stage

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

theater

Opening

Of Mice and Men Actors Theatre of San Francisco, 533 Sutter; 296-9179. $15-20. Opens Fri/28, 8pm. Runs Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 7pm. Through Aug 31. Actors Theatre of San Francisco presents the John Steinbeck classic.

Roberto Zucco: A Portrait of a Serial Killer Theatre Rhinoceros, 2926 16th St; 861-5079. $12-20 (previews, pay what you can). Previews Thurs/27-Sat/29, 8pm. Opens Fri/5, 8pm. Runs Thurs-Sun, 8pm (no show Thurs/4). Through July 28. The Cutting Ball Theater presents Bernard-Marie Koltès's play about a killer who wreaks mayhem when he escapes from prison.

Ongoing

American Buffalo Shelton Theater, 533 Sutter; 433-7875. $20 (Thurs, pay what you can). Thurs-Sun, 8pm. Through July 27. The Shelton Theater presents David Mamet's tale about three small-time crooks.

Are We Almost There? Shelton Theatre, 533 Sutter; 345-7575. $12-15. Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Open-ended. Travel is the theme of this musical comedy revue.

'The Best of Playground: The Sixth Annual Emerging Playwrights Festival' A Traveling Jewish Theatre, 470 Florida; 704-3177, www.playground-sf.org. $25-35 (Thurs, pay what you can). Thurs/27-Sat/29, 8pm; Sun/30, 7pm. This festival highlights seven new 10-minute plays by emerging playwrights; each performance includes all seven plays.

Bodies and Hearts in the Face of the Monster Exit on Taylor, 277 Taylor; 841-1262. $15. Fri-Sat, 8pm. Through Sat/6. Written during the Monica Lewinsky scandal, Toni Press-Coffman's comedy about the exploits of a politician, her much younger paramour, her poet-construction worker brother, and his two lovers attempts to demonstrate two things: first, that love is complicated and we all have different ways of going about it, and second, that the moral indignation some of us express toward others' relationships is hypocritical because it's accompanied by an obsession with the scorned activity. Unfortunately, the relationships are about as complicated as you'd find on any poorly rated soap opera while being less innovative, and instead of proving that we're actually aroused by this sort of thing, the piece makes the point that this stuff really isn't worth our attention. The actors make a valiant effort with the script, but their earnestness only aggravates its deficiencies in places where a more ironic approach might have given it a boost. (Shalson)

Buried Child Geary Theatre, 405 Geary; 749-2ACT, www.ticketweb.com. $15-61. Tues-Sat, 8pm (also Tues/2 and Tues/9, 8pm; Wed/26, Wed/3, and Sat, 2pm; no show Thurs/4); Sun, 2pm (also Sun/7, 7pm. Through July 14. See "Mature 'Child,' " page 55.

EROShambo OmniCircus, 550 Natoma; 701-0686. $8-15. Runs Fri/28-Sat/29, 9:30pm. OmniCircus presents DeusMachina in an "erotic robotic cabaret" that features live music, robots, and puppets.

*First Love Magic Theatre, Fort Mason Center, Bldg D, Marina at Laguna; 441-8822. $17-37. Wed/26-Sat/29, 8:30pm; Sun/30, 2:30 and 7:30pm. The latest in a cycle of "love" plays by Charles Mee, this is perhaps his most accessible work to date, a sweet and reflective chamber piece about two older people opening their hearts to love for the first time. It charts a familiar Mee course from aggression to infatuation to passion to trouble and more trouble, but without his usual classical frame. All the familiar touches are here, from interpolated song standards to a sustained bout of plate-smashing (paralleling the hurled buzz-saw blades of Big Love). But Mee always has the capacity to surprise, whether articulating the dissolution of personality in love or coming up with the perfect physical image of two closed people connecting intimately. Robert Parnell and Joan Mankin are delightful as Harold and Edith, an almost Beckettian pair of old radicals who ignite each other. Their spells and storms are vigorously staged by director Erin Mee, who seems firmly in tune with the play's twin pulses of exhilaration and sadness. (Rosenstein)

Froth Exit Café, 156 Eddy; 377-0457. $10. Thurs/27-Sat/29, 8:30pm. Drama Bums presents Aren Haun's romantic comedy.

i feel love Intersection for the Arts, 446 Valencia; 626-3311. $9-15. Thurs-Sun and July 15 (special actors benefit), 8pm. Through July 15. Playwright Erin Cressida Wilson's latest, a collaboration with actor Sean San Jose, is based on San Jose's real life experience of losing both parents to AIDS.

Mamma Mia! Orpheum Theatre, 1192 Market; 512-7770, www.ticketmaster.com. $38-78. Tues-Sat, 8pm (also Sat, 2pm); Sun, 2 and 7:30pm. Through July 13. ABBA fans, take note: the musical returns to San Francisco.

The Ritz New Conservatory Theatre Center, 25 Van Ness; 861-8972. $18-35. Wed/26-Sat/29, 8pm; Sun/30 and Sun/7, 2pm. The New Conservatory Theatre Center presents Terrence McNally's play about a straight guy who evades the Mafia by hanging out in a gay bathhouse.

Rosita's Day of the Dead El Teatro de la Esperanza, 2940 16th St, Second fl; 255-2320. $8-12. Fri/28-Sat/29, 8pm. El Teatro de la Esperanza presents Rodrigo Duatre Clark's bilingual comedy, a sequel to Rosita's Jalapeño Kitchen.

'Russell Simmons Def Poetry Jam' Theatre on the Square, 450 Post; 433-9500. $25-40. Tues-Thurs, 8pm; Fri-Sat, 7 and 10pm; Sun, 5pm. Through July 28. Nine performance poets and a DJ take the stage in this show.

*Shakespeare's R&J New Conservatory Theatre Center, 25 Van Ness; 861-8972. 861-8972. $18-35. Wed/26-Sat/29, 8pm. The spoken words are almost exclusively Shakespeare's, but the context puts a unique spin on this classic tale of forbidden love. Playwright Joe Calarco gives us Romeo and Juliet, in all of its melodramatic magnificence, as performed by four Catholic school boys. As the youths act the parts of Shakespeare's play, their own stories of repression and desire come through in their exchanged looks and momentary breaks in character, where shrugging off a line or delivering it with pointed intensity serves to lend it new meaning. The result is a version of Romeo and Juliet that is self-conscious while remaining genuinely moving: the balcony scene (featuring actors Brent Rosenbaum and Taylor Valentine) is a treat in itself. (Shalson)

611 $upreme Exit Theatre, 156 Eddy; 561-1418. $15-25. Fri-Sat and Mon/1, 8pm. Through Sat/6. Paducah Mining Co. presents the world premiere of E. Hunter Spreen's "environmental morality play."

Sleeping with Straight Men Theatre Rhinoceros Studio, 2926 16th St; 861-5079. $20-25. Fri, 8:30pm; Sat, 6 and 9pm; Sun, 3:30 and 7:30pm (no matinee Sun/30). Through July 21. Great Scott Productions presents Ronnie Larsen's new play, based on the true tale of a gay man who is murdered after revealing his crush on a straight man on a television talk show; Mink Stole, Dan Renzi (of MTV's Real World: Miami), and Sister Roma (of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence) star.

Top Girls Exit Stage Left, 156 Eddy; 675-5995, www.crowdedfire.org. $12-25. Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Through Sat/6. First produced in 1982 in the depths of Margaret Thatcher's Britain, Caryl Churchill's Top Girls is a pointed critical look at the rarity of women in positions of power. The play argues in rich and complex terms for the need to scrutinize, just as much as men's choices, both the paths women take to the top and the decisions they make when they've gotten there. The play is renowned for its brilliant opening scene – Marlene, a contemporary executive, has just received a major promotion; to celebrate, she is joined at a posh restaurant by notable women from history – and director Rebecca Novick and her fine cast in this Crowded Fire production seem to know that, as it is played as the tour de force it deserves to be. Then things pull back to a focused simplicity as we learn the story behind Marlene's "success," a tale that for all its smart writing and equally bright acting can't sidestep disappointing elements of cliché in Churchill's conception. Linda Jones, as Marlene, emerges as the company's major player, an indispensable actor of exceptional power, nuance, and range. (Rosenstein)

The World Goes 'Round: The Songs of Kander and Ebb New Conservatory Theatre Center, 25 Van Ness; 861-8972. $15-35. Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2pm (no show Tues/30). Through July 14. As part of its third "In Concert" season, the New Conservatory Theatre Center presents this musical revue with tunes from Cabaret, Chicago, and other shows.

Bay Area

Abingdon Square Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College, Berk; (510) 704-8210. $10-25 (previews, pay what you can). Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 7pm. Through Sat/6. See "Mature 'Child,' " page 55.

Antony and Cleopatra La Val's Subterranean Theatre, 1834 Euclid, Berk; (510) 234-6046. $10-14. Thurs-Sat, 8pm (no show Thurs/4). Through July 20. These doomed lovers are one of Shakespeare's best couples (if two so insistently individual characters can be called a couple). The endlessly playful and aggrandizing Cleopatra (Pamela Wylie) and the waning Roman titan Antony (Stanley Spenger) make quite a pair – for sheer theatricality and one-upmanship you can forget Albee's George and Martha. Their heroic world is also a world passing out of existence, making the demise even more poignant. The play's many characters – including Octavius Caesar (Zach Gossett) and chief rival Pompey (Jason Barba) – intrude repeatedly, so that we glimpse our heroes only fleetingly before again being tossed out to the world of politics. Then again, their romance is as political as it is sexual, or rather it takes the politics of sex to new heights. In Subterranean Shakespeare's production, uneven casting, director Joy Meads's shuffling pace, and the formidable exigencies of the play itself (including its length and innumerable scene changes) can make the action feel disjointed and wearying. But while often falling short, it attains some worthy moments. Spenger displays significant authority and pathos as Antony, and Wylie's mischievous queen basks in the play's sizable comic aspects. (Avila)

The Apple Cart Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant, Berk; (510) 798-1300. $20-22 (Thurs, two-for-one admission). Thurs/27, 7pm; Fri/28-Sat/29, 8pm. Written in 1929 and set 40 years later, George Bernard Shaw's satire on democracy addresses issues that are still relevant today: the exploitation of third-world labor, government control by big-business interests, world trade, and globalization. The only politician fighting against these wrongs is the king of England himself, despite his cabinet members' attempts to reduce his power. Because Shaw's characters are mainly mouthpieces for different viewpoints, they could easily become two-dimensional talking heads, but the uniformly strong cast avoids this, maintaining our interest throughout the three acts and successfully pulling off Shaw's subtle humor. David Winter's performance as King Magnus is brilliantly British, shifting gracefully between irony and sincerity, amused disregard and genuine worry, all the while remaining calculatedly calm. Performed in the intimate space of the Berkeley City Club's Patio Room, this is a nice production of a classic work. (Shalson)

Carnival Altarena Playhouse, 1409 High, Alameda; (510) 523-1553. $12-15. Fri/28-Sat/29, 8pm. The Altarena Playhouse presents Bob Merrill and Michael Stewart's musical that follows a woman who joins a circus troupe in war-torn France.

Cloud Nine Roda Theatre, 2015 Addison, Berk; (510) 647-2949. $10-54. Tues and Thurs-Sat, 8pm (also Sat/29, July 11, 18, and 27, 2pm); Wed and Sun, 7pm (also Sun, 2pm). Through July 28. You'd think anything by Caryl Churchill – particularly this feast of social satire bridging the British-dominated Africa of 1880 and the London of 1980 – would be a natural for the Berkeley Repertory Theatre's Tony Taccone, who's been on a roll lately. Instead the director plays the evening mostly for laughs, skimming lightly over the piece's lyricism and depth. It's easy – and misguided – to dismiss Cloud Nine as dated. One of its central subjects is, in fact, the relativity of time in affecting public and private attitudes. Great plays similarly shift in relevance to the times: at its premiere 20 years ago, Cloud Nine was a stunning reflection on the personal cost of Britain's imperialism and its hypocritical Victorian morality. The play's fluid vision of unbridled sexuality seemed liberating then, only to mark the script as an apparent period piece in ensuing years. But today what comes through most potently is not the sex or the politics but the hilarious and painful choices the play's parents and children and lovers (and by extension, governments and citizens and generations) make in dealing with one another. (Rosenstein)

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) Highway One at Calle del Mar, Stinson Beach; (415) 868-1115, www.shakespeareatstinson.org. $13-23. Fri/28-Sat/29, 7pm; Sun/30, 6pm. Shakespeare at Stinson presents a play that tears through all of Shakespeare's repertoire.

Homebody/Kabul Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Thrust Stage, 2025 Addison, Berk; (510) 647-2949. $38-54. Extended run: Thurs-Sat, 8pm (also Sat/29 and July 13, 2pm); Wed and Sun, 7pm (also Sun, 2pm; no show Wed/3). Through July 14. While much has been made of Tony Kushner's "prescience" in writing his latest play, Homebody/Kabul, long before Sept. 11, the play is about much more than the events of the moment. The focus begins intimately in the living room of the Homebody (Michelle Morain), an obsessive reader who has settled in with a quaint but informative 1965 travel guide to Kabul. Surprisingly, this armchair traveler decides to go explore the world she has only read about. This three-hour-and-forty-minute evening is absorbing, witty, fierce, and intelligent, but it's hard for Kushner to top the Homebody's astounding opening monologue. Like the script, Tony Taccone's direction has its rough spots, but his work here bristles with attentiveness and dynamism. (Rosenstein)

Smokey Joe's Café: The Songs of Leiber and Stoller Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, Castro at Mercy, Mountain View; (650) 903-6000. $20-45. Tues, 7:30pm (no show Tues/9); Wed-Sat, 8pm (also Sat/6 and July 13, 2pm); Sun, 2pm (also Sun/7, 7pm). Through July 14. The songwriters are celebrated in a musical revue that highlights hits such as "Stand by Me," "On Broadway," and "Jailhouse Rock."

dance

'Dancer's Group Summer Dance Festival' This week: Dance Mission, 3316 24th St; 920-9181, www.dancersgroup.org. Thurs-Sun, 8pm. $15. Festival runs through July 26 at various times and locations. This week's performance is Nine Days on Dark Water, a piece by 1000 Gray Birds, a group of dancers from six countries.

'Fresh Meat' ODC Theater, 3153 17th St; 863-9834. Wed, 8pm. $12-15. "Fresh, fierce, and tasty queer and trans performance" is the promise of this event, which features performance art, dance, and much more.

Deborah Hay Noh Space, 2840 Mariposa; 621-7978. Fri-Sat, 7pm. $10-15. See Critic's Choice.

San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival Palace of Fine Arts, 3301 Lyon; 392-4400, www.tickets.com. Sat-Sun, 2pm (also Sat, 8pm). $20-30. This weekend's program includes performances by groups from Spain, West Africa, Bolivia, Hawaii, China, Argentina, Mexico, America, and more.

Bay Area

Savage Jazz Dance Company Alice Arts Center, 1428 Alice, Oakl; (925) 798-1300 or (415) 478-2277. Repertory A: Fri/28, 8pm; Sun/30, 2pm. Repertory B: Thurs/27 and Sat/29, 8pm. $15-20. Both programs include world premieres Jungle Music and Lullaby. See "Boxed In," page 56.

performance

'Bodies, Rest and Motion' Werepad, 2430 Third St; 453-1557. $12-15. Fri-Sun, 8pm. $12-15. The Group Players present Roger Hedden's play about a group of friends and lovers in the late '80s.

'Hip-Hop Legends Festival' Sigmund Stern Grove, 19th Ave at Sloat; 252-6252. Sun, 2pm. Free. Rennie Harris and dancers from Rennie Harris Puremovement, Electric Boogaloos, Untouchables, and more perform; the show is preceded by a talk with hip-hop dance pioneer Harris.

'In the Wake of Gold' and 'Jack London at Sea' Aboard the Balclutha, Hyde St Pier; 561-7100. In the Wake of Gold: Sat, noon and 1pm, through July 20; Jack London at Sea: Sun, noon and 1pm, through July 21. $2-6. The historic Balclutha hosts two plays performed by Live Oakes Educational Theatre.

'A Richard Rodgers Birthday Sing-A-Long' San Francisco Performing Arts Library and Museum, 401 Van Ness, Fourth fl; 255-4800. Fri, 7pm. $10-15. Performers from 42nd Street Moon lead an audience-participation celebration of the Broadway composer.

Bay Area

'A Midsummer Night's Dream' Black Box, 1928 Telegraph, Oakl; (510) 653-6637. Fri-Sat, 8pm. $15-20. Magical Acts Ritual Theater presents Shakespeare's comedy.

'What's Going On?' Black Repertory Group, 3201 Adeline, Berk; (510) 812-7212. Fri-Sat, call for times. $15-20. The Black Repertory Group hosts this play about the life of Marvin Gaye.

comedy

Bayfront Theater Fort Mason Center, Bldg B, Third fl, Marina at Laguna; 474-8935. Thurs, 8pm: "The Belfry Presents: Genre June," $7. Fri-Sat, 8pm: "The Summer Games," improv competition, $12; Kaspar Hauser improv comedy troupe, 10:30pm, $10-20. Sun, 8pm: "Sunday Players Present: The Ring Tournament," team improv competition, $6.

BrainWash Café 1122 Folsom; 861-FOOD. Thurs, 8pm: Tony Sparks hosts comedy open mic, free.

Java Source 343 Clement; 387-8025. Fri, 10:30pm: Greg Jones and Tony Sparks host comedy open mic, free.

Luggage Store 1007 Market; 255-5971. Tues, 8pm: comedy open mic with host Tony Sparks, free.

New Pisa 550 Green; 207-0285, www.northbeachimprov.com. Fri, 9pm: "North Beach Improv," with host Uncle Vinny Rizzo, $10.

Sea Biscuit 3815 Noriega; 661-3784. Comedy open mic with hosts Tom Smith and Tony Sparks, 8pm, free.

Sweetie's Café and Bar 475 Francisco; 820-3237. Sat, 8pm: "Too Many Larrys!," sketch comedy, free.

Tapioka 1369 Folsom; 551-1465. Fri, 9pm: "Ha Bloody Ha," hosted by Harmon Leon, $5.

Venue 9 252 Ninth St; 820-3947. Sun, 8pm: "Seven Sins," comedy and solo performance, $10-15. Through Aug 4.

Bay Area

Black Box 1928 Telegraph, Oakl; (510) 595-5597. Thurs, 8pm: The Oakland Playhouse improv troupe performs improv comedy, $5.

Island Paradise Lounge 1436 Webster, Alameda; (510) 865-3225 or (510) 982-0490. Miracle Malone hosts comedy night, 10pm, call for price.

Kimball's East 6005 Shellmound, Emeryville; (510) 658-2555, ext 4. Wed, 7pm: "The Other Comedy," multicultural comedy showcase, free ($5 after 7pm).

Mingles 370 Embarcadero, Jack London Square, Oakl; (510) 466-5735. Fri, 7pm: "The Other Comedy," multicultural comedy showcase, free before 7pm ($5 after).

Papa Buzz Café 2318 Telegraph, Oakl; (510) 763-6494. Fri, 6-10pm: comedy night with host Mike Holley, $5.

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: Cody's Books 2454 Telegraph, Berk; (510) 845-7852. "Poetry Flash," with Dorianne Laux and Joseph Millar, 7:30pm, $2. Mama Bears Women's Bookstore 6536 Telegraph, Oakl; (510) 506-3717. "SheSpeaks," open mic night for women 18 and over, 7:30pm, $5. Starry Plough 3101 Shattuck, Berk; (510) 841-2082. "The Berkeley Slam!," with hosts Charles Ellik and dani eurynome, 8pm, $7. BrainWash Cafe 1122 Folsom; 864-3842. "Spoken Word Salon," open mic with host Diamond Dave Whitaker, 8pm, free. La Peña Cultural Center La Peña Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck, Berk; (510) 849-2566. Café Poetry with host Paradise, 7:30pm, donations accepted. Café Niebaum-Coppola 916 Kearny; 552-9261. "Poems under the Influence" reading to benefit the campaign for an International Poetry Museum, 5pm, $5.

Thursday: Café 1428 1428 Alice, Oakl; (510) 239-2239, ext 2899. "Poet Skool," open mic with host Paradise, 7pm, donations accepted. Pond 214 Valencia; pondpeople@mucketymuck.org. "Siege Machines: Readings by Experimental Women Writers," with Patricia Dienstfrey and Yedda Morrison, 8pm, free.

Friday: Yakety Yak Coffee House 679 Sutter; 285-2951. Open mic, 7:30pm, free.

Sunday: Café Royale 800 Post; 255-9035, ext 11. "The Battle of the Bay," team poetry slam sponsored by the Living Word Project, 8pm, $6. Cellspace 2050 Bryant; 648-7562. "A Community Tribute to Legendary Street Poet Jack Micheline," 6pm, call for price.

Monday: Perry's Joint 1661 Fillmore; 931-5260. "Celebration of the Word," with Lewis Jordan and host Jeanne Powell, 7pm, free. Rasselas Jazz 1534 Fillmore; 346-8696. Open mic for instrumentalists, singers, and poets, featuring the Dee Spencer Trio, 8pm, free.