OPENING AND CURRENT RUNS

recommended BORN YESTERDAY

See review this issue. ACT Theatre, 700 Union St, 292-7676. $10–$54. Thurs at 2 and 7:30 pm, Fri–Sat at 8 pm, Sun at 2 and 7:30 pm, Tues–Wed at 7:30 pm. Through July 17.

CAMELOT!

An open-air adaptation of the King Arthur myth, complete with music. Snoqualmie Falls Theater, 36800 SE David Powell Rd, Fall City, 425-736-7252. $6-–$16. Sat at 3 and 8 pm, Sun at 3 pm. Through July 24.

THE CHERRY ORCHARD

"Chekhov explicitly labeled The Cherry Orchard a comedy (a word that's given grief to every director from Stanislavsky on), and director Stewart Hawk seems to have decided that means his cast should talk loudly, exaggerate the physical gags, and make every facial tic visible from the back of the house. The actors aren't totally incompetent, but the rest of this production takes its cue from the set—shabby, awkward, and bland." (Annie Wagner) 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 July 10.

CLUBFOOT, OR, TALES FROM THE BACK OF AN AMBULANCE

Final week. "Clubfoot is less a play than a series of stories about working in a Seattle ambulance. Three actors reading from music stands perform vignettes about frail, wounded, or frivolous people who are funnier (and more pathetic) than you'd expect. A successful collaboration between Bret Fetzer (playwright) and Stephen McCandless (EMT), Clubfoot grabs our attention with lurid details about body mold and bloody injuries, but its reflections on evolution, sociology, and the ontology of pain give it satisfying ballast." (Brendan Kiley) Capitol Hill Arts Center, 1621 12th Ave. Tickets available at the door only, $10. Thurs–Sat at 8 pm. Through July 2.

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. Fri at 7:30 pm, Sat at 5 and 8 pm, Sun at 3 pm. Through July 10.

DESPERATE LIAISONS

Opening. Craig Trolli's troupe (The Exorcist: The Musical) parodies Les Liaisons Dangereuses, moving the action from 18th-century France to a gay cruise ship. Bad Actor Productions at Thumper's, 1500 E Madison St, 328-3800. $10. Opening Fri July 1 at 8 pm. Sat at 8 pm. Through July 23.

DINNER & DREAMS

Ongoing. The summer edition of the rabidly successful dinner-theater/circus hybrid launches this week, with tap dancer Roxanne Butterfly and chanteuse Debbie de Coudreaux. Teatro ZinZanni, 2301 Sixth Ave, 802-0015.

$89–$109. Thurs–Sat at 6:30 pm, Sun at 5:30 pm.

DREAMS, OH DREAMS

An original play written and directed by Caleb Penn, about a man who wakes up in the morning to discover he's lost his faith in reality. Produced by the Backwards Company, a theater group composed of current Cornish students. Open Circle Theater, 429 Boren Ave N, 360-990-0320. $6. Thurs–Sat at 8 pm. Through July 9.

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.

THE MUSIC MAN

Meredith Willson's musical about a scam man and a very clever librarian. Village Theatre, 303 Front St N, Issaquah. 425-392-2202. $26–$42. Thurs–Fri at 8 pm, Sat at 2 and 8 pm, Sun at 2. Through July 3 at this location, in Everett through July 24.

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 Theatre, 1428 Post Alley, 781-9273. $15. Fri at 8 pm. Through August 19.

ONE FLEA SPARE

Opening. A 1995 play by Naomi Wallace about four people quarantined in a London house during the Plague. Tanja Pineda (1938: The Horse) directs. Richard Hugo House, 1634 11th Ave, www.brownpapertickets.com. $11–$14. Opening Fri July 1 at 4 and 8 pm. Sat at 4 and 8 pm. Through July 9.

REALITY WORLD

An improvised faux-reality show, wherein you get to vote the actors offstage, and there are no shaky handheld cameras. Jet City Improv at Historic University Theater, 5510 University Way NE, www.ticketwindowonline.com. $8–$10. Thurs–Fri at 8 pm. Through July 22.

SUMMER CAMP PERFOMANCES

Opening. The kids at Stone Soup Theatre's summer school strut their stuff. Stone Soup at three locations each week: Good Shepherd Center, Meridian Park, 4649 Sunnyside Ave N; Seward Park Amphitheatre, 5902 Lake Washington Blvd S; and Heritage Park, 19921 Poplar Way, Lynnwood. 633-1883. Free. Opening Fri July 1 at 1 pm. Through Aug 19.

THIS IS OUR YOUTH

Opening. Kenneth Lonergan (You Can Count on Me) wrote this play about three young people at the dawn of the Reagan era in Manhattan. Mark Gallagher (Hedwig and the Angry Inch) directs; Quinlan Corbett, Joe Feeney, and Mikano Fukaya star. Direct Flight Productions at The Little Theater, 608 19th Ave E, www.brownpapertickets.com. $10–$15. Opening Thurs June 30 at 8 pm. Fri–Sat at 8 pm. Through July 16.

recommended THE THREE SISTERS

See Stranger Suggests, page 25. "Three Sisters hangs on to the characters' haughty desperation for urban life, and perhaps even more impressively, the production never loses the undertow of Chekhov's weird, bitter humor. The atmosphere of frozen ambition is first established by the production design, which is at once delicate and austere. The actors who play the three sisters are pulled in completely different directions by their provincial surroundings, but it was Alexandra Tavares who really captured me. Her Irina is rushed and cramped at times, but she's also itchy and fervent. She wants out, she wants up, and it's easy to believe her desire." (Annie Wagner) Intiman Theatre, 201 Mercer St, 269-1900. $10–$46. Thurs at 7:30 pm, Fri at 8 pm, Sat 2 and 8 pm, Sun at 2 and 7:30 pm, Tues–Wed at 7:30. Through July 9.

recommended THE UGLY AMERICAN

Final week. "Mike Daisey's newest monologue is a mostly lighthearted scrapbook narrative—the classic story of an American abroad, with a soft parody of college theater on the side. By the end of the evening, though, the bumbling thespian routine has split open, revealing a much darker, more interesting core of violence and jealousy." (Annie Wagner) ACT Theatre, 700 Union St, 292-7676. $30. Thurs at 8 pm. Through June 30.

DANCE

FOUR ELEMENTS

Opening. Wade Madsen presents a new evening-length work, in four movements titled (unsurprisingly) "Air," "Earth," "Water," and "Fire." Broadway Performance Hall, 1625 Broadway, www.ticketwindowonline.com. $16–$19.50. Opening Thurs June 30 at 8 pm. Fri–Sun at 8 pm. Through July 10.

LATE NIGHT

SPIN THE BOTTLE

One night only. The monthly showcase of new work, this edition featuring dance cinema from Corrie Befort, and meditations on Kennedy (the president? the Supreme Court justice?) by Brian Young. Annex Theatre at Freehold's East Hall Theater, 915 E Pine St, 728-0933. $7. Fri July 1 at 11 pm.

SWING-IT MIDNIGHT REVUE

A late-night comedy and music show, from the folks at Jet City Improv. Historic University Theater, 5510 University Way NE. $5 at the door (18+ w/ID required). Sat at midnight. No closing date set.

IMPROV & COMEDY

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. THEATRESPORTS at Market Theatre, 1428 Post Alley, 781-9273. $8–$12. Fri at 10:30 pm, Sun at 7 pm. ROSIE TRAN at Comedy Underground, 222 Main St, 800-325-SEAT. $6–$12 (21+ w/ID required). Thurs at 8:30 pm, Fri–Sat at 8:30 and 10:30 pm.

SPECIAL EVENTS

recommended PIN DOWN GIRLS!

One night only. See Stranger Suggests, page 25. Girl wrestling, plus burlesque and videos. Neumo's, 925 E Pike St, www.ticketswest.com. $12–$20 (21+ w/ID required). Sat July 2 at 8 pm.

LOLA TAROT

Two nights only. The infamous theatrical tarot readings are back. Come equipped with bottomless patience, weighty questions about your purpose in life, and a robust sense of the absurd. Still confused? Check out the testimonials on lolatarot.org, including this special morsel, which may or may not have been written by a 12-year-old: "Very validating. Magic! Yum! Yummy! Magic! Thank you!" Rendezvous, 2322 Second Ave, 441-5823. $15. Fri–Sat July 1–2 at 7:30 pm.