Stage listings are compiled by Molly Freedenberg. Performance times may change; call venues to confirm. Reviewers are Robert Avila, Rita Felciano, and Nicole Gluckstern. Submit items for the listings at listings@sfbg.com.

THEATER

OPENING

The Bald Soprano Cutting Ball Theater, Exit, 27 Taylor; (800) 838-3006, cuttingball.com. $15-$30. Opens Thurs/29, 8pm. Runs Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 5pm. Through Nov 22.Cutting Ball Theater opens its 10th season with Eugene Ionesco's comic masterpiece.

Destry Rides Again Eureka Theatre, 215 Jackson; www.42ndstreetmoon.org. $34-$44. Opens Sat/31. Runs Wed, 7pm; Thurs-Fri, 8pm; Sat, 6pm; Sun, 3pm. Through Nov 15. 42nd Street Moon presents this classic western musical staring Connie Champagne.

DRIP Boxcar Playhouse, 505 Natoma; www.crowdedfire.org. $10-$25. Previews Sun/1, 5pm. Opens Mon/2, 8pm. Runs Wed-Sat, 8pm. Through Nov 21. Crowded Fire presents Christina Anderson's dreamlike new work.

Ghosts of the River BRAVA Theater Center, 2781 24th St; 641-7657, www.brava.org. $20-25. Opens Wed/28. Runs Wed-Sat, 8pm. Through Nov 8. ShadowLight Productions announces the world premiere of this multidisciplinary shadow theatre work tackling the subject of the US/Mexico border.

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Lost my Virginity Exit Café, 156 Eddy; (800) 838-3006, www.guerrillarep.org. $10-$20. Opens Thurs/29. Runs Thurs-Sat, 8:30pm. Through Nov 21. Ann Marie Productions and Guerrilla Rep join forces to present Aileen Clack and John Caldon's comedy about becoming a woman in different cultural contexts.

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Actors Theatre of SF, 855 Bush; 345-1287, www.actorstheatresf.org. $26-$40. Previews Wed/28-Thurs/29. Opens Fri/30. Runs Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Nov 6 and Dec 6, 2pm. Through Dec 19. Actors Theatre of SF presents Edward Albee's classic.

ONGOING

The Creature Thick House, 1695 18th St; 401-8081, thickhouse.org. Previews Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 7pm. Black Box Theatre presents a one-of-a-kind Halloween experience with the world premiere of Trevor Allen's story based on Mary Shelley's classic novel.

*First Day of School SF Playhouse, 533 Sutter; sfplayhouse.org. Check Website for dates and prices. Through November. Billy Aronson's new farce is a humdinger. (Avila)

The Future Project: Sunday Will Come Intersection for the Arts, 446 Valencia; 626-2787 x109, www.theintersection.org. $15-$25. Thurs-Sat, 8pm. Through Nov 7. A young couple (Erika Chong Shuch, Sean San Jose) struggle with the implications of their goldfish's imminent demise in this first-time collaboration between Campo Santo and Erika Shuch Performance Project (ESP), both resident companies at Intersection for the Arts. (Avila)

Goldfish Magic Theatre, Bldg D, Fort Mason Ctr; 441-8822, www.magictheatre.org. $25-$45. Oct 29 and Nov 5, 8pm; Oct 30-31, and Nov 6, 6:30pm; Nov 1 and 3, 7pm; Nov 1 and 8, 2:30pm. Through Nov 8. Magic Theater's 43rd season opens with the first of two back-to-back plays from John Kolvenbach, whose companion-piece, Mrs. Whitney, runs with Goldfish in repertory beginning October 21. (Avila)

The Heidi Chronicles Next Stage, 1620 Gough; (800) 838-3006, custommade.org. $18-$28. Thurs/29-Sat/31, 8pm. Custom Made presents this Pulitzer Prize winning comedy.

Her Naked Skin Zeum Theater, Yerba Buena Gardens; 749-2228, www.act-sf.org. $15-$20. Wed/28-Sat/31, 8pm. The American Conservatory Theater Master of Fine Arts Program presents Rebecca Lenkiewicz's new play.

Jekyll & Hyde: The Musical Southside Theatre, Fort Mason Center; www.jericaproductions.com. $25-$35. Fri-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2pm. Through Oct 25. The Royal Underground Theatre Company and jerica Productions present the smash-hit Broadway musical.

*Loveland The Marsh, 1074 Valencia; 826-5750, www.themarsh.org. $15-$50. Thurs, 8pm; Sat, 5pm. Through Nov 14. Los Angeles–based writer-performer Ann Randolph returns to the Marsh with a new solo play partly developed during last year's Marsh run of her memorable Squeeze Box. (Avila)

Meet the Samsas Boxcar Theatre, 505 Natoma; (800) 838-3006. $20-$30. Wed/21-Sat/24, 8pm; Sun, 2pm. Reality TV monstrosity takes the unexpected form of a gigantic bug, formerly eldest son and sad-sack Gordon, in this play based on Kafka's story. (Gluckstern)

November American Conservatory Theater, 415 Geary; 749-2228, www.act-sf.org. $10-$82. Tues-Sat, 8pm; Sat-Sun, 2pm. Through Nov 15. American Conservatory Theater presents the West Coast premiere of David Mamet's fiendishly funny, over-the-top new comedy.

Shocktoberfest Hypnodrome Theatre, 575 10th St; (800) 838-3006, thrillpeddlers.com. $25-$69. Thurs-Fri, 8pm. Through Nov 20. Thrillpeddlers announces their signature Halloween show.

Tales from the Dark Room: Season II Dark Room Theater, 2263 Mission; 401-7987, darkroomsf.com. $20. Fri/23-Sat/24, 8pm. The Dark Room Theater presents a celebration of the witching hour with a Halloween trick and treat.

Zombie: A New Musical EXIT Theatre Stage Left, 156 Eddy; 913-7272, www.zombiemusicalsf.com. $25. Thurs-Sat, through Oct 31. With a score solidly rooted in hard rock and metal, the brainchild of Anthony R. Miller and Brendan West captures the traditional horror aesthetic.

Zombie Town EXIT Theatre Stage Left, 156 Eddy; 913-7272, www.sleepwalkerstheatre.com. $14-$20. Fri-Sat, 8pm. Through Nov 7. Sleepwalkers Theatre presents the premiere of this horror-comedy from Tim Bauer.

BAY AREA

"Shakes 'Super' Intensive + Bronte Series" Berkeley Unitarian Fellowship, 1924 Cedar, Berk; (510) 275-3871. $8. Mon, 7:30pm, through Dec. 14. Subterranean Shakespeare presents weekly staged readings of classic Shakespeare plays, followed by a staged reading of Jon O'Keefe's complete play about the Bronte sisters.

DANCE

Alonzo King Lines Ballet Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 700 Howard; 978-2787, linesballet.org. Wed-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 5pm. $15-$100. Never underestimate Alonzo King's ability to introduce dancers and

audiences to new musical challenges. His most recent find is New York jazz pianist Jason Moran who, accompanied by bass player Tarus Mateen and drummer Nasheet Waits, played a fabulously roaming set for King's new "Refraction." Blues, art song, pop and stride seamlessly wove in and out of each other creating the interactive atmosphere for King's 11 episodes of individualized, kinetically mesmerizing dances. "Refraction" insinuates itself because of the way music and dance create separate yet overlapping universes. This coming weekend, Moran's score will be heard on tape. For King's 2005 "The Moroccan Project", the six excellent musicians of El Hamideen, however, will perform live. Don't miss them. One of the work's key motives is a dancer who simply stands while others throw themselves into something akin to ecstasy. I used to think that they were watching their colleagues. But perhaps they are taking time out to listen to the music. (Felciano)

PERFORMANCE

"Bewitched, Bothered, and Bipolar!" Martuni's,4 Valencia; 863-3516, www.carlyozardlive.com. Sun, 7pm. $5. Critically acclaimed musical theater singer and comedic cabaret artist Carly Ozard debuts her new show.

"Dr. Kristov's House of Fun and Horror" The Garage, 975 Howard; 885-4006, 975howard.com. Fri-Sat, 8pm. $10-$20. A unique combination of influences comes together to create a one-of-a-kind theatrical experience in this tongue-in-cheek, horrible, audience-confronting show.

"Halloween Hullabaloo" Zambaleta, 2929 19th St; zembaleta.org. Sat, 6pm-12am. $12-$15. The community-based world music and dance school officially opens with performances by Brass Menazeri, Japonize Elephants, Helladelics, and more.

*"International Czech Theater Festival" The Marsh, 1062 Valencia; (800) 838-3006, www.themarsh.org. Through Wed, times and prices vary. The Marsh presents a series of four new plays developed in the physical theater tradition of the Czech Republic.

"Japanese Ghost Stories and Jazz" Yoshi's SF, 1330 Fillmore; www.firstvoice.org. Sun, 2pm. $5-$20. Yoshi's hosts the haunting experience of Brenda Wong Aoki's ghost stories performed in concert with Mark Izu in this family-friendly post-Halloween performance.

Lesbian/Gay Chorus of San Francisco Metropolitan Community Church of San Francisco, 150 Eureka; (800) 838-3006, lgcsf.org. Thurs-Sat, 8pm. "Halloween in the Castro," a new opera by Jack Curtis Dubowsky, merges local politics with murder and mayhem in an in-your-face social commentary about what's gone wrong with Castro Halloween.

"The Metamorphosis of Karaghiozis" Union Square, Stockton and Post; 477-2600. Sat, 7pm. Award-winning shadow artists Leonidas Kassapides joins live musicians to perform the traditional Greek form of storytelling with shadow puppetry.

Monday Night ForePlays Studio250, 965 Mission; ww.wpainofight.com. Mon, 8pm. Through Nov 23. $20. PianoFight presents the original female-driven variety show featuring comedic sketches, original dance numbers, and a rotating line-up of musical acts.

Rasputin and his Amazing Marionettes Finn's Funhouse, 814 Grove; finnsfunhouse@yahoo.com. Fri-Sat, 7 and 8:30pm. $10-$15. A macabre musical marvel in mystifying miniature.

"Stateless: A Hip Hop Vaudeville Experience" The Jewish Theatre, 470 Florida; 292-1233, www.tjt-sf.org. Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 7pm. $15-$45. Is hip-hop dead, as Sacha Frere-Jones recently pronounced it or has it finally arrived? Will hybrid hip-hop theatre bring the raw edginess of this street-grown art form to a wider audience or can it only become diluted in its bid for mass consumption? Turns out it's a bit of both if Stateless is the standard to go by. Billed as a "Hip Hop Vaudeville Experience," there is real joy in the slapstick-and-soft shoe opening sequences, straight from the pages of a borscht belt revival, and real yearning in the parallel quests for identity and personal history on the parts of fellow rappers and theatre collaborators Dan Wolf and Tommy Shepherd. After a hilariously inter-titled interlude on a trans-Atlantic flight and an obligatory stoner's epiphany in Amsterdam, the pair head for Hamburg, where Wolf learns of his German-Jewish Vaudeville-performer roots, and then, almost as an after-thought, they head for Louisiana to discover Shepherd's. It's here that the play really loses its initial momentum, as the search for Shepherd's progenitors is not nearly as fleshed out as Wolf's. Still, Keith Pinto's choreography is tight, Ellen Sebastian Chang's staging ingenious, and the music, penned mainly by experimental music ensemble One Ring Zero, is virtually flawless. Edgy it's not, but with respect to Mr. Frere-Jones, very much alive. (Gluckstern)

"Teatro ZinZombie" Teatro ZinZanni, Pier 29; 438-2668, www.zinzanni.org. Sat. Call for time and price. An evening of elegant decadence awaits those who dare to attend this one-night-only macabre ball, featuring bloody cocktails, ghoulish face painting, and death-defying acts along with your five-course gourmet meal.

"True Fiction Magazine Halloween Horror" Bayfront Theater, Fort Mason Center; www.improv.org. Fri-Sat, 8pm. $17-$20. SF's acclaimed improv ensemble returns for their wildly popular Halloween shows based on audience suggestion.

BAY AREA

"The Afterlife of the Mind" The Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave, Berk; (510) 841-6500, www.shotgunplayers.org. Thurs, 7pm; Fri, 8pm; Sat, 8pm & midnight. $15-$25. Virago Theatre Company presents the world premiere of William Bivins' dark comedy.