. First and third Friday of the month at 7:30. Through August.
KAZOO!
Gala fundraiser for the sketch comedy troupe's upcoming tour. Also featuring food, drink, prizes, and the dulcet tones of Heather Duby. Chamber Theatre, 915 E Pine, 4th Floor, 972-3396. $15. Sat at 8, this weekend only.
LATE NIGHT
* THE HABIT
All new sketch comedy at a new location. "By and large the jokes stayed within the comfortable parameters of imitating or mocking American pop culture. This isn't a lack of imagination--the Habit inventively turns their very show into a consumer product by cleverly referencing and even making fun of their own skits, consuming themselves as they go along. It's very funny. But while watching, this focus on our own pop excretions gave me the sinking feeling that Americans can't think--much less joke--outside of them." (Brian Goedde) The Bathhouse Theater, 7312 W Green Lake Dr N, www.thehabit.org. $7 general, $5 students. Fri-Sat at 11. Through Aug 25.
LONG RUNS
CABARET: THE RESURRECTION at Coffee Messiah, 861-8233.
JET CITY IMPROV at ArtsWest, 938-0339; at University Heights Center, 781-3879.
LATE NIGHT CATECHISM from Seattle Theatre Project at A Contemporary Theatre, 292-7676.
MYSTERIAN at Illusionz Magical Entertainment Center, Issaquah, 425-427-2444.
QUEER AS A THREE DOLLAR BILL at the Comedy Underground, 800-992-8499.
THEATERSPORTS at the Market Theater, 781-9273.
ELSEWHERE
ANYTHING COLE/THE PUBLIC EYE
A revue of the music of Cole Porter, in repertory with Peter Shaffer's comedy of infidelity, but the press release doesn't say which show is on what night. Better call ahead. SecondStory Repertory, Redmond Town Center, next to Borders, 425-881-6777. $19-$22 Fri-Sat at 8:15. Through Sept 15.
GREASE
All about bobby socks, drive-ins, and necking in the back seat. Youth Theatre Northwest, 8805 SE 40th, Mercer Island, 232-2202. $12 (group discounts available). Thurs-Sat at 7:30, Sat-Sun at 2. Through Aug 26.
