stage

Stage listings are compiled by Cheryl Eddy. Performance times may change; call venues to confirm. Reviewers are Robert Avila, Sima Belmar, Rita Felciano, and Brad Rosenstein. Theater intern is Lara Shalson. See 8 Days a Week for information on how to submit items to the listings.

theater

Opening

Bob Cowell Theatre, Fort Mason Center, Marina at Laguna; 441-8822, www.magictheatre.org. $22-47. Opens Wed/20, 8pm. Runs Wed-Sat, 8pm (also Sat, 2:30pm); Sun, 2:30pm. Through March 31. The SITI Company presents director Anne Bogart and performer Will Bond in a solo play about artist Robert Wilson.

MacB: The MacBeth Project African-American Art and Culture Complex, 762 Fulton; 292-1852. $12-15. Previews Wed/20, 8pm. Opens Thurs/21, 8pm. Runs Thurs-Sat, 8pm (also Sat/30, 3pm); Sun, 3pm. Through Sat/30. See 8 Days a Week, page 54.

'Tenn in 2002' Eureka Theatre Company, 215 Jackson; (510) 434-0734. $12-15. Previews Wed/20, 8pm. Opens Thurs/21, 8pm. Runs Wed-Sat and Tues/2 (benefit show), 8pm; Sun, 3pm. Through April 7. Eastenders Repertory Company performs The Long Good-bye, by Tennessee Williams, plus Hello's the Word, a collection of new short works inspired by Williams.

Bay Area

The Fantasticks Larkspur Cafe Theatre, 500 Magnolia, Larkspur; (415) 924-6107. $18-30. Opens Fri/22, 8pm. Runs Fri-Sat, 8pm; April 7 and 14, 2pm. Through April 20. Hoochi-Doo Productions presents the musical love story.

Ongoing

Are We Almost There? Shelton Theatre, 533 Sutter; 345-7575. $19-23. Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Extended through April 28. The musical comedy revue about traveling returns to the Shelton Theatre.

Blithe Spirit Geary Theater, 415 Geary; 749-2228. $15-61. Wed/20-Sat/23, 8pm (also Wed/20 and Sat/23, 2pm); Sun/24, 2pm. Noël Coward's classic supernatural comedy gets revisited by American Conservatory Theater. Despite an unevenly amusing effervescence, the evening turns out to be a rather conventional, even occasionally creaky remounting. On opening night the production hadn't yet achieved the razor-sharp rhythms that are director Charles Randolph-Wright's hallmark, but Gregory Wallace makes for a delightfully debonair Charles Condomine. (Rosenstein)

Cat and Mouse (Sheep) Next Stage, 1620 Gough; 675-5995, www.crowdedfire.org. Thurs/21-Sun/24, 8pm. Crowded Fire Theatre Company presents Gregory Motton's political satire.

*Don't Make Me Look Too Psychotic Bannam Place Theater, 50 Bannam Place; 986-4607. $15. Thurs/21-Sat/23, 8pm. Violently unhealthy relationships are the driving force behind Bruce Pachtman's hilarious solo show. Pachtman developed this autobiographical piece after dating a particularly incendiary woman. Psychotic is gut-bustingly funny, which is no small feat considering the seriousness of the material. (Joshua Medsker)

Euphor!um Bldg 920, Mason St, Presidio (enter from Marina Blvd through Crissy Field gate); 332-9454. $15. Extended run: Thurs, 6-10pm; Fri-Sat, 7-11:30pm; Sun, 3-7pm. Through April 21. Antenna presents its interactive journey through Samuel Taylor Coleridge's opium-inspired poem "Kubla Khan."

*Five Flights Thick House, 1695 18th St; 401-8081. $15-20. Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 5pm. Extended through April 21. Five Flights is a fable of faiths in collision, each of its characters desperately looking for something or someone to believe in. Kent Nicholson crafts a gem of presentational staging in perfect sync with playwright Adam Bock's self-conscious structure. Unfortunately, the play loses steam as it strains toward a conclusion of difficult grace. Still, Bock remains a tremendously exciting talent, and you couldn't ask for a better production than this one by the Encore Theatre Company. (Rosenstein)

*Frank Olivier's Twisted Cabaret and Pandemonium Vaudeville Show Mason Street Theatre, 340 Mason; 982-5463. $30-42. Thurs, 8pm; Fri, 8:30pm; Sat, 5:30 and 9pm; Sun, 3:30pm. Through April 7. Jugglers don't come much better or stranger than Frank Olivier, a one-man reincarnation of vaudeville with a decided edge. This show features the performer as more than a dozen showbiz characters, including a pointedly inept magician and an emotionally distraught knife thrower. There are hits and misses, but when Olivier is juggling, no one can touch him, not just for his mind-bending skill but also for his perfectly honed awkward-guy appeal, which gets an audience roaring. (Rosenstein)

*I Am Hamlet Exit Stage Left, 156 Eddy; 751-5922. $10-20. Fri-Sat, Mon/1, and April 8, 8pm. Through April 13. Art Street Theater presents artistic director Mark Jackson as a much abused Hamlet who has suffered one too many interpretations by artists and academics. With broad humor and even broader gestures, Jackson's Hamlet gives us a whirlwind tour of the play as he sees it, inhabiting all the necessary characters and supplying his own commentary throughout. The show works best when Shakespeare's play and Jackson's wit and technical fluency are most in sync, as in Hamlet's bloody finale, which is something of a tour de force. (Avila)

Jitney Curran Theatre, 445 Geary; 512-7770. $35-59. Tues-Sat, 8pm (also Wed and Sat-Sun, 2pm). Through Sun/31. In 1979's Jitney, August Wilson discovered his subject and his voice. With prodding from director Marion McClinton, Wilson revised the play in 1996; now it's come to the Curran Theater with McClinton at the helm and much of its original, superb ensemble. Set in a gypsy-cab station in Pittsburgh, the play shows signs of a beginner's work corrected by a master, but as always in Wilson's plays, there is the brimming sense of life, the indelibly etched characters, and the extraordinary verbal riffs. (Rosenstein)

Lavender Lockeroom Theatre Rhinoceros, 2926 16th St; 861-5079. $15-18. Thurs-Sat, 8:30pm; Sun/24 and Sun/31, 7:30pm. Through Sun/31. HPH Players and Theatre Rhinoceros present the world premiere of F. Allen Sawyer's comedy inspired by gay pulp novels of the 1950s and '60s.

Legion New Conservatory Theatre Center, 25 Van Ness; 861-8972. $18-35. Wed-Sat, 8pm; Sun/24 and Sun/31, 2pm. Through April 6. In Hal Corley's new play the seemingly happily married Jonah (Randel Hart) and his married-with-children acquaintance Sylvester (Jeff Castle) secretively pursue an affair. Over the course of the play's 13-year span, we meet a number of other men who are similarly tormented by their double lives. Corley is a talented writer who knows how to get dramatic sparks flying, but the evening is dominated by the flamboyantly funny Burton (Markham Miller), who rushes into the vacuum of the Sylvester-Jonah relationship and takes over the play. (Rosenstein)

The (Magnificent) Ass Show Exit Theatre, 156 Eddy; 285-6808. $9-15. Fri-Sat, 8pm. Through April 6. Live music and comedy sketches highlight this show by Maurissa Afanador.

Next in Line Exit on Taylor, 277 Taylor; 673-3847. $12-20. Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Through April 13. Exit Theatre presents the premiere of John Warren's political thriller.

Nu? Vaudeville: A Jewish Comedy Revue A Traveling Jewish Theatre, 470 Florida; 399-1809. $12.50-25 (Thurs, pay what you can). Thurs/21-Sat/23, 8pm; Sun/24, 4pm. Moshe Cohen, Sara Felder, Jeanette Lewicki, Karen Quest, and Dalia Vidor star in this show.

Passion New Conservatory Theatre Center, 25 Van Ness; 861-8972. $15-35. Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2pm. Through Sun/31. The New Conservatory Theatre Center continues its "In Concert" series with Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's emotional one-act opera.

Seducing the Audience Voice One Studio Theatre, 1119 Mission; 626-1087. $15. Fri-Sat, 8pm. Through Sat/30. This program is composed of short plays by local author Scott Munson.

Serial Murderess: A Play in Three Axe Venue 9, 252 Ninth St; 289-2000. $12-15. Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Extended through April 6. Amanda Moody's popular show about three bloodthirsty women returns for its third run at Venue 9.

Women behind Bars Theatre Rhinoceros, 2926 16th St; 861-5079. $15-25. Wed-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 7pm (also Sun/24, Sun/31, and April 7, 3pm). Through April 13. Theatre Rhinoceros revives Tom Eyen's spoof of 1950s bad-girl prison movies. New inmate Mary-Eleanor (Joan Grinde), an innocent newlywed taking the rap for her husband's foiled gas-station holdup, finds herself among eight hard-boiled criminals under the predatory eye of the Matron (Mary Knoll) and her addled assistant Louise (Treacy Corrigan). The "corruption" of Mary-Eleanor by her eccentric cellmates (including a Blanche Du Bois wanna-be, a pyromaniac, and a Bible-thumping old-timer) follows the lines laid out by the women-in-prison genre – an intentionally titillating but moralizing set of B movies that represented the postwar backlash against a newfound female independence. Eyen's parody, in embracing the bad girl, reaches for laughs as well as the subversive point that the truly "liberated" woman may only be free behind bars. The play trades on a host of familiar clichés and stereotypes that feel too familiar, however, and the second act bogs down in the attempt to underscore the political point. In the end, it's the willing-and-able cast that keeps Eyen's foundering craft afloat. Raunchy, raucous, and frankly ridiculous, the show maintains an impressive energy occasionally brought to the brink of hysteria by director Russell Blackwood. (Avila)

Bay Area

After the Fall Speakeasy Theatre, 2016 Seventh St, Berk; (510) 841-4100, www.ticketweb.com. $8-20. Fri-Sat, 8pm; Sun/24, 2pm. Through April 6. Set during the McCarthy witch hunt of the 1950s, Arthur Miller's play centers on two-time divorcé Quentin (Peter Carlstrom), who recounts the failed relationships that left him a spiritual and political agnostic. While Miller's personal agenda hinders his dramatic judgment – the play can become muddled and self-serving – his themes resonate in a time of heightened conformity. In Speakeasy's compelling production, Carlstrom is sympathetic as Miller's somewhat disingenuous alter ego, and director Rebecca Goodberg wisely concentrates on Quentin's tortured relationships with women, the emotional center that provides some of the play's most dramatic moments. (Avila)

*The Blue Room Theatre on San Pedro Square, 19 N San Pedro, San Jose; (408) 283-0200. $18.50-42.50. Wed-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2pm. Through Sun/31. Adapted freely from Arthur Schnitzler's La Ronde, David Hare's update gains enormously from the 100 years that have elapsed since the original, humanizing and deepening Schnitzler's sometimes crass daisy chain of sexual encounters. This northern California premiere is graced with two splendid actors, Stephanie Gularte and Jonathan Rhys Williams, who never falter though the play drags a bit in its final third. (Rosenstein)

*The Golden State Transparent Theater, 1901 Ashby, Berk; (510) 883-0305. $20 (Sun/24, pay what you can). Thurs/21-Sat/23, 8pm; Sun/24, 7pm. This wistful comedy written and directed by Transparent Theater's Tom Clyde imagines an encounter between Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys (Noah James Butler) and a spry water nymph named Lana (Liza Zapol), the daughter of Aquaman (William Boynton), ruler of the seven seas. Played to the hilt by a laid-back but razor-sharp cast, the kooky comic-book premise comes off surprisingly well. Clyde's shaded characterizations and sense of humor help keep a sympathetic story from becoming overly sentimental. (Avila)

A Fairy's Tail Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Thrust Stage, 2025 Addison, Berk; UC Theatre, 2036 University, Berk; $10-$25. (510) 704-8210. Berkeley Rep: Fri-Sat, 8pm (Sat/23 show at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College, Berk.); Sun, 5pm. Through Sun/31. UC Theatre: Opens April 4, 8pm. Runs Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 5pm. Through April 7. The Shotgun Players present Adam Bock's latest play.

The Hairy Ape Marin Theatre Company, 397 Miller, Mill Valley; (415) 388-5208. $24-40. Tues-Thurs, 7:30pm (also Thurs/28, 1pm); Fri-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2 and 7pm. Through April 7. The Marin Theatre Company presents Eugene O'Neill's tragicomic tale of a coal stoker working on an ocean liner.

Impact Briefs 5: The East Bay Hit La Val's Subterranean Theater, 1834 Euclid, Berk; (510) 464-4468. $7-12. Fri-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 7pm. Through Sat/30. Impact Theatre offers up seven comedic works in one evening as part of its fifth annual festival of short plays.

Knock Knock Aurora Theatre, 2081 Addison, Berk; (510) 843-4822. $26-35. Wed-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2 and 7pm. Through April 14. See "Women's Work," page 43.

The Merchant of Venice Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant, Berk; (925) 798-1300. $25 (Wed, $12.50). Wed-Thurs, 7pm; Fri-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2pm. Through Sun/31. Women in Time Productions present Shakespeare's classic.

dance

Dweeb Productions 848 Community Space, 848 Divisadero; 922-2389. Fri-Sat, 8pm. $5-10. The group performs Jon Whittle's Dances with Beckett, a piece inspired by the characters of Samuel Beckett.

Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg Palace of Fine Arts, 3301 Lyon; 392-4400. Fri-Sat, 8pm (also Sat, 2pm); Sun, 2 and 7pm. $45-55. The troupe performs The Karamazovs, a full-length ballet based on Dostoyevsky's novel.

Mary Sano and her Duncan Dancers Mary Sano Studio of Duncan Dancing, 245 Fifth St, Studio 314; 357-1817. Sun, 3pm. $12-25. See 8 Days a Week, page 54.

'Sky Dancers ... Women Who Fly Through the Air!' Dance Mission Theater, 3316 Mission; 273-4633. Fri-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 6pm. Through April 7. $17-20. See 8 Days a Week, page 54.

'Women's Work' Venue 9, 252 Ninth St; 289-2000. Tues, 8pm. $8-10. This week's show is a special evening of dance, featuring Alma Esperanza Cunningham, Thaïs Mazur, Kelly McCann, Todd Courage, and Jenny Selgrath.

Bay Area

Dimensions Dance Theater Alice Arts Center, 1428 Alice, Oakl; (510) 465-3363 or www.ticketweb.com. Sat, 8pm; Sun, 3pm. $15-20. The group presents In the Shadows of Our Ancestors ... Mudzimu, a piece inspired by the troupe's artistic exchange in Zimbabwe.

Taylor 2 Julia Morgan Theatre, 2640 College, Berk; (925) 798-1300. Sun, 7pm. $12-18. The group, an extension of the Paul Taylor Dance Company, performs.

performance

'Body Revolution, A Journey of Healing from Harlem to La Habana' El Teatro de la Esperanza, 2940 16th St, Second fl; 255-2320. Fri-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2pm. $5-10. Teresa Walsh performs her solo show about one woman's journey through a bumpy life.

'The Difficulty of Crossing a Field' Theater Artaud, 450 Florida; 749-2228. Fri-Sat, 8pm (also Sat, 2pm); Sun, 2pm. $25-30. The American Conservatory Theater presents the world premiere of a musical theater piece by Mac Wellman and David Lang, with music performed by the Kronos Quartet.

'Jay Alexander's New Swing Circus' Lodge Theater, Regency Building, 1290 Sutter; 883-7878. Fri, 8pm. $20-25. This show includes magic, juggling, knife throwing, live music, and more.

'An Indonesian Cultural Forum' ODC Theater, 3153 17th St; 863-9834. Sat, 8pm; Sun, 3pm. $15-18. The Center for Art in Translation presents Indonesian music, dance, and poetry.

'A Slice of the Blarney' Haas-Lilienthal House, 2007 Franklin; 441-3000, ext 11. Sat, 3 and 8pm. $20. The historic home hosts a performance of Kitty Burns's comedy.

'Meet the Beat: Spring Yes Spring' Venue 9, 252 Ninth St; 289-2000. Wed, 8pm. $6-10. Poets Don Bejima, M.I. Blue, and Delia Nakajama perform with musical accompanists.

'The Stalker in Me' Jon Sims Center for the Arts, 1519 Mission; 554-0402. Fri, 8pm. $5-10 (no one turned away for lack of funds). Artist in residence Dominique Zeltzman takes on depression and recovery via dance, trapeze, and storytelling.

'Trans Men Tell Their Tales' Luna Sea Women's Performance Project, 2940 16th St, Ste 216-C; 863-2388. Fri-Sat, 8pm. Through Sat/30. $10-15. FTM performers take the stage with original works.

'Til Friday' Club Rendez-vous, 1312 Polk; 309-CLUB. Fri, 10:30pm and midnight. Free. A cast of drag performers – including Cockatelia, Gypsy Calabrese, Sonfondaboyz, Manley Lennox, and Karen Kill – takes the stage; this week's theme is "The San Francisco Show."

'Ylem Forum: Math and Robots, a Two-Ring Circus' and 'Mathematica: A World of Numbers and Beyond' Exploratorium, McBean Theater, 3601 Lyon; (650) 856-9593. Wed, wrestling 1-9 p.m., videos 8 p.m., lecture 9 p.m. Free-$10. See 8 Days a Week, page 54.

Bay Area

'Strike Up the Band' Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley, Bancroft at Telegraph, Berk; (510) 642-9988. Fri-Sat, 8pm. $24-46. Curtain Up! performs the Gershwin-Kaufman musical comedy.

comedy

Bayfront Theater Fort Mason Center, Bldg B, Third fl, Marina at Laguna; 474-8935. Thurs, 8pm: "By the Book!," improvised plays, $7. Fri-Sat, 8pm: "3 x 3 Improv Tournament," $12. Sun, 8pm: "Micetro," $6.

Punch Line 444 Battery; 397-4337. Thurs-Sat, 9pm (also Fri-Sat, 11pm): Lewis Black, $12-20. See 8 Days a Week, page 54.

Rasselas 1534 Fillmore; 921-2051. Sat, 7pm: "All Black Comedy Showcase," with Yayne Abeba, Tony Sparks, and others, free.

Spanganga 3376 19th St; 821-1102. Thurs, 8pm: sketch comedy with Totally False People and Kasper Hauser, $5; 10pm (through Thurs/28): "Spiegelmania," stand-up comedy show hosted by Mike Spiegelman, $5. Fri, 8pm: "Please Leave the Bronx in Hearbeard II: Revenge of the Razor," sketch comedy, $7 (through Fri/29).

Stud Bar 1284 Harrison; stoodupsf@hotmail.com. Wed, 8pm: "Stood Up!," stand-up comedy with host Pippi Lovestocking, $5.

Tongue and Groove 2513 Van Ness; 565-5955. Tues, 8pm: "Comic Rhythm," with Clark Taylor, Totally False People, Darrick Richardson, and more, $8.

Bay Area

Evans Hall Rm 10, UC Berkeley, Berk; (510) 644-0326. Thurs, 8:30pm: The Gwod Squad performs sketch comedy, $2.

Osher Marin Jewish Community Center 200 N San Pedro, San Rafael; (415) 444-8000. Tues, 7:30pm, $25-30: Rita Rudner performs. See 8 Days a Week, page 54.

Shattuck Down Low 2284 Shattuck; www.danielpackard.com. Sat, 8pm: comedian Daniel Packard performs, $10.

spoken word

Open mics take place almost every night in cafés throughout the Bay Area. If you want to perform, show up about half an hour before start time to put your name on the list. A day-by-day guide to word events and featured readers:

Wednesday: La Peña Cultural Center 3105 Shattuck, Berk; (510) 849-2572. "Cafe Poetry Word and Sing," featuring Paul Flores, 8pm, call for price. Cody's Books 2454 Telegraph, Berk; (510) 845-7852. "Poetry Flash: Apogee Press Reading," with Edward Smallfield and Truong Tran, 7:30pm, $2. ODC Theater 3153 17th St; 255-9035. "Youth Speaks Teen Poetry Slam" semifinals, 7pm, $2-6.

Thursday: Poetry Center San Francisco State University, Humanities Bldg, Rm 512, 1600 Holloway; www.sfsu.edu/˜newlit. (Also 7:30pm, Unitarian Center, 1187 Franklin, $7). British poets Alan Halsey, Geraldine Monk, and Martin Corless-Smith, 3:30pm, free. Books Inc. 2275 Market; 864-6777. "Guilty Pleasures" erotica reading, 7:30pm, free. ODC Theater 3153 17th St; 255-9035. "Youth Speaks Teen Poetry Slam" semifinals, 7pm, $2-6.

Friday: Cafe International 508 Haight; 552-7390. "Open Myc Series," with featured reader Julia Vinograd, 7:30pm, free. Sunrise Coffee Company 4252 Piedmont, Oakl; (510) 654-5626. Poet Arthur Weil reads, 6pm, free. Borders Books and Music 233 Winston; 252-4655. WritersCorps youth present a "Youth Poetry Slam League" event, 7pm, free. Black Box Theater 1928 Telegraph, Oakl; (415) 255-9035. "Youth Speaks Teen Poetry Slam" semifinals, 7pm, $2-6.

Saturday: Coffee with a Beat 458 Perkins, Oakl; (510) 526-5985. "Word Beat Reading Series," with featured readers Lee Gerstmann and Sam Pierstorffs, plus open mic, 7-9pm, free. Berkeley Art Center 1275 Walnut, Berk; (510) 527-9753. "Rhythm and Muse" open mic, with Paradise, 7pm, free. Berkeley Repertory Theater 2025 Addison, Berk; (415) 255-9035. "Youth Speaks Teen Poetry Slam" semifinals, 7pm, $2-6.

Sunday: Cody's Books 2454 Telegraph, Berk; (510) 845-7852. "Poetry Flash," with Susan Griffin and Honor Moore, 7:30pm, $2. Bird and Beckett Books and Records 2788 Diamond; 586-3733. David Meltzer reads, 7:30pm, free.

Monday: Notes from Underground Café 2399 Van Ness; 928-8904. "Celebration of the Word," with featured reader Charles Blackwell and host Jeanne Powell, 7pm, free. Café de la Paz 1600 Shattuck, Berk; (510) 843-0662. "Poetry Nitro," featuring Valentine Pierce, plus open mic and host Mark States, 8pm, free. Tuva Space 3192 Adeline, Berk; isiswonder@hotmail.com. "Sedition" open mic poetry and politics event, 7:30pm, free.